-some

See also: some

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English -som, -sum, from Old English -sum (“same as; -some”), from Proto-West Germanic *-sam, from Proto-Germanic *-samaz, from Proto-Germanic *samaz (“same”). Akin to Saterland Frisian -soam (“-some”), West Frisian -sum (“-some”), Dutch -zaam (“-some”), German Low German -saam (“-some”), German -sam (“-some”), Danish -som, Swedish -sam, Icelandic -samur (“-some”), Gothic -𐍃𐌰𐌼𐍃 (-sams), -𐍃𐌰𐌼𐌰 (-sama). Cognate with Albanian -shëm (“-some”). More at same.

Pronunciation

• enPR: səm, IPA^(key): /səm/
• Hyphenation: some

Suffix

-some

1. (forms adjectives from nouns or adjectives) Characterized by some specific condition or quality, usually to a considerable degree.
   • 2012, Tom Sandham, World's Best Cocktails:

     Elsewhere the blingsome silver-beveled mirrors, butterfly and lotus blossom motifs, and the occasional chaise longue make the opulence a touch on the show-off side for me, but the expenses were obviously 5-star and it's undoubtedly bespoke.

Derived terms

English terms suffixed with -some

See also

• -less (lacking)
• -ful (having in abundance)

Etymology 2

From Middle English -som, from a specialized use of Old English sum (“some, one”) coming after a genitive plural (e.g. hē wæs fēowertiga sum --"he was one of forty", literally "he was forties' some[one]"; sixa sum --"one of six, sixsome").

Pronunciation

• enPR: səm, IPA^(key): /səm/
• Hyphenation: some

Suffix

-some

2. (forms nouns from numerals) Denoting a group with a certain number of members.

Derived terms

terms derived using -some (group)

• eightsome
• elevensome
• fivesome
• foursome
• hundredsome
• ninesome
• onesome
• sevensome
• sixsome
• tensome
• threesome
• twelvesome
• twosome

 

Etymology 3

From Ancient Greek σῶμα (sôma, “body”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: sōm, IPA^(key): /soʊm/
• Hyphenation: some

Suffix

-some

2. (noun combining form) Body.

Derived terms

terms derived using -some (body)

• acrosome
• azotosome
• centrosome
• cephalosome
• chromosome
• connexosome
• cytosome
• endosome
• eurysome
• gonosome
• hydrogenosome
• leptosome
• liposome
• lymphosome
• lysosome
• macrosomia
• melanosome
• merosome
• mesosome
• metasome
• mitosome
• mutasome
• nectosome
• neurosome
• niosome
• nucleosome
• phagosome
• rhabdosome
• spliceosome
• trypanosome
• urosome

 

Related terms

• prosoma
• soma

See also

• -ome

Etymology 4

From previous sense “body” (from Ancient Greek σῶμα (sôma, “body”)), by analogy with chromosome.

Pronunciation

• enPR: sōm, IPA^(key): /soʊm/
• Hyphenation: some

Suffix

-some

2. (noun combining form) Chromosome.

Derived terms

terms derived using -some (chromosome)

• allosome
• autosome
• gonosome
• hexasome
• monosome
• trisome

 

Etymology 5

From some in its "approximately" sense; more at some § Etymology.

Pronunciation

• enPR: səm, IPA^(key): /səm/
• Hyphenation: some

Suffix

-some

1. Plus some indeterminate fraction not amounting to the next higher round number or significant digit; and change; -odd.

   twenty-some identifiable factors affecting the outcome

   one-hundred-and-fifty-some spectators in the bleachers

Derived terms

English terms suffixed with -some

Anagrams

• Meos, 'omes, OMEs, OEMs, meso-, Eoms, emos

Scots

Etymology 1

From Middle English -som, -sum, from Old English -sum (“same as; -some”), from Proto-Germanic *-samaz, from Proto-Germanic *samaz (“same”).

Suffix

-some

1. (forms adjectives from nouns or adjectives) With nouns and verbs in an active and passive sense, implying “inclined to, full of, causing or caused by”.

Etymology 2

From Middle English -som, from a specialized use of Old English sum (“some, one”) coming after a genitive plural.

Suffix

-some

1. (forms nouns from numerals) As a suffix after cardinal numbers to denote a group, company, team, etc. of that number together or thought of as a unit.

References

• “-some, suff.”, in The Dictionary of the Scots Language, Edinburgh: Scottish Language Dictionaries, 2004–present, →OCLC.