hum

See also: Hum, húm, hùm, hũm, hừm, and 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)

1. A hummed tune, i.e. created orally with lips closed.
2. 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, [Act III, scene ii]:

     the shard-borne beetle with his drowsy hums

3. Busy activity, like the buzz of a beehive.
4. (UK, slang) Unpleasant odour.
5. (dated) An imposition or hoax; humbug.
6. (obsolete) A kind of strong drink.
   • c. 1622, John Fletcher, Philip Massinger [et al.?], “Beggars Bush”, 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

7. (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^[1]:

     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

• hum-box
• mains hum
• sixty cycle hum

 

Translations

tune created orally with lips closed

• Arabic: همهمَة
• Catalan: taral·la (ca) f
• Dutch: gebrom (nl) n, geneurie (nl) n
• Esperanto: zumo (eo)
• Finnish: hyminä, hyrinä
• Galician: cantaruxar (gl)
• German: Summen (de) n
• Hebrew: המהום m (himhúm)
• Korean: 콧노래 (ko) (konnorae)
• Maori: momi
• Portuguese: cantarolar (pt)
• Russian: жужжа́ние (ru) n (žužžánije)
• Serbo-Croatian: pjevušenje
• Spanish: tarareo (es)

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)

busy activity

• Bulgarian: бръмчене n (brǎmčene)
• Finnish: hyörinä (fi)
• Hebrew: המולה (he) f (hamulá), המיה (he) f (hemyá)
• Maori: tāwara

See also

The Hum on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Verb

hum (third-person singular simple present hums, present participle humming, simple past and past participle hummed)

1. (intransitive) To make a sound from the vocal cords without pronouncing any real words, with one's lips closed.

   We are humming happily along with the music.

2. (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.

3. (intransitive) To drone like certain insects naturally do in motion, or sounding similarly.
   • 1769, Firishta, translated by Alexander Dow, Tales translated from the Persian of Inatulla of Delhi, volume I, Dublin: P. and W. Wilson et al., page iv:

     The leaves of the foreſt were loaded with manna, pure amber dropped from every bough, honey diſtilled from the rifted rock, and the humming bee, drunk with joy, ſtrayed from flower to flower, forgetful of his burſting cells.

   • 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.

4. (intransitive) To buzz, be busily active like a beehive

   The streets were humming with activity.

5. (intransitive) To produce low sounds which blend continuously
6. (British, slang) To reek, smell bad.

   This room really hums — have you ever tried spring cleaning, mate?

7. (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 along
• hum and ha
• hum and haw
• hummer
• hummingbird
• humming-top

 

Related terms

• humblebee

Translations

to make sound with lips closed

• Arabic: هَمْهَمَ (hamhama), دَنْدَنَ (dandana)
• 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)

to express by humming

• Catalan: taral·lejar (ca)
• Finnish: hyräillä (fi)
• Greek: βουίζω (el) (vouízo)
• Maori: momi, hamumu

to drone like certain insects naturally do in motion

• Bulgarian: бръмча (bg) (brǎmča)
• Czech: bzučet (cs)
• Dutch: zoemen (nl), brommen (nl) (depending on the species' precise sound)
• Finnish: surista (fi)
• French: bourdonner (fr)
• Ingrian: pörissä
• Italian: ronzare (it)
• Maori: wheo, wheowheo, tamumu, tamūtamū, ngī (Of a bee)
• Turkish: vızıldamak (tr)

to be busily active like a beehive

• Finnish: kuhista (fi)
• French: fourmiller (fr)

to produce low sounds which blend continuously

• Bulgarian: мънкам (bg) (mǎnkam)
• Finnish: hurista (fi), surista (fi)
• Maori: mapu

to smell bad

• Bulgarian: воня (bg) (vonja)
• Dutch: stinken (nl)
• Finnish: haista (fi)
• Spanish: apestar (es), jeder (es)

to deceive

• Finnish: hämätä (fi)

to flatter by approving

• Finnish: hymistellä

Interjection

hum

1. Synonym of hmm: a noise indicating thought, consideration, &c.
   • 1890 February, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “The Baker Street Irregulars”, in The Sign of Four (Standard Library), London: Spencer Blackett […], →OCLC, page 157:

     Hum! hum! What's all this?

2. Synonym of um: a noise indicating doubt, uncertainty, &c.
   • 1991 September, Stephen Fry, chapter 1, in The Liar, London: Heinemann, →ISBN, →OCLC, section I, page 19:

     Ah, now this is why we must proceed with great circumspection. They were both, hum, “put out” themselves.

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

1. 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)

1. 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 

1. to bathe

Dutch

Etymology 1

jocular abbreviation of humeur (cfr.)

Noun

hum n (plural hummen, diminutive hummetje n)

1. (good) mood

Etymology 2

Onomatopoeia

Alternative forms

• h'm

Interjection

hum!

1. uttering to attract attention, without literal meaning

French

Etymology

Expressive onomatopoeia; possible descent in ancient Latin or Frankish interjections.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɔm/

• Audio:

  (file)

Interjection

hum

1. (onomatopoeia, 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

1. paper

References

• Church, Clarence, Church, Katherine (1955) Vocabulario castellano-jacalteco, jacalteco-castellano‎^[2] (in Spanish), Guatemala C. A.: Instituto Lingüístico de Verano, page 45; 23

Middle English

Pronoun

hum

1. Alternative form of hem (“them”)

Ngamo

Noun

hùm

1. 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)

1. also, as well as

References

• Henrik Liljegren, Naseem Haider (2011) “hum”, in Palula Vocabulary (FLI Language and Culture Series; 7)‎^[3], Islamabad, Pakistan: Forum for Language Initiatives, →ISBN

Portuguese

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈũ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈũ/

Numeral

hum m (feminine huma)

1. 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)

1. Obsolete spelling of um.

Interjection

hum

1. hmm

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology 1

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *xъlmъ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /xûːm/

Noun

hȗm m (Cyrillic spelling ху̑м)

1. hillock
2. barrow, tumulus (mound of earth raised over a grave)

Declension

Declension of hum

	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)

1. (obsolete) arrogance

   Synonym: ȍholōst

References

• “hum”, in Hrvatski jezični portal (in Serbo-Croatian), 2006–2024