tum

About This Root

From Latin tumēre (to swell, be puffed up). The root captures both physical and emotional swelling: tumour (a bodily swelling), tumid (swollen), tumult (a swelling up of noise/crowd), intumescence (a swelling within), and contumely (swollen pride — hence insolent behavior). The physical-to-emotional metaphor parallels "inflated" ego in English.

Associated Words