English

Etymology 1

Onomatopoeic.

Alternative forms

• umm, hum

Pronunciation

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -?m (when stressed, or as a verb)

Used in rhotic dialects. Compare to British English erm.

Interjection

um

1. Expression of hesitation, uncertainty or space filler in conversation. See 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.

Verb

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

From Middle English um, from Old Norse um, umb ("around, about"), from Proto-Germanic *umbi ("around"), from Proto-Indo-European *h?m?b?i ("round about, around"). Cognate with Old English ymbe ("around"), West Frisian om ("around"), Dutch om ("around"), German um ("around"). More at umbe.

Preposition

um

1. Alternative form of umbe

Alternative forms

• umb, umbe

Etymology 3

A Latin-script rendering of µm.

Pronunciation

• Pronounced as micrometer.

Noun

um (plural um)

1. Alternative spelling of µm

Etymology 4

Particle

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!"

Anagrams

• -mu-, MU, Mu, mu

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Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): ['um]
• Rhymes: -um

Noun

um m

1. skill, art

See also

• schopnost
• dovednost
• um?ní

Further reading

• um in P?íru?ní slovník jazyka ?eského, 1935-1957
• um in Slovník spisovného jazyka ?eského, 1960-1971, 1989

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East Makian

Noun

um

1. house

References

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

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Elfdalian

Etymology

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

Conjunction

um

1. if

Preposition

um

1. around
2. about (a subject)

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Faroese

Etymology

From Old Norse umb, from Proto-Germanic *umbi, from Proto-Indo-European *h?m?b?i ("round about, around").

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?m:/

Preposition

um

1. (with accusative) around
2. (with accusative) about
3. (with accusative) during
4. (with accusative) through
5. (with accusative) over

Conjunction

um

1. whether, if

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German

Alternative forms

• umb, ümb, üm (all obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle High German umbe, ümbe, from Old High German umbi, from Proto-Germanic *umbi, from Proto-Indo-European *h?m?b?i ("round about, around"). Central German dialects show regular umlaut; the standard form is from Upper German, where umlaut of -u- was often blocked before labials. Cognate with Luxembourgish ëm, Dutch om, English umbe.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?m/

• audio (Germany)

  (file)

• audio (Austria)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -?m

Preposition

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%.

Derived terms

• (um + das) ums

Conjunction

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

um (not comparable)

1. (predicative, not attributive) up, in the sense of finished

   Werden dich in kurzem binden/ Erdgeist, deine Zeit ist um (Friedrich von Hardenberg, Novalis)

   We will shortly bind you/ Erdgeist, your time is up

Adverb

um

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

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Icelandic

Alternative forms

• umb

Etymology

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

Adverb

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

• vera um og ó

Preposition

um

1. (with accusative) about, concerning

   Um hvað ertu að tala?

   What are you talking about?

   Spurning um líf og dauða.

   A question of life and death.

2. (with accusative) 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. (with accusative) 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. (with accusative) 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. (with accusative) approximately, about, around

   Pokinn er um fjórir kíló.

   The bag around four kilos.

Usage notes

• 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

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Indo-Portuguese

Etymology

From Portuguese um ("a"), from Old Portuguese ?u, from Latin ?nus, from Proto-Indo-European *óynos.

Article

um

1. a (the indefinite article)
   • 1883, Hugo Schuchardt, Kreolische Studien, volume 3:

     Um homm tinh doiz filh:

     A man had two sons:

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Irish

Alternative forms

• im

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *ambi, from Proto-Indo-European *h?m?b?i ("round about, around").

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?m?/

Preposition

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

1. about
2. at

Inflection

Further reading

• "um" in Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.

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Khasi

Etymology

Probably cognate to U ?óm.

Noun

um

1. water

References

• H. Roberts, A Grammar of the Khasi Language

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Livonian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /um/

Verb

u'm

1. 1st person singular present indicative form of v?lda
2. 3rd person singular present indicative form of v?lda

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Lote

Noun

um

1. stone

References

• Greg Pearson, René van den Berg, Lote Grammar Sketch (2008)

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Luxembourgish

Contraction

um

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

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Mòcheno

Etymology

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.

Noun

um (+ accusative)

1. about, around
2. (time) at

   Um biavle ist s? - What time is it? (literally, "How many is it at?")

References

• "um" in Cimbrian, Ladin, Mòcheno: Getting to know 3 peoples. 2015. Servizio minoranze linguistiche locali della Provincia autonoma di Trento, Trento, Italy.

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Norwegian Nynorsk

Preposition

um

1. form removed with the spelling reform of 1938; superseded by om

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Old Norse

Alternative forms

• umb

Etymology

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

Preposition

um

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

Descendants

References

• um in Geir T. Zoëga (1910) A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press

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Pennsylvania German

Etymology

Compare German um, Dutch om, Old English ymb.

Preposition

um

1. around

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Portuguese

Alternative forms

• hum (obsolete)

Etymology

From Old Portuguese ?u ("one; a"), from Latin ?nus ("one"), from Old Latin oinos, from Proto-Italic *oinos, from Proto-Indo-European *óynos ("one").

Pronunciation

• (Portugal, Brazil) IPA^(key): /?/
• Hyphenation: um
• Rhymes: -?

Numeral

um m (feminine uma)

2. one

   Uma xícara de café - One cup of coffee

Quotations

For quotations of use of this term, see Citations:um.

Descendants

• Indo-Portuguese: um
• Kabuverdianu: un

Article

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

2. (indefinite) a, an

   Um carro, uma casa. - A car, a house.

   • 2005, J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter e o Enigma do Príncipe [Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince] (Harry Potter; 6), Rio de Janeiro: Rocco, ->ISBN, page 186:

     Tenho um recado para você.

     I have a message for you.

   • 2005, J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter e o Enigma do Príncipe [Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince] (Harry Potter; 6), Rio de Janeiro: Rocco, ->ISBN, page 361:

     [...] disse o professor com um sorrisinho [...]

     [...] the teacher said with a little smile [...]

   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

      Comi uma pipoca antes de dormir.

      I ate a bit of popcorn before going to sleep.

      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

For quotations of use of this term, see Citations:um.

See also

Noun

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

For quotations of use of this term, see Citations:um.

Pronoun

um

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 plural).

   Comprei uns e me decepcionei. - I bought some and got disappointed.

Quotations

For quotations of use of this term, see Citations:um.

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Romansch

Etymology

From Latin hom?, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *m? ("earthling")

Noun

um m (plural umens)

1. man
2. husband

Coordinate terms

• dunna

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Sawai

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /um/

Noun

um

1. house

Further reading

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

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Scots

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?m/, /?m/

Pronoun

um

1. (South Scots, personal) him

See also

• hei

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Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *um?.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /û:m/

Noun

?m m (Cyrillic spelling )

1. mind
2. intellect
3. wit

Declension

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Slovak

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *um?.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /'um/

Noun

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

1. mind
2. intellect
3. wit

Declension

Synonyms

• rozum m
• hlava f
• zmysel m

Derived terms

• umový
• um?ek

References

• um in Slovak dictionaries at korpus.sk