eme

See also: Appendix:Variations of "eme"

Translingual

Symbol

eme

1. (international standards) ISO 639-3 language code for Emerillon.

See also

• Wiktionary’s coverage of Emerillon terms

English

Alternative forms

• eam
• eem (dialectal)
• eame
• neam
• neame
• neme

Etymology

From Middle English éam, eom, em, eme (“uncle”), from Old English ēam (“uncle”). See eam.

Noun

eme (plural emes)

1. (obsolete outside Scotland) An uncle.
   • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, “quintum”, in Le Morte Darthur, book VIII:

     Soo this yonge syre Trystram rode vnto his eme kynge Marke of Cornewayle / ¶ And whanne he came there / he herd say that ther wold no knyghte fyghte with syre Marhaus / Thenne yede sir Tristram vnto his eme and sayd / syre yf ye wylle gyue me thordre of knyghthode / I wille doo bataille with syr Marhaus

     So this young knight, Tristan, rode unto his uncle, king Mark of Cornwall / ¶ And when he came thither / he heard say that no knight there would fight Sir Marhaus / Then went Sir Tristan unto his uncle and said / Sire, if ye give me the order of knighthood / I shall battle Sir Marhaus

   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto X”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

     Whilst they were young, Cassibalane their Eme / Was by the people chosen in their sted […]

     Whilst they were young, Cassibalain, their uncle, / was chosen by the people in their stead […]

2. (Scotland) Friend.

Related terms

• eam

Descendants

• → Manx: naim

Anagrams

• Mee, eem, mee

Basque

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /eme/, [e̞.me̞]

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Gascon hemna (“woman”), from Old Occitan femna (“woman”), itself from Latin fēmina (“woman”).

Noun

eme anim

1. female

Declension

Declension of eme (anim V-stem)

	indefinite	singular	plural	proximal plural
absolutive	eme	emea	emeak	emeok
ergative	emek	emeak	emeek	emeok
dative	emeri	emeari	emeei	emeoi
genitive	emeren	emearen	emeen	emeon
comitative	emerekin	emearekin	emeekin	emeokin
causative	emerengatik	emearengatik	emeengatik	emeongatik
benefactive	emerentzat	emearentzat	emeentzat	emeontzat
instrumental	emez	emeaz	emeez	emeotaz
innesive	emerengan	emearengan	emeengan	emeongan
locative	—	—	—	—
allative	emerengana	emearengana	emeengana	emeongana
terminative	emerenganaino	emearenganaino	emeenganaino	emeonganaino
directive	emerenganantz	emearenganantz	emeenganantz	emeonganantz
destinative	emerenganako	emearenganako	emeenganako	emeonganako
ablative	emerengandik	emearengandik	emeengandik	emeongandik
partitive	emerik	—	—	—
prolative	emetzat	—	—	—

Derived terms

• emakume (“woman”)

Etymology 2

Noun

eme inan

1. The name of the Latin script letter M/m.

Declension

Declension of eme (inan V-stem)

	indefinite	singular	plural	proximal plural
absolutive	eme	emea	emeak	emeok
ergative	emek	emeak	emeek	emeok
dative	emeri	emeari	emeei	emeoi
genitive	emeren	emearen	emeen	emeon
comitative	emerekin	emearekin	emeekin	emeokin
causative	emerengatik	emearengatik	emeengatik	emeongatik
benefactive	emerentzat	emearentzat	emeentzat	emeontzat
instrumental	emez	emeaz	emeez	emeotaz
innesive	emetan	emean	emeetan	emeotan
locative	emetako	emeko	emeetako	emeotako
allative	emetara	emera	emeetara	emeotara
terminative	emetaraino	emeraino	emeetaraino	emeotaraino
directive	emetarantz	emerantz	emeetarantz	emeotarantz
destinative	emetarako	emerako	emeetarako	emeotarako
ablative	emetatik	emetik	emeetatik	emeotatik
partitive	emerik	—	—	—
prolative	emetzat	—	—	—

See also

• (Latin-script letter names) a, be, ze, de, e, efe, ge, hatxe, i, jota, ka, ele, eme, ene, eñe, o, pe, ku, erre, ese, te, u, uve, uve bikoitz, ixa, i greko, zeta

Further reading

• “eme”, in Euskaltzaindiaren Hiztegia [Dictionary of the Basque Academy] (in Basque), Euskaltzaindia [Royal Academy of the Basque Language]
• “eme”, in Orotariko Euskal Hiztegia [General Basque Dictionary], Euskaltzaindia, 1987–2005

Catalan

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [ˈe.mə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [ˈe.me]

Noun

eme f (plural emes)

1. (Valencia) alternative form of ema

Further reading

• “eme” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.

Galician

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛme/ [ˈɛ.mɪ]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛme

Noun

eme m (plural emes)

1. The name of the Latin script letter M/m.

See also

• (Latin-script letter names) letra; a, be, ce, de, e, efe, gue, hache, i, ele, eme, ene, eñe, o, pe, que, erre, ese, te, u, uve, xe, ceta / zeta

Further reading

• “eme”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2026
• “eme”, in Dicionário Estraviz de galego (in Galician), 2014–2026

Hungarian

Etymology

From em- +‎ e (“this”)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈɛmɛ]
• Hyphenation: eme
• Rhymes: -mɛ

Pronoun

eme

1. (archaic, poetic) this

Determiner

eme

1. (archaic, poetic) alternative form of emez before consonants: this

   Coordinate term: ama

   • 1846, Sándor Petőfi, translated by George Szirtes, Egy gondolat bánt engemet‎^[1]:

     És a zászlókon eme szent jelszóval: / „Világszabadság!”

     One undefiled word fluttering overhead, / That word Liberty
     (literally) And on the flags with this holy word: / “World freedom!”

Usage notes

A rarer substitute of ez, but unlike the latter, eme does not take the case of the noun it is attached to, and no definite article is used after it:

ezen a helyen ― eme helyen ― at this place

ebben a házban ― eme házban ― in this house

Use eme before words beginning with consonants.
Use emez before words beginning with vowels (e.g. emez esetben (“in this case”), emez alkalommal (“on this occasion”)).

Synonyms

• e
• ezen

Derived terms

• mindeme

Further reading

• eme in Géza Bárczi, László Országh, et al., editors, A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára [The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (ÉrtSz.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN.
• eme, redirecting in this sense to emez in Nóra Ittzés, editor, A magyar nyelv nagyszótára [A Comprehensive Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (Nszt.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 2006–2031 (work in progress; published a–ez as of 2024).

Italian

Etymology

Back-formation from emoglobina.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛ.me/
• Rhymes: -ɛme
• Hyphenation: è‧me

Noun

eme m (plural emi)

1. (biochemistry) heme

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈɛ.mɛ]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈɛː.me]

Verb

eme

1. second-person singular present active imperative of emō

Mbya Guarani

Adverb

eme

1. forms the negative imperative

   Ejae'o eme.

   Don't cry.

Middle English

Noun

eme

1. alternative form of em

Nauruan

Etymology

From Pre-Nauruan *mata, from Proto-Micronesian *mata, from Proto-Oceanic *mata, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *mata, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *mata, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *mata, from Proto-Austronesian *mata.

Noun

eme

1. eye

Portuguese

Etymology

From Old Galician-Portuguese eme.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈẽ.mi/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈẽ.mi/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈe.me/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈɛ.mɨ/

• Hyphenation: e‧me

Noun

eme m (plural emes)

1. The name of the Latin script letter M/m.

   Synonym: mê

See also

• (Latin-script letter names) letra; á, bê, cê, dê, é, efe, gê / guê, agá, i, jota, cá / capa, ele, eme, ene, ó, pê, quê, erre, esse, tê, u, vê, dáblio, xis, ípsilon, zê

Further reading

• “eme”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “eme”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Scots

Alternative forms

• eam
• eame
• eem
• eeme
• eime
• emm
• emme
• eyme

Etymology

From Middle English eem, from Old English ēam, from Proto-Germanic *awahaimaz (“maternal uncle”), related to Latin avus (“grandfather”). Cognate with Dutch Dutch oom, German German Ohm, German Oheim.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [im]

Noun

eme (plural emes)

1. maternal uncle
2. friend

Synonyms

• (maternal uncle): mither-brither

Related terms

• uncle (“paternal uncle”)

Further reading

• “eme”, in The Dictionary of the Scots Language, Edinburgh: Scottish Language Dictionaries, 2004–present, →OCLC.

Spanish

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈeme/ [ˈe.me]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eme
• Syllabification: e‧me

Noun

eme f (plural emes)

1. The name of the Latin script letter M/m.

Etymology 2

From mierda (“shit”).

Noun

eme f (plural emes)

1. euphemistic form of mierda

   Esa película es una eme.

   That movie is shit.

Further reading

• “eme”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025

Sumerian

Romanization

eme

1. romanization of 𒅴 (eme)

Tacana

Noun

eme

1. hand

Tagalog

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /ˈʔeme/ [ˈʔɛː.mɛ]
• Rhymes: -eme
• Syllabification: e‧me

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Spanish eme, the Spanish name of the letter M / m.

Noun

eme (Baybayin spelling ᜁᜋᜒ)

1. (historical) the name of the Latin script letter M/m, in the Abecedario

   Synonyms: (in the Filipino alphabet) em, (in the Abakada alphabet) ma

Etymology 2

Possibly from Spanish eme (“M”) (see etymology 1), euphemism of mierda (“shit; crap”) by taking its first letter. Compare kiyeme. See also lamyerda, lakwatsa.

Noun

eme (Baybayin spelling ᜁᜋᜒ) (women's speech, gay slang)

1. nonsense

   Synonyms: kiyeme, kemerut, echos, kalokohan, sagimuymoy

2. term used for any object whose actual name the speaker does not know or cannot remember: thingamajig; whatchamacallit; thingy; dingus

   Synonyms: ano, kuwan

3. excuses; pretenses

Usage notes

• The word is typically used by women, and may sound effeminate when used by men.

Alternative forms

• ems

Derived terms

• eme-eme
• umeme-eme

Related terms

• kiyeme

Further reading

• “eme”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, 2018
• “EME” in Tagalog-English Dictionary, TAGALOG LANG, 2007.
• “eme”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025

Anagrams

• mee

Toba Batak

Etymology

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *həmay, from Proto-Austronesian *Səmay.

Noun

eme

1. paddy (unmilled rice), rice (plant)

References

• Warneck, J. (1906). Tobabataksch-Deutsches Wörterbuch. Batavia: Landsdrukkerij, p. 65.

West Makian

Etymology

Perhaps related to West Makian me (“he, she, it”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈe.me/

Pronoun

eme (possessive prefix di)

1. third-person plural pronoun, they, them
2. (polite) third-person singular pronoun, he (him), she (her)

   ifiteng eme ― he said to him

See also

West Makian personal pronouns

		independent	possessive prefix
1st person singular		de	ti
2nd person singular		ni	ni
3rd person singular		me	mVan., dVinan.
1st person plural	inclusive	ene	nV
	exclusive	imi	mi
2nd person plural		ini	fi
3rd person plural		eme	di

V indicates the expected assimilated vowel of the following noun,
following standard West Makian vowel harmony.

References

• Clemens Voorhoeve (1982), The Makian languages and their neighbours‎^[2], Pacific linguistics