Meanings
-um1
- Denotes singular grammatical number.
- chemistryForms the ends of the names of certain elements (such as molybdenum and platinum).
-um2
- 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.
"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 2541 more example
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
Origin
-um · suffix
From the homographic case endings of the nominative, accusative, and vocative forms of numerous neuter Latin second declension nouns.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Dutch -um
- -umLatinate singular grammatical number suffix
French -um
- -umLatinate singular grammatical number suffix
German -um
- -umLatinate singular grammatical number suffix
Greek -ο, -ον
- -ο (-o)Latinate singular grammatical number suffix
- -ον (-on)Latinate singular grammatical number suffix
Italian -o, -a
- -oLatinate singular grammatical number suffix
- -aLatinate singular grammatical number suffix
Japanese ウム
- ウム (-umu)Latinate singular grammatical number suffix
Polish -um
- -umLatinate singular grammatical number suffix
Portuguese -o
- -oLatinate singular grammatical number suffix
Spanish -o
- -oLatinate singular grammatical number suffix
Swedish -um
- -umLatinate singular grammatical number suffix
Cite this entry
-um. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/-um
“-um.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/-um. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “-um,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/-um.
Source: -um on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.