English word origin

Etymology of sum

From Middle English summe, from Old French summe, from Latin summa (“highest point; sum”), from summus (“highest”).

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 3 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

noun

A quantity obtained by addition or aggregation. · An arithmetic computation, especially one posed to a student as an exercise (not necessarily limited to addition). · A quantity of money. · A summary; the principal points or thoughts when viewed together; the substance.

verb

To add together. · To give a summary of.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English summe, from Old French summe, from Latin summa (“highest point; sum”), from summus (“highest”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inherited-form mentionsummeenm
Derivation mentionsummefro
Derivation mentionsummala

This page abbreviates 3 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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        "1": "en",
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        "3": "summe"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English summe"
    },
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      "args": {
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        "2": "fro",
        "3": "summe"
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    },
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        "2": "la",
        "3": "summa",
        "4": "",
        "5": "highest point; sum"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin summa (“highest point; sum”)"
    }
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        "A quantity obtained by addition or aggregation.",
        "An arithmetic computation, especially one posed to a student as an exercise (not necessarily limited to addition).",
        "A quantity of money.",
        "A summary; the principal points or thoughts when viewed together; the substance."
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

The basic unit of money in Kyrgyzstan. · The basic unit of money in Uzbekistan.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Borrowed from Kazakh сом (som), Kyrgyz сом (som), Uyghur سوم (som), and Uzbek soʻm, all of which have the core signification “pure”, used in elliptical reference to historical coins of pure gold.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mentionсомkk
Borrowed-form mentionсомky
Borrowed-form mentionسومug
Borrowed-form mentionsoʻmuz

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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        "1": "en",
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    },
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    },
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      "سوم#Uyghur"
    ],
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      "soʻm#Uzbek"
    ]
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Source etymology 4

Original entry ↗

noun

A type of administrative district used in China, Mongolia, and Russia. In Mongolia, a sum is smaller than a province. In China, it is only used in Inner Mongolia, where it is equivalent to a township.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Mongolian сум (sum), from Manchu ᠨᡳᡵᡠ (niru, “a large arrow, militia company, district”). Ultimately from Proto-Mongolic *sumun (“arrow”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mentionсумmn
Derivation mentionᠨᡳᡵᡠmnc · a large arrow, militia company, district
Derivation mention*sumunxgn-pro · arrow

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for sum →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-c3Vt