Where does “hum” come from?
hum (Middle English) comes from Middle English hem, from Old English hem, from Proto-West Germanic hammjan, from Proto-Germanic hamjaną, from Proto-Indo-European kem- — to press together; to hinder, to hamper; to...
hum (Middle English): Alternative form of hem
Definitions
- Alternative form of hem
Ancestry of “hum”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | hem | Third-person plural accusative pronoun: them;... |
| 2 | Old English | hem | hem, border |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | hammjan | To press; pinch; To obstruct; restrict; restrain;... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | hamjaną | To press; pinch; To obstruct; restrict; restrain;... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | kem- | to press together; to hinder, to hamper; to... |