# عم
## Arabic
### Etymology 1

From عَن (ʕan) +‎ مَا (mā).

#### Particle

عَمَّ • (ʕamma)
* from what?
* about what?
** 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 78:1:عَمَّ يَتَسَاءَلُونَʕamma yatasāʔalūnaAbout what are they asking one another?

### Etymology 2
#### Verb

عَمَّ • (ʕamma) I (non-past يَعُمُّ (yaʕummu), verbal noun عُمُوم (ʕumūm))
* to be or become general
* to spread, to prevail
    هُنَالِكَ عَمَّ ٱلْخَيْرُ ― hunālika ʕamma l-ḵayru ― The good spread there.

##### Conjugation
#### Verb

عَمَّ • (ʕamma) I (non-past يَعُمُّ (yaʕummu), verbal noun عُمُوم (ʕumūm))
* to comprise, to include, to encompass, to pervade
    عَمَّ ٱلْمَطَرُ ٱلْأَرْضَʕamma l-maṭaru l-ʔarḍaThe rain encompassed the whole land.
    عَمَّهُمُ ٱلْمَرَضُ ― ʕammahumu l-maraḍu ― The disease spread among them.
* to extend, to stretch, to be diffused, to be prevailing

##### Conjugation
### Etymology 3
#### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ʕamm/

#### Noun

عَمّ • (ʕamm) m (plural أَعْمام (ʔaʕmām) or عُمُوم (ʕumūm), feminine عَمَّة (ʕamma))
* paternal blood uncle (one's father's brother)
* (informal) term of address to an older person

##### Descendants

* → Swahili: ami

### Etymology 4
#### Noun

عَمٍ • (ʕamin) (masculine plural عَمُونَ (ʕamūna), feminine plural عَمِيَات (ʕamiyāt))
* blind
** 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 27:66:بَلِ ٱدَّارَكَ عِلْمُهُمْ فِي ٱلْآخِرَةِ ۚ بَلْ هُمْ فِي شَكٍّ مِنْهَا ۖ بَلْ هُم مِنْهَا عَمُونَbali ddāraka ʕilmuhum fī l-ʔāḵirati bal hum fī šakkin minhā bal hum minhā ʕamūna(please add an English translation of this quotation)

##### Declension
### Etymology 5
#### Verb

عَمِّ • (ʕammi) (form II) /ʕam.mi/
* second-person masculine singular imperative of عَمَّى (ʕammā)

## Egyptian Arabic
### Etymology

From Arabic عَمّ (ʕamm).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ʕam/, [ʕæmː], [ˈʕæmːe] (before a consonant), [ʕæm] (sentence final)

### Noun

عمّ • (ʕamm) m (plural أعمام (aʕmām) or عمام (ʕimām), feminine عمّة (ʕamma))
* paternal uncle (“brother of one's father”)
    Synonym: عمّو (ʕammu) (endearing)
    Coordinate term: خال (ḵāl, “maternal uncle”)
* Friendly term of address (see usage notes)

#### Usage notes

As a term of address, it has a playful quality, which may seem rude to strangers. It is rude to those strictly socially superior to the speaker, such as teachers, bosses, or adults to children.

## North Levantine Arabic
### Etymology 1

From Arabic عَمّ (ʕamm, “paternal uncle”).

#### Pronunciation

IPA: /ʕamm/

#### Noun

عم • (ʿamm) m (plural عموم (ʿmūm), feminine عمة (ʿamme))
* paternal uncle
* (informal, especially with vocative يا (yā)) term of address to an older person or stranger

##### Derived terms

* عمو (ʕammu)

### Etymology 2

Clipping of عَمَّال (ʕammāl), an earlier form related to the verb عمل (ʕimil, “to do”). See also مّا (mma).

#### Particle

عم • (ʿam(m) or ʿamma)
* Used with a following imperfect verb to mark the present progressive tense.
    عَمَّ بيِتسَاءَلُوا ― ʿamma byitsāʾalu ― They’re messing around.
    شو عم تعمل؟ — عم إشرب قهوةšū ʿam taʿmil? — ʿam ʾišrab ʾahwe.What are you doing? — I’m drinking coffee.

##### Usage notes

* Can be negated with either ما (mā) or مش (miš).
* The distribution of the two pronunciations, as well as of the b-prefix on the verb, varies by speaker and region. (Note that neither of these variables has any bearing on the construction's meaning.) Common possibilities follow, demoed using the phrase "I'm eating, he's eating":
** Verbs always appear with the prefix بـ (b-). Possibilities from here:
*** عَم (ʕam) is used invariably: عَمْ باكل، عَمْ بياكل ― ʿam bākul, ʿam byākul
*** عَم (ʕam) is used when the بـ (b-) precedes a vowel, and عَمَّ (ʕamma) when it precedes another consonant. This is to avoid a three-consonant cluster: عَمْ باكل، عَمَّ بياكل ― ʿam bākul, ʿamma byākul
** Verbs use the indicative prefix بـ (b-) when it precedes a vowel, and omit it when it would precede a consonant. This too is to avoid a three-consonant cluster. Therefore, عَم (ʕam) is used invariably: عَمْ باكل، عَمْ ياكل ― ʿam bākul, ʿam yākul
** Verbs never use the indicative prefix بـ (b-). Therefore, عَم (ʕam) is used invariably: عَمْ آكل، عَمْ ياكل ― ʿam ʾākul, ʿam yākul
* These are not constants, however. Speakers will often alternate between the options presented, even sometimes preserving the عَمَّ (ʕamma) pronunciation unconditioned.

## Ottoman Turkish
### Phrase

عم • (aleyhi's-selam)
* Abbreviation of علیه السلام (aleyhi's-selam, “peace be upon him”).

## South Levantine Arabic
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ʕamm/, [ʕam]
* Audio (Ramallah):(file)

### Etymology 1

From Arabic عَمّ (ʕamm).

#### Noun

عمّ • (ʕamm) m (plural عمام (ʕmām), feminine عمّة (ʕamme))
* paternal uncle (father's brother)
    Endearing form: عمّو (ʕammo)
* father-in-law
    Synonym: حما (ḥama)

##### See also

* خال (ḵāl, “maternal uncle”)

### Etymology 2

Clipping of عمّال (ʕammāl), an earlier form related to the verb عمل (ʕimil, “to do”).

#### Particle

عمّ • (ʕamm)
* used to stress the ongoing nature of an action
    عمّ بشرب قهوة. ― ʕam bašrab ʔahwe. ― I'm drinking coffee right now.

##### Usage notes

* Although widely used, عمّ (ʕamm) is technically emphatic and thus optional; the present tense can already refer to continuous actions.
* In theory, عمّ (ʕamm) would be followed by the present tense; however, the بـ (b-) non-past marker is usually elided to avoid a consonant cluster — yielding the subjunctive. However, note that the elision does not occur to 1st-person singular forms, and is optional in cases where بتـ is realized as bit- (e.g. bitsawwi). Likewise, the elision does not occur at all when عمّ is realized as ʕamma.