micrometer; variant of μm used when the character μ is unavailable
Etymology 1
Onomatopoeic.
Alternative forms
umm, hum
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /ʌm/, /əːm/
Rhymes: -ʌm (when stressed, or as a verb)
Used in rhotic dialects. Compare to British English erm.
Interjection
um
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.
um (third-person singular simple presentums, present participleumming, simple past and past participleummed)
(intransitive) To make the um sound to express uncertainty or hesitancy.
Etymology 2
From Middle Englishum, from Old Norseum, umb(“around, about”), from Proto-Germanic*umbi(“around”), from Proto-Indo-European*h₂m̥bʰi(“round about, around”). Cognate with Old Englishymbe(“around”), West Frisianom(“around”), Dutchom(“around”), Germanum(“around”). More at umbe.
Preposition
um
Alternative form of umbe
Alternative forms
umb, umbe
Etymology 3
Particle
um
(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.
Anagrams
-mu-, MU, Mu, mu
Czech
Pronunciation
IPA(key): [ˈum]
Rhymes: -um
Noun
umm
skill, art
See also
schopnost
dovednost
umění
Further reading
um in Příruční slovník jazyka českého, 1935–1957
um in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého, 1960–1971, 1989
East Makian
Noun
um
house
References
C. L. Voorhoeve, The Makian Languages and Their Neighbours (1982)
Elfdalian
Etymology
From Old Norseum, from Proto-Germanic*umbi. Cognate with Swedishom.
Conjunction
um
if
Preposition
um
around
about (a subject)
Faroese
Etymology
From Old Norseumb, from Proto-Germanic*umbi, from Proto-Indo-European*h₂m̥bʰi(“round about, around”).
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /ʊmː/
Preposition
um
(with accusative) around
(with accusative) about
(with accusative) during
(with accusative) through
(with accusative) over
Conjunction
um
whether, if
German
Alternative forms
umb, ümb, üm (obsolete)
Etymology
From Middle High Germanumbe, ümbe, from Old High Germanumbi, from Proto-Germanic*umbi, from Proto-Indo-European*h₂m̥bʰi(“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 Luxembourgishëm, Dutchom, Englishumbe.
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /ʊm/
Rhymes: -ʊm
Preposition
um(with accusative)
about
around
at, by (when relating to time)
by (percentage difference)
Derived terms
(um + das) ums
Conjunction
um(introduces a zu-clause)
in order to, so as to
Adjective
um (not comparable)
(predicative, not attributive) up, in the sense of finished
Adverb
um
around, about
turned over, changed, from one state to another
Derived terms
Hunsrik
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /um/
Preposition
um(+ accusative)
around
at, by (when relating to time)
Derived terms
(um + das) ums
Adverb
um
around, about
Further reading
Online Hunsrik Dictionary
Icelandic
Alternative forms
umb
Etymology
From Old Norseum, from Proto-Germanic*umbi(“around, about”).
Adverb
um
used in set phrases
Derived terms
vera um og ó
Preposition
um
(with accusative) about, concerning
(with accusative) through, around, across
(with accusative) throughout, over, around
(with accusative) during, for, in, at
(with accusative) approximately, about, around
Usage notes
Often used with phrases such as "brjóta heilann um".
Derived terms
Indo-Portuguese
Etymology
From Portugueseum(“a”), from Old Portugueseũu, from Latinūnus, from Proto-Indo-European*óynos.
Article
um
a(the indefinite article)
1883, Hugo Schuchardt, Kreolische Studien, volume 3:
Um homm tinh doiz filh:
A man had two sons:
Irish
Alternative forms
im
Etymology
From Proto-Celtic*ambi, from Proto-Indo-European*h₂m̥bʰi(“round about, around”).
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /ʊmˠ/
Preposition
um (plus dative, triggers lenition, except of b, m, and p)
about
at
Inflection
Further reading
"um" in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.
Khasi
Etymology
Probably cognate to Uʔóm.
Noun
um
water
References
H. Roberts, A Grammar of the Khasi Language
Livonian
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /um/
Verb
u'm
1st person singular present indicative form ofvȱlda
3rd person singular present indicative form ofvȱlda
Lote
Noun
um
stone
References
Greg Pearson, René van den Berg, Lote Grammar Sketch (2008)
Luxembourgish
Contraction
um
contraction of op + dem; on the, at the, to the
contraction of un + dem
Mòcheno
Etymology
From Middle High Germanumbe, ümbe, from Old High Germanumbi, from Proto-West Germanic*umbi, from Proto-Germanic*umbi(“around, about”). Cognate with Germanum, Englishumbe.
Noun
um(+ accusative)
about, around
(time) at
References
“um” in Cimbrian, Ladin, Mòcheno: Getting to know 3 peoples. 2015. Servizio minoranze linguistiche locali della Provincia autonoma di Trento, Trento, Italy.
Norwegian Nynorsk
Preposition
um
form removed with the spelling reform of 1938;superseded byom
Old Norse
Alternative forms
umb(older form)
Etymology
From Proto-Germanic*umbi(“around, about”). Cognate with Old Englishymbe, Old Frisianumbe, ombe, Old Saxonumbi, Old High Germanumbi.
Preposition
um
(with accusative) about, concerning
(with accusative) round, past, beyond
(with accusative) over, across, along
(with accusative) during, at a point in time
(with accusative) because of, for
Descendants
References
um in Geir T. Zoëga (1910) A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press
Pennsylvania German
Etymology
Compare Germanum, Dutchom, Old Englishymb.
Preposition
um
around
Pnar
Etymology
From Proto-Khasian*ʔum(“tree”). Cognate with Khasium.
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /ʔum/
Noun
um
water
Portuguese
Alternative forms
hum(obsolete)
Etymology
From Old Portugueseũu(“one; a”), from Latinūnus(“one”), from Old Latinoinos, from Proto-Italic*oinos, from Proto-Indo-European*óynos(“one”). Doublet of uno.
Pronunciation
(Portugal, Brazil) IPA(key): /ũ/, [ʊ̝̃w̃]
Rhymes: -ũ
Numeral
umm (feminineuma)
one
Quotations
For quotations using this term, see Citations:um.
Descendants
Indo-Portuguese: um
Kabuverdianu: un
Article
um (feminineuma, masculine pluraluns, feminine pluralumas)
(indefinite)a, an
(in the plural)some; a few(a small number of)
Synonym:alguns
(with uncountable nouns)a bit of
Synonym:um pouco de
(usually in the feminine, pronounced slowly, emphatically and with a high intonation)indicates that what follows is exceptional; quite a; quite the
Synonym:aquele
Quotations
For quotations using this term, see Citations:um.
See also
Noun
umm (pluraluns)
The figure or digit "1": one.
Quotations
For quotations using this term, see Citations:um.
Pronoun
um
a person; one; someone
Element(s) of a previously mentioned class: one; some (in plural).
Quotations
For quotations using this term, see Citations:um.
Romansch
Etymology
From Latinhomō, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European*ǵʰmṓ(“earthling”)
Noun
umm (pluralumens)
man
husband
Coordinate terms
dunna
Sawai
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /um/
Noun
um
house
Further reading
Donald A. Burquest, Wyn D. Laidig, Phonological Studies in Four Languages of Maluku (1992)