# some

Pronunciation: say "SUM" /sʌm/

## Determiner

1. An unspecified amount or number of something, used with plural and uncountable nouns.
   - Simple: An amount or number of something, without saying exactly how much or how many.
   - _There are some letters for you._
   - _She invited some friends round._
4. When stressed and with a singular noun, a certain, unspecified or unknown one.
   - Simple: A certain one, not named, as in 'some guy called'.
   - _Some fool left the gate open._
   - _The letter was signed by some official I had never heard of._
5. When stressed, a portion of a group, at least two but not all.
   - Simple: Part of a group, but not all of it, as in 'some people'.
   - _Some shops open on Sundays, others do not._
   - _Some birds fly south for the winter, while others stay put all year._
7. When stressed, used to call something remarkable or impressive, usually admiringly but sometimes ironically. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: Used to say that something is very good or surprising, as in 'that was some speech'.
   - _Some party that was last night._
   - _That is some car you've bought._
6. Used before a number to mean about or approximately, sometimes stressing that the number is large.
   - Simple: About. Used before a number to show it is not exact, as in 'some fifty people'.
   - _The town has some five thousand inhabitants._
   - _The old library holds some two hundred thousand books and maps._
8. When stressed, a considerable quantity or number of.
   - Simple: Quite a lot of, as in 'for some years'.
   - _It took some effort to open the door._
   - _The village is some distance from the station._

## Pronoun

2. A certain number of people or things, at least two, usually against 'others' ('some call it geoeconomics, but it's geopolitics too').
   - Simple: A number of people or things, but not all of them, as in 'some say yes'.
   - _Some believe the story, some do not._
   - _Some of them stayed to help._
3. An unspecified amount, number, or part of something already mentioned or understood.
   - Simple: A part or amount of something, when you do not say how much, as in 'I read some of it'.
   - _The apples looked good, so I bought some._
   - _Some of these are broken._

## Adverb

9. To some extent or degree; somewhat, or for a while. *(colloquial, US)*
   - Simple: A little, or to some degree, as in 'we rested some'.
   - _We rested some before going on._
   - _The baby cried some in the night._

## Pronoun

10. Someone or a certain person, taking a singular verb. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: An old use meaning 'someone', as in 'there is some that counsels for himself'.

## Origin

From Middle English 'som', from Old English 'sum' ('some, a certain one'), going back through Proto-Germanic '*sumaz' to the Proto-Indo-European root '*sem-' ('one, whole'). It is related to Dutch 'sommige', German dialectal 'summige', Swedish 'somlig', and Icelandic 'sumur'.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/some (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).