sum họp

Vietnamese

Etymology

Sino-Vietnamese word from 森 (“to unite”) and 合 (“to gather”).

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [sum˧˧ hɔp̚˧˨ʔ]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [ʂum˧˧ hɔp̚˨˩ʔ] ~ [sum˧˧ hɔp̚˨˩ʔ]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [ʂʊm˧˧ hɔp̚˨˩˨] ~ [sʊm˧˧ hɔp̚˨˩˨]

Verb

sum họp • (森合)

1. (intransitive) to gather at one place after being apart for a while; to be reunited

   Synonyms: đoàn tụ, sum hiệp, sum vầy

   • 1820, Nguyễn Du (阮攸), Truyện Kiều (傳翹) [The Tale of Kieu], Liễu Văn Ðường edition, published 1866, lines 547–550:

     𦖻(Tai)𦖑(nghe)𫆧(ruột)浽(nổi)排(bời)排(bời)
     忍(Nhẩn)如(nha)娘(nàng)買(mới)𤋵(giãi)𠳒(lời)𠓀(trước)𡢐(sau)
     翁(Ông)絲(tơ)恄(ghét)補(bỏ)之(chi)饒(nhau)
     渚(Chưa)𢝙(vui)森(sum)合(họp)㐌(đã)愁(sầu)坡(pha)配(phôi)

     How to describe the shock Kiều felt at these words?
     “Oh, old silk-man!” she said, hesitatingly,
     “Why are you opposed to our union?
     We have not enjoyed it, and already,
     We have to suffer the sorrows of separation.”