-உம்

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

• IPA^(key): /um/

-உம் • (-um) (clitic)

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

   Synonym: மற்றும் (maṟṟum)

   சேரனும் பாண்டியனும்

   cēraṉum pāṇṭiyaṉum

   Cheran and Pandyan

2. particle conveying universality

   தமிழ்நாட்டு மூவேந்தரும் வந்தார்கள்.

   tamiḻnāṭṭu mūvēntarum vantārkaḷ.

   The three-crowned kings of Tamil Nadu came.

3. inclusion, addition ('likewise', 'also', 'too', 'even')

   Synonym: கூட (kūṭa)

   குமாரும் வந்தான்

   kumārum vantāṉ

   Kumar too came

4. (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

5. (with singular neuter past verbal noun form of verbs (ending with -து)) immediacy ('as soon as')

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

   கண்டதும் காதல்

   kaṇṭatum kātal

   Love at first sight

   (literally, “Love soon after looking”)

6. (with the -ஆல் (-āl) ending form of the verb) expresses the possibility of sth. happening or not happening

   மழை வந்தாலும் வரலாம்.

   maḻai vantālum varalām.

   It might rain.

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

   கட்டளையிடவும்

   kaṭṭaḷaiyiṭavum

   (please add an English translation of this usage example)

-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”)

• S. Ramakrishnan (1992) “-உம்”, in தற்காலத் தமிழ் அகராதி [Dictionary of Contemporary Tamil] (in Tamil), Madras: Cre-A Publishers, page [1]
• Johann Philipp Fabricius (1972) “உம்”, in Tamil and English Dictionary, Tranquebar: Evangelical Lutheran Mission Pub. House
• 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