um

Etymology 1

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.

Etymology 2

Onomatopoeic.

Etymology 3

A Latin-script rendering of µm.

Anagrams

• -mu-, MU, Mu, mu

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈum]
• Rhymes: -um

Noun

um m

1. 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

Noun

um

1. house

References

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

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)

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʊmː/

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

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 *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 Luxembourgish ëm, Dutch om, English umbe.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʊm/

• audio (Germany)

  (file)

• audio (Austria)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʊm

Preposition

um

1. (with accusative) about

   Es geht um den Kuchen. ― It's about the pie.

2. (with accusative) around

   Um die Ecke

   around the corner

3. (with accusative) At when relating to time

   Um acht Uhr reisen wir ab

   At eight o’clock we depart

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

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.

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.

Etymology

From Portuguese um (“a”), from Old Portuguese ũu, from Latin ūnus, 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:

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)

1. about
2. at

Further reading

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

Etymology

Probably cognate to U ʔóm.

Noun

um

1. water

References

• H. Roberts, A Grammar of the Khasi Language

Verb

um

1. accusative supine of aegreō

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /um/

Verb

u'm

1. 1st person singular present indicative form of vȱlda
2. 3rd person singular present indicative form of vȱlda

Contraction

um

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

Preposition

um

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 form removed with the spelling reform of 1938; superseded by om

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

References

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

Etymology

Compare German um, Dutch om, Old English ymb.

Preposition

um

1. around

Alternative forms

• hum (obsolete)

Etymology

From Old Portuguese ũu (“one; a”), from Latin ūnus (“one”), from Old Latin oinos, from Proto-Italic *oinos, from Proto-Indo-European *óynos (“one”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈũ]
• Hyphenation: um
• Rhymes: -ũ

Numeral

um m (feminine uma)

1. one

   Uma xícara de café ― One cup of coffee

Article

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

1. (indefinite) a, an

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

   • 2005, Lya Wyler (translator), J. K. Rowling (English author), Harry Potter e o Enigma do Príncipe (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince), Rocco, page 186:

     Tenho um recado para você.

     I have a message for you.

   • 2005, Lya Wyler (translator), J. K. Rowling (English author), Harry Potter e o Enigma do Príncipe (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince), Rocco, page 361:

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

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

   1. (in the plural) some; a few (a small number of)

      Uns carros, umas casas. ― A few cars, a few houses.

      Synonym: alguns

   2. (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

   3. (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

Noun

um m (plural uns)

1. 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.

Pronoun

um

1. a person; one; someone

   Chegou-me um e disse: "Olá!" ― One came to me and said: "Hello!"

2. Element(s) of a previously mentioned class: one; some (in plural).

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

Etymology

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

Noun

um m (plural umens)

1. man
2. husband

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /um/

Noun

um

1. house

Further reading

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʌm/, /əm/

Pronoun

um

1. (South Scots, personal) him

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *umъ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ûːm/

Noun

ȗm m (Cyrillic spelling у̑м)

1. mind
2. intellect
3. wit

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *umъ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈum/

Noun

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

1. mind
2. intellect
3. wit

References

• um in Slovak dictionaries at korpus.sk