-um

See also umm, and -um-

English

Etymology

From the homographic case endings of the nominative, accusative, and vocative forms of numerous neuter Latin second declension nouns.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /əm/

Suffix

-um (plural -a)

1. Denotes singular grammatical number.

Usage notes

• The vast majority of words which feature this suffix also have standard -ums plurals formed by suffixation with the -s plural suffix. However, in such situations, the -s suffix morphologically is additional to and separate from the -um suffix.

See also

    See also

-a

-ium

-on

-os

-us

Derived terms

Terms which feature the -um suffix

criterium datum decennium delirium desideratum erratum (cf. German Irrtum) fatum forum gymnasium honorarium imperium interbellum (between war(s))

labarum mandatum maximum medium minimum millenium modicum mortuarium museum opium optimum

Persarum pessarium podium postbellum (after war) referendum sanatorium solarium stadium talcum (any shiny mineral) tedium

ultimatum unicum vacuum valium

This list is very much incomplete; please help its completion by adding terms.

Translations

Latinate singular grammatical number suffix

Dutch: -um (nl) French: -um (fr) German: -um (de) Greek: -ο (el) (-o), -ον (el) (-on)

Italian: -o (it), -a (it) Japanese: ウム (ja) (-umu) Portuguese: -o (pt) Spanish: -o (es)

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Dutch

Suffix

-um (plural -a or -ums)

1. Denotes singular grammatical number of words of Latin origins.

Usage notes

• Both the plural forms of -a and -ums are used in everyday language, but the latter is sometimes proscribed against.

See also

• -s

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Hungarian

Pronunciation

• IPA: /um/

Suffix

-um

1. A distinguishable foreign word ending in nouns of Latin origins. It is not considerable as an independent Hungarian suffix.

   abszurdum (“absurdity”)

See also

• Category:Hungarian nouns suffixed with -um
• Appendix:Hungarian suffixes

References

• Attila Mártonfi: The System of the Hungarian Suffixes, Theses of PhD Dissertation, Budapest, 2006

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Scots

Alternative forms

• -im, -om, -am, -em

Etymology 1

From Middle English, from Old English -um, dative plural ending used to form adverbials.

Suffix

-um

1. (rare) Used to form adverbs.

   legim (“astride”)

Etymology 2

Probably of jocular formation, based partly on Latin -um and partly an altered form of -in(g)s, a verbal noun ending.

Suffix

-um

1. Added to nouns or verbs to form nouns with diminutive or hypocoristic force.

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Turkish

Suffix

-um

1. First-person singular possessive suffix denoting singular possession in words ending in a consonant.

   okul - okulum

   school - my school

   yol - yolum

   way - my way

2. Conjugation of the verb "to be" for first person singular simple present tense.

   masum - masumum

   innocent - I am innocent

Usage notes

• If the noun ends in a vowel, it becomes "-m" (for the possessive suffix)

  soru - sorum

• It's used only when the word's last vowel is "o" or "u". It may change into "-im", "-ım" and "-üm" according to the last vowel of the word. (possessive suffix)

  ev - evim (the last vowel is "e" or "i")

  kız - kızım (the last vowel is "a" or "ı")

  yüz - yüzüm (the last vowel is "ö" or "ü")

• If the word ends in "p", "ç", "t" or "k", it may change them into "b", "c", "d" and "ğ".

  grup - grubum

  burç - burcum

  periyot - periyodum

  çocuk - çocuğum

• It may cause the last vowel of the word to be dropped.

  burun - burnum

• If the word ends in a vowel, an auxiliary consonant is used ; "y". (for the verb to be)

  mutlu - mutluyum

• It must be used with an apostrophe while using with a proper noun.

  Umut - Umut'um

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Volapük

Suffix

-um

1. Used to form the comparative form of adjectives.