oom
The Afrikaans word for uncle is oom.
oom is a noun used to refer to the brother (or brother-in-law) of someone's parent.
Meaning: brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent (noun)
Which one should you use?
The female counterpart to oom is tant, which means aunt. While oom is the standard term, you may encounter oomtjie to refer to a "little uncle" or to express endearment.
How does it change in a sentence?
The diminutive form oomtjie can be used to express endearment when referring to an uncle.
Did you know?
- In traditional Afrikaans culture, calling a stranger oom is considered more polite than using a formal title like 'Mister'.
- The Proto-Germanic root of oom specifically referred to a maternal uncle, though the modern Afrikaans word covers uncles on both sides of the family.
- Because of its use as a respectful address, calling a stranger oom can be seen as polite, whereas in English calling a stranger 'uncle' might seem overly familiar or odd.
Examples in context
- My oom is gediagnoseer met bloedkanker.My uncle has been diagnosed with leukemia.This sentence is useful for discussing a medical diagnosis involving oom.Tatoeba #674067 by winterstream, translation #674068 by CK
- Tom en sy oom het in stilte saam geloop.Tom and his uncle walked together in silence.This sentence is useful for describing an action performed by Tom and his oom.Tatoeba #2535568 by winterstream, translation #1027132 by CK
- My oom het 'n winkel hier in die straat af.My uncle has a store along the street.This sentence is useful for mentioning a store owned by oom.Tatoeba #1752650 by wwkudu, translation #29061 by wwkudu
- Ek is so bly om jou te sien, oom.I am so glad to see you, uncle.
- Hey oompie, gaan ons saam speel?Hey uncle, shall we play together?
Example conversation
Two siblings are discussing their extended family members.
- StefanIs dit jou oom?Is that your uncle?
- MarelizeJa, dit is my oom Johan.Yes, it is my uncle Johan.
- StefanHy lyk baie soos Pa.He looks a lot like Dad.
- MarelizeJa, hulle is broers.Yes, they are brothers.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries oom, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
