-um
English
Pronunciation
- (UK) IPA(key): /əm/
Etymology 1
From the homographic case endings of the nominative, accusative, and vocative forms of numerous neuter Latin second declension nouns.
Suffix
-um (plural -a)
- Denotes singular grammatical number.
- (chemistry) Forms the ends of the names of certain elements (such as molybdenum and platinum).
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.
Derived terms
- criterium
- datum
- decennium
- delirium
- desideratum
- erratum (cf. German Irrtum)
- fatum
- forum
- gymnasium
- honorarium
- imperium
- interbellum (between war(s))
- Persarum
- pessarium
- podium
- postbellum (after war)
- referendum
- sanatorium
- solarium
- stadium
- talcum (any shiny mineral)
- tedium
Translations
Etymology 2
Possibly from 'em.
Suffix
-um
- 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.
- 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."
- 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:
Bislama
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.
Dutch
Usage notes
- Both the plural forms of -a and -ums are used in everyday language, but the latter is sometimes proscribed against.
Hungarian
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [um]
Suffix
-um
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
Icelandic
Suffix
-um
- Used to form the dative plural of most nouns, all strong adjectives and most pronouns.
- 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
- Used to form some adverbs from nouns or adjectives — it is actually a frozen dative
Latin
Pronunciation
- (Classical) IPA(key): /um/, [ũː]
Old Irish
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /um/
Derived terms
See also
See Appendix:Old Irish affixed pronouns for details on how these forms are used.
Note that the so-called “infixed” pronouns are technically prefixes, but they are never the first prefix in a verbal complex.
Person | Infixed | Suffixed | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Class A | Class B | Class C | ||
1 sing. | m-L | dom-L, dam-L | -um | |
2 sing. | t-L | dot-L, dat-L, dut-L, dit-L | -ut | |
3 sing. m. | a-N | d-N | id-N, did-N, d-N | -i, -it |
3 sing. f. | s-(N) | da- | -us | |
3 sing. n. | a-L | d-L | id-L, did-L, d-L | -i, -it |
1 pl. | n- | don-, dun-, dan- | -unn | |
2 pl. | b- | dob-, dub-, dab- | -uib | |
3 pl. | s-(N) | da- | -us | |
L means this form triggers lenition. N means this form triggers nasalization (eclipsis) (N) means this form triggers nasalization in some texts but not in others. |
Pijin
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.
Scots
Etymology 1
From Middle English -um, from Old English -um, dative plural ending used to form adverbials.
Etymology 2
Probably of jocular formation, based partly on Latin -um and partly an altered form of -in(g)s, a verbal noun ending.
Turkish
Suffix
-um
Usage notes
- If the noun ends in a vowel, it becomes "-m" (for the possessive suffix)
- 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)
- If the word ends in "p", "ç", "t" or "k", it may change them into "b", "c", "d" and "ğ".
- 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
Volapük
Suffix
-um
- Used to form the comparative form of adjectives.