Al la enhavo

What in the world is -umo?

de Librum, 2007-marto-12

Mesaĝoj: 6

Lingvo: English

Librum (Montri la profilon) 2007-marto-12 02:50:03

I have no idea what in the heck adding the equivalent of "thingamajig" or "whatchamacallit" to a root means or does. What is the point or meaning of -umo in a word? Im so confused by this, can anyone clarify? (e.g. krucumi)

erinja (Montri la profilon) 2007-marto-13 00:00:55

Librum:I have no idea what in the heck adding the equivalent of "thingamajig" or "whatchamacallit" to a root means or does. What is the point or meaning of -umo in a word? Im so confused by this, can anyone clarify? (e.g. krucumi)
It is hard to classify because the meaning is strongly based on context.

There are a few -um- words with set meanings. For example, "kolo" is "neck" and "kolumo" is "collar".

In colloquial use, I usually translate -um- words like this

[root]-umi = "to do the [root] thing"
[root]-umo = "a [root]-related thing"

I personally mostly use -um- in verb forms. It gives the idea, to my ear, of informality and some amount of vagueness.

pico = pizza
picumi = to do the pizza thing - to go out with your friends and eat pizza
kafejo = cafe
kafejumi = to spend time in a cafe

komputilo = computer
komputilumi = to spend time on a computer, to mess around on a computer

retumi = to browse the internet
diskoteko = club, disco
diskotekumi = to go clubbing

pastorant (Montri la profilon) 2007-marto-13 00:35:33

erinja:

In colloquial use, I usually translate -um- words like this

[root]-umi = "to do the [root] thing"
[root]-umo = "a [root]-related thing"

I personally mostly use -um- in verb forms. It gives the idea, to my ear, of informality and some amount of vagueness.

pico = pizza
picumi = to do the pizza thing - to go out with your friends and eat pizza
kafejo = cafe
kafejumi = to spend time in a cafe

komputilo = computer
komputilumi = to spend time on a computer, to mess around on a computer

retumi = to browse the internet
diskoteko = club, disco
diskotekumi = to go clubbing
That's an excellent way to describe it!
So bazarumi = to go hang out in the mall. ridulo.gif

erinja (Montri la profilon) 2007-marto-13 01:15:48

pastorant:

That's an excellent way to describe it!
So bazarumi = to go hang out in the mall. ridulo.gif
Yep! Or else "butikumi" or "vendejumi" (to go shopping). Or "aĉetumi" (to go out for the specific purpose of buying things - since "shopping" and "buying" are not necessarily the same thing)

Or - tying this back in with the other discussion on Star Trek and Babylon 5 - my boyfriend and I often use the verb "bokvinumi"
(bo = B; kvin = 5 - umi) to mean "to watch Babylon 5" rideto.gif

"Hej, ĉu vi volas bokvinumi?"

Kwekubo (Montri la profilon) 2007-marto-13 11:47:35

Great explanation, Erinja - and just for the benefit of the original poster, krucumi is one of those words with a specific meaning, namely "to crucify".

Urho (Montri la profilon) 2007-marto-23 21:10:46

saǔnumi (saǔn/um/i < saǔn/o) = take a sauna (finne : saunoa)

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