نم

See also: يم, بم, تم, and ثم

Arabic

Root
ن م م (n m m)
3 terms

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /nam.ma/

Verb

نَمَّ • (namma) I (non-past يَنُمُّ (yanummu), verbal noun نَمّ (namm))

1. to gossip, to chatter, to palaver, to speak ill of

   من نمّ لك نمّ عليك ― Whoever speaks ill to you of others, will speak ill of you (Imam al-Shafi'i)

2. to slander, to defame, to spread calumnies
3. to betray someone, to denounce someone, to inform against someone, to report someone (to another in authority)
4. to be indicative of, to bespeak, to reveal, to show, to suggest [with عَن (ʕan) or عَلَى (ʕalā)]

Conjugation

verbal noun الْمَصْدَر						نَمّ namm
active participle اِسْم الْفَاعِل						نَامّ nāmm
passive participle اِسْم الْمَفْعُول						مَنْمُوم manmūm
active voice الْفِعْل الْمَعْلُوم
		singular الْمُفْرَد				dual الْمُثَنَّى			plural الْجَمْع
		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب
past (perfect) indicative الْمَاضِي	m	نَمَمْتُ namamtu	نَمَمْتَ namamta	نَمَّ namma		نَمَمْتُمَا namamtumā	نَمَّا nammā		نَمَمْنَا namamnā	نَمَمْتُمْ namamtum	نَمُّوا nammū
	f		نَمَمْتِ namamti	نَمَّتْ nammat			نَمَّتَا nammatā			نَمَمْتُنَّ namamtunna	نَمَمْنَ namamna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أَنُمُّ ʔanummu	تَنُمُّ tanummu	يَنُمُّ yanummu		تَنُمَّانِ tanummāni	يَنُمَّانِ yanummāni		نَنُمُّ nanummu	تَنُمُّونَ tanummūna	يَنُمُّونَ yanummūna
	f		تَنُمِّينَ tanummīna	تَنُمُّ tanummu			تَنُمَّانِ tanummāni			تَنْمُمْنَ tanmumna	يَنْمُمْنَ yanmumna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أَنُمَّ ʔanumma	تَنُمَّ tanumma	يَنُمَّ yanumma		تَنُمَّا tanummā	يَنُمَّا yanummā		نَنُمَّ nanumma	تَنُمُّوا tanummū	يَنُمُّوا yanummū
	f		تَنُمِّي tanummī	تَنُمَّ tanumma			تَنُمَّا tanummā			تَنْمُمْنَ tanmumna	يَنْمُمْنَ yanmumna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أَنُمَّ, أَنُمِّ, أَنْمُمْ ʔanumma, ʔanummi, ʔanmum	تَنُمَّ, تَنُمِّ, تَنْمُمْ tanumma, tanummi, tanmum	يَنُمَّ, يَنُمِّ, يَنْمُمْ yanumma, yanummi, yanmum		تَنُمَّا tanummā	يَنُمَّا yanummā		نَنُمَّ, نَنُمِّ, نَنْمُمْ nanumma, nanummi, nanmum	تَنُمُّوا tanummū	يَنُمُّوا yanummū
	f		تَنُمِّي tanummī	تَنُمَّ, تَنُمِّ, تَنْمُمْ tanumma, tanummi, tanmum			تَنُمَّا tanummā			تَنْمُمْنَ tanmumna	يَنْمُمْنَ yanmumna
imperative الْأَمْر	m		نُمَّ, نُمِّ, اُنْمُمْ numma, nummi, unmum			نُمَّا nummā				نُمُّوا nummū
	f		نُمِّي nummī							اُنْمُمْنَ unmumna
passive voice الْفِعْل الْمَجْهُول
		singular الْمُفْرَد				dual الْمُثَنَّى			plural الْجَمْع
		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب
past (perfect) indicative الْمَاضِي	m	نُمِمْتُ numimtu	نُمِمْتَ numimta	نُمَّ numma		نُمِمْتُمَا numimtumā	نُمَّا nummā		نُمِمْنَا numimnā	نُمِمْتُمْ numimtum	نُمُّوا nummū
	f		نُمِمْتِ numimti	نُمَّتْ nummat			نُمَّتَا nummatā			نُمِمْتُنَّ numimtunna	نُمِمْنَ numimna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أُنَمُّ ʔunammu	تُنَمُّ tunammu	يُنَمُّ yunammu		تُنَمَّانِ tunammāni	يُنَمَّانِ yunammāni		نُنَمُّ nunammu	تُنَمُّونَ tunammūna	يُنَمُّونَ yunammūna
	f		تُنَمِّينَ tunammīna	تُنَمُّ tunammu			تُنَمَّانِ tunammāni			تُنْمَمْنَ tunmamna	يُنْمَمْنَ yunmamna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أُنَمَّ ʔunamma	تُنَمَّ tunamma	يُنَمَّ yunamma		تُنَمَّا tunammā	يُنَمَّا yunammā		نُنَمَّ nunamma	تُنَمُّوا tunammū	يُنَمُّوا yunammū
	f		تُنَمِّي tunammī	تُنَمَّ tunamma			تُنَمَّا tunammā			تُنْمَمْنَ tunmamna	يُنْمَمْنَ yunmamna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أُنَمَّ, أُنَمِّ, أُنْمَمْ ʔunamma, ʔunammi, ʔunmam	تُنَمَّ, تُنَمِّ, تُنْمَمْ tunamma, tunammi, tunmam	يُنَمَّ, يُنَمِّ, يُنْمَمْ yunamma, yunammi, yunmam		تُنَمَّا tunammā	يُنَمَّا yunammā		نُنَمَّ, نُنَمِّ, نُنْمَمْ nunamma, nunammi, nunmam	تُنَمُّوا tunammū	يُنَمُّوا yunammū
	f		تُنَمِّي tunammī	تُنَمَّ, تُنَمِّ, تُنْمَمْ tunamma, tunammi, tunmam			تُنَمَّا tunammā			تُنْمَمْنَ tunmamna	يُنْمَمْنَ yunmamna

    Conjugation of نَمَّ (I, geminate, a ~ u, full passive (?), verbal noun نَمّ)

Etymology 2

Verb

نَمْ • (nam) (form I) /nam/

1. second-person masculine singular imperative of نَامَ (nāma)

Etymology 3

Verb

نَمِّ • (nammi) (form II) /nam.mi/

1. second-person masculine singular imperative of نَمَّى (nammā)

Khowar

Etymology

From Sanskrit नामन् (nāman), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *Hnā́ma, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁nómn̥ (“name”). Compare Kalasha nom.

Noun

نم (nam)

1. name

Malay

Numeral

نم

1. Jawi spelling of nam.‎‎

Ottoman Turkish

Etymology

From Persian نم (nam).

Noun

نم • (nem)

1. moisture
2. humidity
3. dampness

Derived terms

• نملی (nemli)

Related terms

• شبنم (şebnem)

Descendants

• Turkish: nem

References

• Kélékian, Diran (1911) “نم”, in Dictionnaire turc-français‎, Constantinople: Mihran, page 1287

Persian

Etymology

From Middle Persian 𐭭𐭬 (nam), from Proto-Iranian *nábah, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *nábʰas, from Proto-Indo-European *nébʰos.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [nam]

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [näm]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [näm]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [näm]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [näm]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [næm]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [näm]

Readings
Classical reading?	nam
Dari reading?	nam
Iranian reading?	nam
Tajik reading?	nam

Noun

Dari	نم
Iranian Persian
Tajik	нам

نم • (nam)

1. moisture, humidity

   Synonyms: رطوبت (rotubat), نمناکی (namnâki)

2. (obsolete) dew

   Synonyms: شبنم (šabnam), ژاله (žâle)

3. (obsolete) teardrop

   Synonym: اشک (ašk)

   • c. 1390, Shams-ud-Dīn Muḥammad Ḥāfiẓ, “Ghazal 417”, in دیوان حافظ [The Divān of Ḥāfiẓ]‎:

     جانا چه گویم شرح فراقت
     چشمی و صد نم جانی و صد آه

     jānā či gūyam šarh-i firāqat
     čašmē u sad nam jānē u sad āh

     My love, how shall I explain my separation from you?
     One eye, and a hundred tears! One life, and a hundred sighs!

     (Classical Persian transliteration)

Derived terms

• شبنم (šabnam)
• نمدار (namdâr)
• نمناک (namnâk)

Descendants

• → Azerbaijani: nəm
• → Hindustani:

  Hindi: नम (nam)

  Urdu: نم (nam)

• → Kyrgyz: ным (nım)
• → Ottoman Turkish: نم (nem)
  • Turkish: nem
• → Uyghur: نەم (nem)

Punjabi

Western Panjabi Wikipedia has an article on:

نم

Wikipedia ^pnb

Etymology

Inherited from Prakrit 𑀡𑀺𑀁𑀩 (ṇiṃba), from Sanskrit निम्ब (nímba).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Punjabi) IPA^(key): /nɪ̃mːᵊ/

• Audio (India):

  (file)

Noun

نِمّ • (nimm) f (Gurmukhi spelling ਨਿੰਮ)

1. Azadirachta indica; neem or margosa tree

Declension

Declension of نم

	singular	plural
direct	نِمّ (nimm)	نِمّ (nimm)
oblique	نِمّ (nimm)	نِمّاں (nimmāṉ)
vocative	نِمّا (nimmā)	نِمّو (nimmo)
ablative	نِمّوں (nimmoṉ)	نِمّاں (nimmāṉ)
locative	نِمّے (nimme)	نِمِّیں (nimmiīṉ)
instrumental	نِمّوں (nimmoṉ)	–

Further reading

• Iqbal, Salah ud-Din (2002) “نِم”, in vaḍḍī panjābī lughat‎ (in Punjabi), Lahore: ʻAzīz Pablisharz
• “ਨਿੰਮ”, in Punjabi-English Dictionary, Patiala: Punjabi University, 2025
• Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985) “nímba”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press, page 413

South Levantine Arabic

Root
ن م م
1 term

Etymology

From Arabic نَمَّ (namma).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /namm/, [nam]

• Audio (Ramallah):

  (file)

Verb

نمّ • (namm) I (present بنمّ (binimm))

1. to gossip

Conjugation

Conjugation of نم

		singular				plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person		1st person	2nd person	3rd person
past	m	نمّيت (nammēt)	نمّيت (nammēt)	نمّ (namm)		نمّينا (nammēna)	نمّيتو (nammētu)	نمّو (nammu)
	f		نمّيتي (nammēti)	نمّت (nammat)
present	m	بنمّ (banimm)	بتنمّ (bitnimm)	بنمّ (binimm)		مننمّ (minnimm)	بتنمّو (bitnimmu)	بنمّو (binimmu)
	f		بتنمّي (bitnimmi)	بتنمّ (bitnimm)
subjunctive	m	انمّ (animm)	تنمّ (tnimm)	ينمّ (ynimm)		ننمّ (nnimm)	تنمّو (tnimmu)	ينمّو (ynimmu)
	f		تنمّي (tnimmi)	تنمّ (tnimm)
imperative	m		نمّ (nimm)				نمّو (nimmu)
	f		نمّي (nimmi)

Urdu

Etymology

Borrowed from Classical Persian نم (nam).

Adjective

نم • (nam) (Hindi spelling नम)

1. moist
2. damp
3. wet

Noun

نم • (nam) f (Hindi spelling नम)

1. moisture
2. humidity
3. dew