-உம்

Inherited from Proto-Dravidian *-um. Cognate with Malayalam -ഉം (-uṁ).

• IPA^(key): /ʊm/

-உம் • (-um) (clitic)

1. simple connective particle. (and, 'both ... and')

   Synonym: (formal) மற்றும் (maṟṟum)

   சேரனும் பாண்டியனும்

   cēraṉum pāṇṭiyaṉum

   Cheran and Pandyan

-உம் • (-um) (clitic)

1. (with nouns):
   1. conveys universality.

      தமிழ்நாட்டு மூவேந்தரும் வந்தார்கள்.

      tamiḻnāṭṭu mūvēntarum vantārkaḷ.

      The three-crowned kings of Tamil Nadu came.

   2. inclusion, addition. (likewise, also, too, even)

      Synonym: கூட (kūṭa)

      குமாரும் வந்தான்.

      kumārum vantāṉ.

      Kumar too came.

   3. (with the -இல் (-il) or -இன் (-iṉ) forms) gives the force of the comparative degree.

      இது அதிலும் பெரியது.

      itu atilum periyatu.

      This is greater than that.

2. (with verbs):
   1. (with adverbial participles) concessive (although, even, even though, even if)

      குமார் வந்தும் என்னிடம் பேசவில்லை.

      kumār vantum eṉṉiṭam pēcavillai.

      Although Kumar came, he didn't talk to me.

   2. (with singular neuter past verbal noun form (ending with -து)) immediacy (as soon as)

      Synonym: -உடன் (-uṭaṉ) — added after the past adjectival participle form

      கோமாளியைப் பார்த்ததும் குழந்தை அழத் தொடங்கியது.

      kōmāḷiyaip pārttatum kuḻantai aḻat toṭaṅkiyatu.

      The child started crying as soon as it saw the clown.

   3. (with the conditional form (ending with -ஆல்)) expresses the possibility of sth. happening or not happening.

      மழை வந்தாலும் வரலாம்.

      maḻai vantālum varalām.

      It might rain.

   4. (with the infinitive) serves for the optative mood.

      செல்லவும். ― cellavum. ― May (you) go.

-உம் • (-um)

1. (when added with interrogatives) gives them a general or universal application. (any, every, each and every)

   ‎எங்கு (eṅku, “where”) + ‎-உம் (-um) → ‎எங்கும் (eṅkum, “anywhere, everywhere”)

   ‎யா- (yā-, “which (thing)”) + ‎-உம் (-um) → ‎யாவும் (yāvum, “everything”)

2. (when added to quantifiers) provides a sense of totality or completeness.

   ‎அனைவர் (aṉaivar) + ‎-உம் (-um) → ‎அனைவரும் (aṉaivarum)

3. (when added to certain words, especially adverbs) serves to intensify the meaning.

   ‎மிக (mika, “very”) + ‎-உம் (-um) → ‎மிகவும் (mikavum, “very much”)

4. (as inflectional suffix):
   1. forms the third person neuter future singular and future adjectival participle.

      ‎இறங்கு (iṟaṅku) + ‎-உம் (-um) → ‎இறங்கும் (iṟaṅkum)

   2. (literary) termination of the imperative plural.

      நீவிர்சொல்லும் ― nīvircollum ― Say ye.

   3. (literary, by extension) used honorifically in imperative singular.

      கடவுளேநீரிரங்கும் ― kaṭavuḷēnīriraṅkum ― God be merciful.

• S. Ramakrishnan (1992), “-உம்”, in தற்காலத் தமிழ் அகராதி [Dictionary of Contemporary Tamil] (in Tamil), Madras: Cre-A Publishers, page [1]
• Johann Philipp Fabricius (1779), “உம்”, in A Malabar and English Dictionary, Tranquebar: Evangelical Lutheran Mission Pub. House; republished as Tamil and English Dictionary, 1972
• University of Madras (1924–1936), “உம்”, in Tamil Lexicon, Madras [Chennai]: Diocesan Press
• Miron Winslow (1862), “உம்”, in A comprehensive Tamil and English dictionary of high and low Tamil, Madras: P. R. Hunt