This two-letter word is usually found around set phrases. It usually means ‘about’ or ‘around’. um is mostly still in use in Munster though it can be found in Standard Irish. In northern dialects, in part, other prepositions are taken in its place.
Through the development from um > má > fá and the equation with faoi one will mostly use faoi (fé in Munster Irish / fá in Ulster Irish) in the sense of “about” e.g. ag labhairt fúm = speaking about me.
Um on the other hand gets most used to with practice. Here are some examples:
| along | um Shionainn | along the Shannon |
| along with | Agus a bheirt mhac uime* | with his two sons accompanying him |
| in official titles for civil offices, laws | An tÚdarás um Ard-Oideachas | Higher Education Authority (HEA) |
| temporal around, on | um Nollaig | on/at Christmas |
| time | um thráthnona | in the afternoon |
| against | um an gcoirthe | against the stone |
| put on, get dressed (“to wrap oneself in”) | Tá sé ag cur uime | he is dressing himself. |
| laughing about | ag fonóid um | jeering at him |
| love for, for, over etc. | Ar mhéad a grá uime | so great was her love for him |
| Within compass of. | Chuadar um an gcoill | they went into the wood |
| Round, about | D’iaigh siad um an rí | they closed in about the king |
| About, concerning, in regard to, on account of | Beidh olc uimpi** | harm will come of her |
* From Teanglann: uime. 1 :um. 2 = um
*** From Teanglann: uimpi :um.
It has the personal forms umam, umat, uime, uimpi, umainn, umaibh, umpu.
Usage: – around: dìaigh siad um an rí = they gathered together around the king be around one another, accompany: a bhéirt mhac uime= his two sons, who accompany him (who are around him)
because ; fáth um + indir. relative clause= the cause why (mostly though without um) Cén fáth (um) a bhfuil tú anseo? = Why are you here?
Dineen Dictionary writes about um as follows:
um (uim, iom, im) [in pronom. combin., umam, umat, uime, uimis (in M.), uimpi or uimpe (f.), umainn, umaibh, umpa or iompa], prep., about, around, concerning, for, round about, including, along with, with regard to; of clothes put on, etc.: gan aon rud aige le cut uime (uimis, M.), while he has nothing to put on; is mór an truagh an cúigear, gan snáith le cur iompa, how greatly are the five persons to be pitied, not having a shred of clothes to them (song); of time, um thráthnóna, in the evening; um Nodlaig, at Christmas; uime sin, therefore, of course; concerning, um an Ghréag sin d’éibil, concerning that Greek who died (O’D.).
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cloistear go minic: “um an dtaca seo”