kumara

See also: Kumara and kūmara

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Māori kūmara.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkuːməɹə/
  • IPA^(key): (New Zealand) [ˈkʰʉːm(ə)ɹʷɐ], (prescribed) [ˈkʰʉːmɐɾɐ]

Noun

kumara (plural kumaras or kumara)

1. (New Zealand) The sweet potato. [from 18th c.]
   • 1971, Gwen White, Antique Toys And Their Background, page 98:

     They introduced the gourd, taro and kumara from the Polynesian Islands to the New Zealanders.

   • 1983, Keri Hulme, The Bone People, Penguin, published 1986, page 368:

     “And once, a woman threw a piece of cooked kumara at me and I ducked, and laughed…”

   • 2003, Michael King, The Penguin History of Aotearoa New Zealand, Penguin, published 2023, page 21:

     In contrast to everything else that these migrant people had lugged from island to island, the kūmara had not come from the west.

Derived terms

• suck the kumara

Anagrams

• karamu

Basque

Noun

kumara

1. allative singular of kuma

Finnish

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *kumara.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkumɑrɑ/, [ˈkumɑ̝rɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -umɑrɑ
• Syllabification^(key): ku‧ma‧ra
• Hyphenation^(key): ku‧ma‧ra

Adjective

kumara (comparative kumarampi, superlative kumarin)

1. hunch (bent, bowed posture)

   olla kumarassa ― to hunch

Declension

Inflection of kumara (Kotus type 10/koira, no gradation)
nominative		kumara	kumarat
genitive		kumaran	kumarien
partitive		kumaraa	kumaria
illative		kumaraan	kumariin
		singular	plural
nominative		kumara	kumarat
accusative	nom.	kumara	kumarat
	gen.	kumaran
genitive		kumaran	kumarien kumarain rare
partitive		kumaraa	kumaria
inessive		kumarassa	kumarissa
elative		kumarasta	kumarista
illative		kumaraan	kumariin
adessive		kumaralla	kumarilla
ablative		kumaralta	kumarilta
allative		kumaralle	kumarille
essive		kumarana	kumarina
translative		kumaraksi	kumariksi
abessive		kumaratta	kumaritta
instructive		—	kumarin
comitative		—	kumarine

Possessive forms of kumara (Kotus type 10/koira, no gradation)
Rare. Only used with substantive adjectives.
first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative kumarani kumarani accusative nom. kumarani kumarani gen. kumarani genitive kumarani kumarieni kumaraini rare partitive kumaraani kumariani inessive kumarassani kumarissani elative kumarastani kumaristani illative kumaraani kumariini adessive kumarallani kumarillani ablative kumaraltani kumariltani allative kumaralleni kumarilleni essive kumaranani kumarinani translative kumarakseni kumarikseni abessive kumarattani kumarittani instructive — — comitative — kumarineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative kumarasi kumarasi accusative nom. kumarasi kumarasi gen. kumarasi genitive kumarasi kumariesi kumaraisi rare partitive kumaraasi kumariasi inessive kumarassasi kumarissasi elative kumarastasi kumaristasi illative kumaraasi kumariisi adessive kumarallasi kumarillasi ablative kumaraltasi kumariltasi allative kumarallesi kumarillesi essive kumaranasi kumarinasi translative kumaraksesi kumariksesi abessive kumarattasi kumarittasi instructive — — comitative — kumarinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative kumaramme kumaramme accusative nom. kumaramme kumaramme gen. kumaramme genitive kumaramme kumariemme kumaraimme rare partitive kumaraamme kumariamme inessive kumarassamme kumarissamme elative kumarastamme kumaristamme illative kumaraamme kumariimme adessive kumarallamme kumarillamme ablative kumaraltamme kumariltamme allative kumarallemme kumarillemme essive kumaranamme kumarinamme translative kumaraksemme kumariksemme abessive kumarattamme kumarittamme instructive — — comitative — kumarinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative kumaranne kumaranne accusative nom. kumaranne kumaranne gen. kumaranne genitive kumaranne kumarienne kumarainne rare partitive kumaraanne kumarianne inessive kumarassanne kumarissanne elative kumarastanne kumaristanne illative kumaraanne kumariinne adessive kumarallanne kumarillanne ablative kumaraltanne kumariltanne allative kumarallenne kumarillenne essive kumarananne kumarinanne translative kumaraksenne kumariksenne abessive kumarattanne kumarittanne instructive — — comitative — kumarinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative kumaransa kumaransa accusative nom. kumaransa kumaransa gen. kumaransa genitive kumaransa kumariensa kumarainsa rare partitive kumaraansa kumariaan kumariansa inessive kumarassaan kumarassansa kumarissaan kumarissansa elative kumarastaan kumarastansa kumaristaan kumaristansa illative kumaraansa kumariinsa adessive kumarallaan kumarallansa kumarillaan kumarillansa ablative kumaraltaan kumaraltansa kumariltaan kumariltansa allative kumaralleen kumarallensa kumarilleen kumarillensa essive kumaranaan kumaranansa kumarinaan kumarinansa translative kumarakseen kumaraksensa kumarikseen kumariksensa abessive kumarattaan kumarattansa kumarittaan kumarittansa instructive — — comitative — kumarineen kumarinensa

Derived terms

• kumarainen
• kumartaa
• kumartua
• kumaruus

compounds

• etukumara
• kumaraharteinen
• kumarahartiainen
• kumaraselkäinen

Further reading

• “kumara”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[1] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2 July 2023

Pijin

Etymology

Borrowed from a Polynesian language (likely via a local substrate language), ultimately from Proto-Polynesian *kumala. Cognate with Bislama kumala.

Noun

kumara

1. sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas)

   Synonyms: poteto, putete

   Olketa kumara mifala kukim long pot.

   We cook the sweet potatoes in the pot.

Usage notes

Sweet potatoes are not native to the Solomon Islands, but after their introduction, they have become a staple food in many areas of the country.

References

• Jourdan, Christine with Maebiru, Ellen (2002), “kumara”, in Pijin: A trilingual cultural dictionary (Pacific Linguistics; 526), Canberra, ACT: Pacific Linguistics, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University, →ISBN, page 114

Savosavo

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˌkuˈmara]

Noun

kumara

1. sweet potato

References

• Claudia Wegener (2012), A Grammar of Savosavo, Berlin: De Gruyter, →OCLC, page 370

Slovene

kumara

Etymology

Ultimately from Latin cucumis, cucumeris. Compare Serbo-Croatian kukumar.

Noun

kumara f

1. Any member of the Cucumis genus of plants, including cucumber.

Further reading

• “kumara”, in Slovarji Inštituta za slovenski jezik Frana Ramovša ZRC SAZU (in Slovene), 2014–2026