um

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See also: Appendix:Variations of "um"

Translingual[edit]

Symbol[edit]

um

  1. micrometer; variant of μm used when the character μ is unavailable

English[edit]

English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Etymology 1[edit]

Onomatopoeic.

Alternative forms[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /ʌm/, /əːm/
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Rhymes: -ʌm (when stressed, or as a verb)

Used in rhotic dialects. Compare to British English erm.

Interjection[edit]

um

  1. Expression of hesitation, uncertainty or space filler in conversation.
    Synonyms: er, hmm, uh
    Um, I don’t know.
    Let’s see... um... how about this?
    • 2002, Newsweek, volume 140, page lxxx:
      It's a great test of the claims of open-source gurus, who say that a self-motivated community can outcode any team working for a single employer—like, um, Microsoft.
  2. (chiefly US) Dated spelling of mmm.
    • 1963, Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle, Dell Publishing Co., Inc., page 65:
      "About the same, wherever you go," he agreed.
      "Um," I said.
  3. (US) An expression to forcefully call attention to something wrong.
    Um, excuse me!
  4. (UK, childish) An expression of shocked disapproval used by a child who witnesses forbidden behavior.
    • 2011, Kimberly Willis Holt, Piper Reed, Clubhouse Queen:
      While I was in her room, Sam walked by and said, “Um, I'm telling!”
      “You're telling what?” I asked.
      “You're reading Tori's journal,” she said.
    • 2021, Sarah Strangeways, The Gingerbread House, page 13:
      Mair used to look after Laura. If anyone threatened to tease her, Mair would stand up straight, point her finger at the enemy and shout, 'Um! I'm telling on you!'

Verb[edit]

um (third-person singular simple present ums, present participle umming, simple past and past participle ummed)

  1. (intransitive) To make the um sound to express uncertainty or hesitancy.
    • 2007, Michael Erard, Um... Slips, Stumbles, and Verbal Blunders, and What They Mean, page 136:
      Meanwhile, in the popular mind umming was simply a bad habit, akin to spitting or picking one’s nose.

Etymology 2[edit]

From Middle English um, from Old Norse um, umb (“around, about”), from Proto-Germanic *umbi (“around”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂m̥bʰi (“round about, around”). Cognate with Old English ymbe (“around”), West Frisian om (“around”), Dutch om (“around”), German um (“around”). More at umbe.

Preposition[edit]

um

  1. Alternative form of umbe
Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology 3[edit]

Particle[edit]

um

  1. (dated, sometimes humorous, often offensive) An undifferentiated determiner or article; a miscellaneous linking word, or filler with nonspecific meaning; representation of broken English stereotypically or comically attributed to Native Americans.
    He um Growling Bear. He um heap big chief.
    • 1871, “Grand camp meeting on Bear River”, in The Keepapitchinin‎[1], volume III, page 3:
      “me heap brave—me talk to um white man so […] me good injun, like um white man, mebbe so, ugh!”

See also[edit]

Anagrams[edit]

Czech[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *umъ

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

um m inan

  1. skill, art

Declension[edit]

Declension of um (hard masculine inanimate)
singular plural
nominative um umy
genitive umu umů
dative umu umům
accusative um umy
vocative ume umy
locative umě, umu umech
instrumental umem umy

See also[edit]

Further reading[edit]

  • um in Příruční slovník jazyka českého, 1935–1957
  • um in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého, 1960–1971, 1989
  • um in Internetová jazyková příručka

East Makian[edit]

Noun[edit]

um

  1. house

References[edit]

  • C. L. Voorhoeve, The Makian Languages and Their Neighbours (1982)

Elfdalian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Old Norse um, from Proto-Germanic *umbi. Cognate with Swedish om.

Conjunction[edit]

um

  1. if

Preposition[edit]

um

  1. around
  2. about (a subject)

Faroese[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Old Norse umb, from Proto-Germanic *umbi, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂m̥bʰi (“round about, around”).

Pronunciation[edit]

Preposition[edit]

um

  1. around [+accusative]
  2. about [+accusative]
  3. during [+accusative]
  4. through [+accusative]
  5. over [+accusative]

Conjunction[edit]

um

  1. whether, if

Galician[edit]

Galician numbers (edit)
10
[a], [b] ←  0 1 2  → [a], [b], [c] 10  → 
    Cardinal (reintegrationist / masculine): um
    Cardinal (standard / masculine): un
    Cardinal (standard / feminine): unha
    Cardinal (reintegrationist / feminine): umha, uma
    Ordinal: primeiro
    Ordinal abbreviation: 1º
Galician Wikipedia article on 1

Numeral[edit]

um m (feminine umha or uma, reintegrationist norm)

  1. one

Usage notes[edit]

The numeral um and its feminine forms umha and uma can form contractions with the prepositions com (“with”), de (“of, from”), and em (“in”).

Derived terms[edit]

German[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle High German umbe, ümbe, from Old High German umbi, from Proto-West Germanic *umbi.

Central German dialects show regular umlaut; the standard form is from Upper German, where umlaut of -u- was blocked before labial geminates and clusters. Cognate with Luxembourgish ëm, Dutch om, English umbe.

Pronunciation[edit]

Preposition[edit]

um (with accusative)

  1. about
    Es geht um den Kuchen. ― It's about the pie.
  2. around
    Um die Ecke ― around the corner
  3. at, by (when relating to time)
    Um acht Uhr reisen wir ab ― At eight o’clock we depart
  4. by (percentage difference)
    Die Verkaufsmengen gingen um 6% zurück. ― Sales in volume has decreased by 6%.
  5. (Austria) for (amount of money)
    Um einen Euro bekommt man heute nicht besonders viel. ― You can't buy much for one euro these days.
    Heute im Sonderangebot um nur 99 Euro. ― Special offer today for only 99 euros.

Derived terms[edit]

Conjunction[edit]

um (introduces a zu-clause)

  1. in order to, so as to
    Wir sind gekommen, um zu helfen.
    We’ve come (in order) to help.

Adjective[edit]

um (indeclinable, predicative only)

  1. (predicative, not attributive) up, in the sense of finished
    Werden dich in kurzem binden/ Erdgeist, deine Zeit ist um
    We will shortly bind you/ Erdgeist, your time is up
    (Friedrich von Hardenberg, Novalis)

Adverb[edit]

um

  1. around, about
  2. turned over, changed, from one state to another

Derived terms[edit]

Hunsrik[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Preposition[edit]

um (+ accusative)

  1. around
    Ich hon mich en Duch um de Kopp gebunn.
    I've tied a towel around my head.
  2. at, by (when relating to time)
    Um acht Uher.
    At eight o'clock.

Derived terms[edit]

Adverb[edit]

um

  1. around, about
    Das kost um zweu hunnerd Rëal.
    This costs around two hundred reais.

Further reading[edit]

Icelandic[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Old Norse um, from Proto-Germanic *umbi (“around, about”).

Adverb[edit]

um

  1. used in set phrases
    Það er um að gera að sofa vel.
    The important thing to do is to sleep well.
    Hvað er um að vera?
    What's going on?
    Eins og um var talað.
    As was agreed.

Derived terms[edit]

Preposition[edit]

um [+accusative]

  1. about, concerning
    Um hvað ertu að tala?
    What are you talking about?
    Spurning um líf og dauða.
    A question of life and death.
  2. through, around, across
    Áin rennur um dalinn.
    The river runs through the valley.
    Að fara út um gluggann.
    To go out through the window.
    Vestur um haf.
    West across the sea.
  3. throughout, over, around
    Við förum um alla sveitina.
    We'll go throughout the district.
    Hann var breiður um herðar.
    He was broad across the shoulders.
    Hún hafði klút um hálsinn.
    She had a scarf around her neck.
  4. during, for, in, at
    Hvenær gerðist þetta? - Þetta gerðist um sumarið.
    When did this happen? - It happened during the summer.
    Ég fór um nóttina.
    I went during the night.
  5. approximately, about, around
    Pokinn er um fjögur kíló.
    The bag is around four kilos.

Usage notes[edit]

  • Often used with phrases such as "brjóta heilann um".
    Ég er búinn að brjóta heilann um þetta alla nótt!
    I've been racking my brain about this all night!

Derived terms[edit]

Indo-Portuguese[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Portuguese um (“a”), from Old Galician-Portuguese ũu, from Latin ūnus, from Proto-Indo-European *óynos.

Article[edit]

um

  1. a (the indefinite article)
    • 1883, Hugo Schuchardt, Kreolische Studien, volume 3:
      Um homm tinh doiz filh:
      A man had two sons:

Irish[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Old Irish imb, from Proto-Celtic *ambi, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂m̥bʰi (“round about, around”).

Pronunciation[edit]

Preposition[edit]

um (plus dative, triggers lenition, except of b, m, and p)

  1. about
  2. at

Inflection[edit]

Inflection of um
Person Normal Emphatic
1st person sing. umam umamsa
2d person sing. umat umatsa
3d sing. masc. uime uimesean
3d sing. fem. uimpi uimpise
1st person pl. umainn umainne
2d person pl. umaibh umaibhse
3d person pl. umpu umpusan

Further reading[edit]

Khasi[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Probably cognate to U ʔóm.

Noun[edit]

um

  1. water

References[edit]

  • H. Roberts, A Grammar of the Khasi Language

Livonian[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Verb[edit]

u'm

  1. first/third-person singular present indicative of vȱlda

Lote[edit]

Noun[edit]

um

  1. stone

References[edit]

Luxembourgish[edit]

Contraction[edit]

um

  1. contraction of op + dem; on the, at the, to the
  2. contraction of un + dem

Mòcheno[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle High German umbe, ümbe, from Old High German umbi, from Proto-West Germanic *umbi, from Proto-Germanic *umbi (“around, about”). Cognate with German um, English umbe.

Preposition[edit]

um (+ accusative)

  1. about, around
  2. (time) at
    Um biavle ist s? ― What time is it? (literally, “How many is it at?”)

References[edit]

Norwegian Nynorsk[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Old Norse um.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /ʊmː/, [ʊmː], [umː], [ʊ̟mː], [ʉmː]

Preposition[edit]

um

  1. (pre-1938 or dialectal) alternative form of om

References[edit]

  • “um” in Ivar Aasen (1873) Norsk Ordbog med dansk Forklaring

Old Norse[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

  • umb (older form)

Etymology[edit]

From Proto-Germanic *umbi (“around, about”). Cognate with Old English ymbe, Old Frisian umbe, ombe, Old Saxon umbi, Old High German umbi.

Preposition[edit]

um

  1. about, concerning [+accusative]
  2. round, past, beyond [+accusative]
  3. over, across, along [+accusative]
  4. during, at a point in time [+accusative]
  5. because of, for [+accusative]

Particle[edit]

um

  1. (w:Poetic Edda) indicates that the verbal action is completed, compare English “through” as in “read through”. For semantic development, compare adjectival usage of German um.
    • Vǫluspá, verse 2, lines 1-2, in 1860, T. Möbius, Edda Sæmundar hins fróða: mit einem Anhang zum Theil bisher ungedruckter Gedichte. Leipzig, page 1:
      Ek man jǫtna / ár um borna, […]
      I remember giants / born long ago, […]

Descendants[edit]

  • Icelandic: um
  • Faroese: um
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: um; (dialectal) om, øm
  • Old Swedish: um
    • Swedish: om
  • Danish: om
    • Norwegian Bokmål: om
      • → Norwegian Nynorsk: om

References[edit]

  • “um”, in Geir T. Zoëga (1910) A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • “um” J. Fritzner (1867) Ordbog over det gamle norske Sprog, Kristiania: Feilberg & Landmark

Pennsylvania German[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Compare German um, Dutch om, Old English ymb.

Preposition[edit]

um

  1. around

Pnar[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Proto-Khasian *ʔum (“tree”). Cognate with Khasi um.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

um

  1. water

Polish[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *ũmъ.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

um m inan

  1. (obsolete) mind, reason
    Synonyms: rozsądek, rozum, umysł

Declension[edit]

Declension of um
singular plural
nominative um umy
genitive umu umów
dative umowi umom
accusative um umy
instrumental umem umami
locative umie umach
vocative umie umy

Derived terms[edit]

adjectives
noun

Related terms[edit]

adjectives
nouns
verbs

Further reading[edit]

  • um in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Portuguese[edit]

Portuguese numbers (edit)
10
 ←  0 1 2  →  10  → 
    Cardinal: um
    Ordinal: primeiro
    Ordinal abbreviation: 1.º
    Multiplier: único, singular
Portuguese Wikipedia article on 1

Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese ũu (“one; a”), from Latin ūnum (“one”), from Old Latin oinos, from Proto-Italic *oinos, from Proto-Indo-European *óynos (“one”). Doublet of uno.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • Audio (Brazil)(file)
  • Rhymes: -ũ
  • Hyphenation: um

Numeral[edit]

um m (feminine uma)

  2. one
    Uma xícara de café ― One cup of coffee

Quotations[edit]

For quotations using this term, see Citations:um.

Related terms[edit]

Descendants[edit]

  • Indo-Portuguese: um
  • Kabuverdianu: un

Article[edit]

um (feminine uma, masculine plural uns, feminine plural umas)

  2. (indefinite) a, an
    Um carro, uma casa. ― A car, a house.
    2. (in the plural) some; a few (a small number of)
      Uns carros, umas casas. ― A few cars, a few houses.
      Synonym: alguns
    4. (with uncountable nouns) a bit of
      Synonym: um pouco de
    6. (usually in the feminine, pronounced slowly, emphatically and with a high intonation) indicates that what follows is exceptional; quite a; quite the
      Ontem de noite caiu uma chuva.
      We had quite a rain last night.
      Estamos comendo um churrasco.
      We are having the barbecue.
      Synonym: aquele

Quotations[edit]

For quotations using this term, see Citations:um.

See also[edit]

Portuguese articles (edit)
Singular Plural
Masculine Feminine Masculine Feminine
Definite articles
(the) 		o a os as
Indefinite articles
(a, an; some) 		um uma uns umas

Noun[edit]

um m (plural uns)

  2. the figure or digit "1": one
    O um parece o sete sem gravata no pescoço. ― The one looks like the seven with no tie at its neck.

Quotations[edit]

For quotations using this term, see Citations:um.

Pronoun[edit]

um m or f (plural uns)

  2. a person; one; someone
    Chegou-me um e disse: "Olá!" ― One came to me and said: "Hello!"
  4. element(s) of a previously mentioned class: one; some (in the plural)
    Comprei uns e me decepcionei. ― I bought some and got disappointed.

Quotations[edit]

For quotations using this term, see Citations:um.

Romansch[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Latin homō, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰmṓ (“earthling”).

Noun[edit]

um m (plural umens)

  1. man
    Coordinate term: dunna
  2. husband
    Synonym: (Sutsilvan) cunsort
    Coordinate term: dunna

Sawai[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

um

  1. house

Further reading[edit]

  • Donald A. Burquest, Wyn D. Laidig, Phonological Studies in Four Languages of Maluku (1992)

Scots[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Pronoun[edit]

um

  1. (South Scots, personal) him

See also[edit]

Serbo-Croatian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *umъ.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

ȗm m (Cyrillic spelling у̑м)

  1. mind
  2. intellect
  3. wit

Declension[edit]

Declension of um
singular plural
nominative ȗm úmovi
genitive uma umova
dative umu umovima
accusative um umove
vocative ume umovi
locative umu umovima
instrumental umom umovima

Slovak[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *umъ.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

um m inan (genitive singular umu, nominative plural umy, genitive plural umov, declension pattern of dub)

  1. mind
  2. intellect
  3. wit

Declension[edit]

Declension of um
singular plural
nominative um umy
genitive umu umov
dative umu umom
accusative um umy
locative ume umoch
instrumental umom umami

Synonyms[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

References[edit]

  • “um”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2024
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