sum

sum · noun, verb¹

1. Latin · derived fromsumma“highest point; sum”
2. Old French · derived fromsumme
3. Middle English · inherited fromsumme
4. English todaysum

From Middle English summe, from Old French summe, from Latin summa (“highest point; sum”), from summus (“highest”).

sum · noun²

1. Uzbek · borrowed fromsoʻm
2. Uyghur · borrowed fromسوم
3. Kyrgyz · borrowed fromсом
4. Kazakh · borrowed fromсом
5. English todaysum

Borrowed from Kazakh сом (som), Kyrgyz сом (som), Uyghur سوم (som), and Uzbek soʻm, all of which have the core signification “pure”, used in elliptical reference to historical coins of pure gold.

sum · noun³

1. Proto-Mongolic · derived from*sumun“arrow”
2. mnc · derived fromᠨᡳᡵᡠ“a large arrow, militia company, district”
3. Mongolian · borrowed fromсум
4. English todaysum

From Mongolian сум (sum), from Manchu ᠨᡳᡵᡠ (niru, “a large arrow, militia company, district”). Ultimately from Proto-Mongolic *sumun (“arrow”).

Sum · proper noun⁴

1. Polish · derived fromsum“catfish”
2. English todaySum

* As a Chinese surname: ** a pronunciation of 沈, see Shen. ** Also Romanized from 岑 (cén) based on the Cantonese pronunciation, see Cen. ** Variant Romanization of 覃, see Tan, Qin. * As a Cambodian/Khmer surname, from the name ស៊ុំ (sum), possibly from the Chinese above. * As a Slovene and Czech surname Šum, from šum (“noise”) or šum (“waterfall”), compare Shum. * As a Jewish surname, from Polish sum (“catfish”).

Words from the same roots