Chinese surname
Surname Sum
岑 · 沈
Sum is a Chinese surname, the Cantonese spelling of 岑 ('small but tall hill') or 沈; the meaning depends on the family's character.
Characters for the surname Sum
The spelling Sum is common in Cantonese romanization.
- 岑
surname; small but tall hill; peak
Cantonese sam4 / Mandarin cén
attested
- 沈
surname; ancient state of Shen
Cantonese sam2 / Mandarin shěn
Possible characters for Sum
| Character | Mandarin reading · romanization of the spelling |
|---|---|
| 岑 | cén · Cantonese |
| 沈 | shěn · Cantonese |
Other spellings of the same character
- Sim 沈Hokkien, Teochew
About the surname Sum
Sum is a Cantonese spelling of the surnames 岑 (sam4) and 沈 (sam2); in Malaysian Cantonese spellings the sound 'am' is often written 'um'. Chinese surnames are spelled differently by dialect, so the same character can appear under several spellings in Malaysia, such as Sam and Shum. The character 岑 is recorded for Malaysians with this spelling. The meaning depends on the character a family uses.
Sources
- Wiktionary: 岑 · en.wiktionary.org · meaning
- MDBG: 岑 · mdbg.net · meaning
- Wiktionary: 沈 · en.wiktionary.org · meaning
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Entry ID: mn02662 · Updated · Report a mistake