Kuum

Kuum is an Estonian adjective meaning hot. It is used to describe high temperature, heat, or anything that is physically warm or intense. The word can refer to weather, objects, or figurative ideas such as a hot topic or a hot situation.

In everyday language, kuum describes temperature and related conditions, for example in phrases like “ilm on kuum” (the weather is hot) or “kuum teema” (a hot topic). It can also appear in compound expressions to convey immediacy or urgency, such as discussions about current events or heated debates. The term is common in both written and spoken Estonian and can be used in formal and informal contexts with the same basic meaning.

Kuum has related forms and derivations. The noun kuumus expresses the concept of heat or hotness, while the verb kuumutama means to heat or warm something. Related nouns such as kuumutus refer to heating or heating processes. These forms share the same semantic field and are often used in technical or everyday language about temperature, cooking, or physical processes.

Etymology traces kuum to the Finnic language family, with cognates in Finnish kuuma and related Finnic languages. This close linguistic relationship reflects the shared heritage of Estonian and other Finnic languages, especially in basic vocabulary describing everyday phenomena like temperature and heat.

See also: Estonian language, temperature, heat, Finnish kuuma.