sumor
/ˈsu.mor/masculine
The English phrase 'summer' is translated into Old English as sumor.
The word refers to the hottest season of the year.
Meaning: hottest season (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the northern regions of Old English-speaking territories, the word simor was used to describe summer. In certain western areas of Old English, the term summartid represented the period of summer.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form sumor is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables, with the stress on the first syllable. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsu.mor/.
Did you know?
- Old English poets often avoided using the simple word sumor in favor of 'kennings', which are metaphorical compound words. They might describe the season through images of light or warmth instead of using the direct noun.
- The Old English sumor is a distant relative of the English word 'same', sharing an ancient root that implies 'togetherness' or 'being together'.
- In Old English, the word sumor is grammatically masculine, meaning it would take different articles and adjectives than feminine or neuter nouns.
Examples in context
- late 9th century, translation of Bede's Ecclesiastical History
…þis ēalond hafað myċele lengran dagas on sumera, ⁊ swā ēac nihta on wintra, þonne ðā sūðdǣlas middanġeardes.…This island has much longer days in the summer, and equally longer nights in the winter, than the southern parts of the world…This sentence is useful for illustrating how days and nights change in the summer compared to winter. - Sumor is hāt.Summer is hot.This sentence is useful for describing the temperature of the summer.Tatoeba #8548407 by Rawrren, translation #8548409 by Rawrren
- Sumor is gōd.Summer is good.
Example conversation
Eadgyth and Godric are discussing the weather.
- EadgythHwæt sēest þū on sumor?What do you see in summer?
- GodricIc sēo grēne leaf.I see green leaves.
- EadgythSumor is fæger.Summer is fair.
- GodricĠē, hit is swīðe hāt.Yes, it is very hot.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “summer” translations and entries sumor, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sumor, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0, Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
