hum
English
Etymology
From Middle English hummen (“to hum, buzz, drone, make a murmuring sound to cover embarrassment”); akin to Dutch hommelen (“to bumble, buzz”), dialectal Dutch hommen (“to buzz, hum”), Middle High German hummen (“to hum”), probably ultimately of imitative origin.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈhʌm/
Audio (US) (file) - Rhymes: -ʌm
Noun
hum (plural hums)
- A hummed tune, i.e. created orally with lips closed.
- An often indistinct sound resembling human humming.
- They could hear a hum coming from the kitchen, and found the dishwasher on.
- c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act III, scene ii]:
- the shard-borne beetle with his drowsy hums
- Busy activity, like the buzz of a beehive.
- (UK, slang) Unpleasant odour.
- (dated) An imposition or hoax; humbug.
- (obsolete) A kind of strong drink.
- c. 1622, John Fletcher; Philip Massinger [et al.?], “Beggars Bvsh”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, OCLC 3083972, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):
- you do provide me hum enough , And lour to bouse with
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- (with article) A phenomenon, or collection of phenomena, involving widespread reports of a persistent and invasive low-frequency humming, rumbling, or droning noise not audible to all people.
- 2011 June 13, “Who, What, Why: Why is 'the hum' such a mystery?”, in BBC News:
- There is a range of theories from farm or factory machinery to conspiracy theories such as flying saucers. And yet, "the hum" remains an unsolved case.
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Derived terms
- hum-box
- mains hum
- sixty cycle hum
Translations
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See also
The Hum on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Verb
hum (third-person singular simple present hums, present participle humming, simple past and past participle hummed)
- (intransitive) To make a sound from the vocal chords without pronouncing any real words, with one's lips closed.
- We are humming happily along with the music.
- (transitive) To express by humming.
- to hum a tune
- The team ominously hummed “We shall overcome” as they came back onto the field after the break.
- (intransitive) To drone like certain insects naturally do in motion, or sounding similarly
- 1922 October 26, Virginia Woolf, chapter 2, in Jacob’s Room, Richmond, London: […] Leonard & Virginia Woolf at the Hogarth Press, OCLC 19736994; republished London: The Hogarth Press, 1960, OCLC 258624721:
- A slight gloom fell upon the table. Jacob was helping himself to jam; the postman was talking to Rebecca in the kitchen; there was a bee humming at the yellow flower which nodded at the open window.
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- (intransitive) To buzz, be busily active like a beehive
- The streets were humming with activity.
- (intransitive) To produce low sounds which blend continuously
- (Britain, slang) To reek, smell bad.
- This room really hums — have you ever tried spring cleaning, mate?
- (transitive, UK, dated, slang) To flatter by approving; to cajole; to deceive or impose upon; to humbug.
Synonyms
- bumble
- bustle
- hustle
- buzz
- croon
- whir
Derived terms
- ho-hum
- hum and ha
- hum and haw
- hummer
- hummingbird
- humming-top
Related terms
- humblebee
Translations
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Interjection
hum
- Synonym of hmm: a noise indicating thought, consideration, &c.
- 1890, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, The Sign of the Four, London: Spencer Blackett:
- “'Hum!' said he. 'A fifth share! That is not very tempting.'
“'It would come to fifty thousand apiece,' said I.
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- Synonym of um: a noise indicating doubt, uncertainty, &c.
- 1991, Stephen Fry, The Liar, London: Heinemann, OCLC 59891543, page 27:
- Ah, now, this is why we must proceed with great circumspection. They were both, hum, “put out” themselves.
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Derived terms
- ho hum
See also
- etymologically unrelated terms containing "hum"
- hum bow
- om mani padme hum
Anagrams
- HMU, MUH, muh, uhm
Akan
Pronunciation
- Tone: M
Predicate
hum
- An identity for a "nom-int-txt" code: a wilde wish.
- hum ɔkɔ - a life cycle
Albanian
Etymology
Unknown. Maybe from Proto-Indo-European *skew- (“to cover, conceal”).
Noun
hum m (indefinite plural humi, definite singular huma)
- rough sea
Bahnar
Alternative forms
- hŭm
Etymology
From Proto-Bahnaric *huːm ~ hoːm, from Proto-Mon-Khmer *huum ~ *ʔum. Cognate with Sedang huam, Cua tahoːp, Pacoh houm, Puoc ʔuːm, Nyah Kur hóom. Probably also related to the forms with initial *s-, such as Khasi sum and Hu θúm.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /huːm/
Verb
hum
- to bathe
Dutch
Etymology 1
jocular abbreviation of humeur (cfr.)
Noun
hum n (plural hummen, diminutive hummetje n)
- (good) mood
Etymology 2
Onomatopoeia
Alternative forms
- h'm
Interjection
hum!
- uttering to attract attention, without literal meaning
French
Etymology
Expressive onomatopoeia; possible descent in ancient Latin or Frankish interjections.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɔm/
Interjection
hum
- (onomatopeia, colloquial) um..., hm
Further reading
- “hum”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Jakaltek
Etymology
From Proto-Mayan *huuʼng.
Noun
hum
- paper
References
- Church, Clarence; Church, Katherine (1955) Vocabulario castellano-jacalteco, jacalteco-castellano (in Spanish), Guatemala C. A.: Instituto Lingüístico de Verano, pages 45; 23
Middle English
Pronoun
hum
- Alternative form of hem (“them”)
Ngamo
Noun
hùm
- water
References
- Takács, Gábor (2007) Etymological Dictionary of Egyptian, volume 3, Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 201, →ISBN:
- […] we should carefully distinguish the following Ch. roots from AA *m-ˀ "water" [GT]:
- (1) Ch. *h-m "water" [GT]: WCh. *hama [Stl.]: AS *ham (Gmy. *hām) [GT 2004, 153] = *am [Stl. 1977] = *ham [Dlg.] = *ham [Stl. 1987]: […] Ngamo hùm [Schuh], […]
Phalura
Etymology
From Pashto [script needed] (hum).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /hum/
Particle
hum (discourse, Perso-Arabic spelling ہُم)
- also, as well as
References
- Liljegren, Henrik; Haider, Naseem (2011) Palula Vocabulary (FLI Language and Culture Series; 7), Islamabad, Pakistan: Forum for Language Initiatives, →ISBN
Portuguese
Numeral
hum m (feminine huma)
- Archaic spelling of um.
Usage notes
In Brazil, this spelling is still seen in finance-related slips such as lottery tickets, cheques and receipts, in order to prevent fraud.
Article
hum m (plural huns, feminine huma, feminine plural humas)
- Obsolete spelling of um
Interjection
hum
- hmm
Serbo-Croatian
Etymology 1
From Proto-Slavic *xъlmъ.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /xûːm/
Noun
hȗm m (Cyrillic spelling ху̑м)
- hillock
- barrow, tumulus (mound of earth raised over a grave)
Declension
singular | plural | |
---|---|---|
nominative | hȗm | húmovi |
genitive | huma | humova |
dative | humu | humovima |
accusative | hum | humove |
vocative | hume | humovi |
locative | humu | humovima |
instrumental | humom | humovima |
Synonyms
- glàvica, brežúljak
Etymology 2
Unknown.
Noun
hum f (Cyrillic spelling хум)
- (obsolete) arrogance
Synonyms
- ȍholōst
References
- “hum” in Hrvatski jezični portal