Deeper Dive: some
Word Story TextShould be pronounced “soam”. Earlier in the history of English, it was. Over time, the long vowel O got shortened to something easier to say: uh. That gave us “sum” as the pronunciation. The spelling stayed the same.
S-U-M is used for an unrelated word, SUM as in arithmetic. The two “sums” are homophones: sound the same, different spellings, different meanings.
The “um” sound is spelled a lot of ways.
The sensible way: UM as in DRUM GUM and PLUM
Then we have UM words with a silent b at the end: crumb thumb and dumb
We’ve got the some and come twins.
And a real oddball, FROM.
Children have to learn “some” because it’s such a common word it can’t be avoided. Taken in isolation it seems like a word that has to be memorized because it violates the silent -e rule.
But, SOME has friends.
It can be grouped with HF compound words such as
Sometime, something, somewhere, somebody.
Which readers also need to learn.
Some also occurs at the back of words like Awesome and Fearsome. Those are fun words for children.
There are some weird ones too: handsome wholesome, cumbersome
Mnemonicsome dumb gum
Homephonessum
Is it a homonym?no
Is it a homograph?no
Antonymsnone
QuotesSome days you're the pigeon, some days you're the statue. J Andrew Taylor
Some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them. William Shakespeare
You can fool all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all the time. Abraham Lincoln
Some people don't like change, but you need to embrace change if the alternative is disaster. Elon Musk
Collocationssome day
some time
quite some something
some day
some hope!
take some doing
and then some
kick some butt
some rough edges
Are you looking for some?
LyricsSomebody that I used to know; 2011 Grammy Award by Gotye
Mnomonicsome dumb, gum
some (-sōm). A combining form or suffix from Gr. σῶμα (gen. σώματος) the body; as in merosome, a body segment; cephalosome, etc.
Some (-sŭm). [AS. -sum; akin to G. & OHG. -sam, Icel. samr, Goth. lustusams longed for. See Same, adjective, and cf. Some, adjective] An adjective suffix having primarily the sense of like or same, and indicating a considerable degree of the thing or quality denoted in the first part of the compound; as in mettlesome, full of mettle or spirit; gladsome, full of gladness; winsome, blithesome, etc.
Some (sŭm), adjective [OE. som, sum, AS. sum; akin to OS., OFries., & OHG. sum, OD. som, D. sommig, Icel. sumr, Dan. somme (pl.), Sw. somlige (pl.), Goth. sums, and E. same. √191. See Same, adjective, and cf. -some.] 1. Consisting of a greater or less port
1. Consisting of a greater or less portion or sum; composed of a quantity or number which is not stated; – used to express an indefinite quantity or number; as, some wine; some water; some persons. Used also pronominally; as, I have some.Some theoretical writers allege that there was a time when there was no such thing as society. Blackstone.
2. A certain; one; – indicating a person, thing, event, etc., as not known individually, or designated more specifically; as, some man, that is, some one man.“Some brighter clime.” Mrs. Barbauld.3. Not much; a little; moderate; as, the censure was to some extent just.
Some man praiseth his neighbor by a wicked intent. Chaucer.
Most gentlemen of property, at some period or other of their lives, are ambitious of representing their county in Parliament. Blackstone.
4. About; near; more or less; – used commonly with numerals, but formerly also with a singular substantive of time or distance; as, a village of some eighty houses;some two or three persons; some hour hence. Shak.5. Considerable in number or quantity.
The number slain on the rebel’s part were some two thousand. Bacon.“Bore us some leagues to sea.” Shak.6. Certain; those of one part or portion; – in distinction from other or others; as, some men believe one thing, and others another.
On its outer point, some miles away.
The lighthouse lifts its massive masonry. Longfellow.Some [seeds] fell among thorns; . . . but other fell into good ground. Matt. xiii. 7, 8.7. A part; a portion; – used pronominally, and followed sometimes by of; as, some of our provisions.Your edicts some reclaim from sins,
But most your life and blest example wins. Dryden.
All and someone and all. See under All, adverb [Obs.]☞ The illiterate in the United States and Scotland often use some as an adverb, instead of somewhat, or an equivalent expression; as, I am some tired; he is some better; it rains some, etc.
Some . . . someone part . . . another part; these . . . those; – used distributively.☞ Formerly used also of single persons or things: this one . . . that one; one . . . another.
Some to the shores do fly,
Some to the woods, or whither fear advised. Daniel.Somein his bed, Some in the deep sea. Chaucer.
-- Webster's unabridged 1913
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