-um meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

-um

suffix

UK /əm/

Etymology From the homographic case endings of the nominative, accusative, and vocative forms of numerous neuter Latin second declension nouns.

Morpheme Denotes singular grammatical number.

Chemistry, Natural sciences, Physical sciences Morpheme Forms the ends of the names of certain elements (such as molybdenum and platinum).

Derived terms: 35 terms
criterium, datum, decennium, delirium, desideratum, erratum, forum, gymnasium, honorarium, imperium, interbellum, labarum, mandatum, maximum, medium, millennium, minimum, modicum, mortuarium, museum, opium, optimum, pessarium, podium, postbellum, referendum, sanatorium, solarium, stadium, talcum, tedium, ultimatum, unicum, vacuum, Valium
Related terms: -a, -ium, -on, -os, -us

-um

suffix

Etymology Possibly from 'em.

Morpheme 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.

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."1871, Mrs. Edward Millett, An Australian parsonage; or, The settler and the savage in Western Australia, page 129:
"Givum dinner; smokum pipe," was all that we could get out of Quatchett.1896, F J Stimsom, King Noanett: A Story of Old Virginia and the Massachusetts Bay, page 254:

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.