-um

See also: Appendix:Variations of "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^(key): /əm/

Suffix

-um (plural -a)

1. Denotes singular grammatical number.
2. (chemistry) Forms the ends of the names of certain elements (such as molybdenum and platinum).
3. Denotes transitive verbs in the trade pidgins used between English-speakers and indigenous populations; used derogatorily by extension in English by addition to any verb, transitive or not.
   • 1896, F J Stimsom, King Noanett: A Story of Old Virginia and the Massachusetts Bay, p. 254:

     "Givum dinner; smokum pipe," was all that we could get out of Quatchett.

   • 1871 Mrs. Edward Millett, An Australian parsonage; or, The settler and the savage in Western Australia, p. 129:

     Having finished her return of deaths, she went on to say "Black fellow sick—white lady fowl sendum—white lady kangaroo sendum—master all self eatum—" but here she paused and made an exception in favour of the matron, expressed by the words " Missis not eatum—missis good fellow."

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
• Greek: -ο (el) (-o), -ον (-on)

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

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Bislama

Alternative forms

• -em
• -im

Etymology

English him, 'em

Suffix

-um

1. Indicates a transitive verb

Usage notes

The suffix to be used is determined by vowel harmony. If the last vowel in the stem is u, then the suffix is -um. Otherwise, use -em or -im.

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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

Etymology

Latin -um (“2nd declension neuter nominative singular termination”)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /um/

Suffix

-um

1. A distinguishable foreign word-ending in nouns of Latin origin. It is not considered 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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Icelandic

Suffix

-um

1. Used to form the dative plural of most nouns, all strong adjectives and most pronouns.
   • hestur → hestum — a horse → of the horses
   • ríkur → ríkum — rich → of the rich
2. Used to form the first person plural of verbs in the indicative and subjunctive, past and present.
   • telja (infinitive) → við teljum (we count or believe) (indicative)
   • við teldum subjunctive past tense, i.e., we would believe
3. Used to form some adverbs from nouns or adjectives — it is actually a frozen dative
   • stund (time, hour) → stundum — sometimes
   • langur (long) → löngum (oftentimes).

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Old Irish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /um/

Suffix

-um (suffixed pronoun)

1. me

Related terms

• m- (class A infixed pronoun)
• dom-, dam- (class B & C infixed pronoun)

Derived terms

Category Old Irish words suffixed with -um not found

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Pijin

Alternative forms

• -em
• -im

Etymology

English him, 'em

Suffix

-um

1. Indicates a transitive verb

Usage notes

The suffix to be used is determined by vowel harmony. If the last vowel in the stem is u, then the suffix is -um. Otherwise, use -em or -im.

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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.