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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
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 Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :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, (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
- (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.
Derived terms
Translations
tune created orally with lips closed
indistinct sound resembling human humming
- Dutch: gebrom (nl) n
- Finnish: hyminä, hurina, surina, hyrinä, pörinä (fi), porina (fi)
- Hebrew: המיה (he) f (hemyá), המהום m (himhúm)
- Italian: ronzio (it) m
- Maori: tāwara (of indistinct conversation), rangorango (of insects), rarā, tāwara (of conversation), hāmumumumu, ngī (Of a bee)
- Ottoman Turkish: زر (zır), طنطنه (tantana)
- Russian: жужжа́ние (ru) n (žužžánije)
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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 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; republished London: The Hogarth Press, 1960, →OCLC: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.
- (intransitive) To buzz, be busily active like a beehive
The streets were humming with activity.
- (intransitive) To produce low sounds which blend continuously
- (British, 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
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
to make sound with lips closed
- Arabic: همهم
- Catalan: zumzejar (ca)
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 哼 (zh) (hēng), 哼唱 (zh) (hēngchàng) (to hum a melody)
- Czech: broukat si
- Dutch: neuriën (nl), brommen (nl)
- Esperanto: zumi (eo)
- Finnish: hymistä, hyristä (fi), hyräillä (fi)
- French: fredonner (fr)
- German: summen (de)
- Greek: μουρμουρίζω (el) (mourmourízo)
- Ancient: τερετίζω (teretízō)
- Greenlandic: niperujoorpoq
- Hungarian: dúdol (hu)
- Icelandic: raula
- Italian: canticchiare (it), canterellare (it), mormorare (it), brontolare (it), sibilare (it), bofonchiare (it)
- Malay: rinai, senandung (ms)
- Maori: tamumu, tamūtamū
- Nepali: गुनगुनाउनु (gunagunāunu)
- Norman: monmer
- Polish: nucić (pl)
- Portuguese: cantarolar (pt), trautear (pt)
- Romanian: fredona (ro)
- Russian: жужжа́ть (ru) (žužžátʹ)
- Sanskrit: गुञ्जति (sa) (guñjati)
- Serbo-Croatian: pjevušiti (sh)
- Spanish: canturrear (es), tararear (es)
- Swedish: nynna (sv), gnola (sv)
- Turkish: mırıldanmak (tr)
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to drone like certain insects naturally do in motion
to be busily active like a beehive
to produce low sounds which blend continuously
Interjection
hum
- Synonym of hmm: a noise indicating thought, consideration, &c.
- Synonym of um: a noise indicating doubt, uncertainty, &c.
Derived terms
See also
Anagrams
Akan
Pronunciation
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 (plural humi, definite huma)
- rough sea
Bahnar
Alternative forms
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
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
Interjection
hum!
- uttering to attract attention, without literal meaning
French
Etymology
Expressive onomatopoeia; possible descent in ancient Latin or Frankish interjections.
Pronunciation
Interjection
hum
- (onomatopeia, colloquial) um..., hm
Further reading
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, page 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" :
- (1) Ch. *h-m "water" : WCh. *hama : AS *ham (Gmy. *hām) = *am = *ham = *ham : Ngamo hùm ,
Phalura
Etymology
From Pashto (hum).
Pronunciation
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
Pronunciation
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
Inherited from Proto-Slavic *xъlmъ.
Pronunciation
Noun
hȗm m (Cyrillic spelling ху̑м)
- hillock
- barrow, tumulus (mound of earth raised over a grave)
Declension
Synonyms
Etymology 2
Unknown.
Noun
hum f (Cyrillic spelling хум)
- (obsolete) arrogance
- Synonym: ȍholōst
References
- “hum” in Hrvatski jezični portal