Birmingham

English

Etymology

Middle English, 1086, from Old English Beormingahām, from Beorma + ing + hām, "home of Beorma;" first element of uncertain origin but possibly from beorma (“yeast”). More at Beorma.

Pronunciation

• (city in the UK):

  (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈbɜː.mɪŋ.əm/

  (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈbɝ.mɪŋ.əm/

  Audio (UK)

  (file)

• (cities in the US):

  (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈbɜː.mɪŋˌhæm/

  (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈbɝ.mɪŋˌhæm/

Proper noun

Birmingham

1. A major city and metropolitan borough of the West Midlands, England, with a population of over one million.
2. A number of places in the United States:
   1. A city, the county seat of Jefferson County, Alabama.
   2. A community in the city of Derby, New Haven County, Connecticut.
   3. A submerged ghost town in Marshall County, Kentucky.
   4. A township in Schuyler County, Illinois.
   5. An unincorporated community in Allen Township, Miami County, Indiana.
   6. An unincorporated community in Fairfield Township, Tippecanoe County, Indiana.
   7. A minor city in Van Buren County, Iowa.
   8. An unincorporated community in Franklin Township, Jackson County, Kansas.
   9. A city in Oakland County, Michigan.
   10. A village in Clay County, Missouri.
   11. An unincorporated community in Pemberton Township, Burlington County, New Jersey.
   12. A ghost town in Lafayette Township, Coshocton County, Ohio.
   13. An unincorporated community in Florence Township, Erie County, Ohio.
   14. An unincorporated community in Monroe Township, Guernsey County, Ohio.
   15. A borough in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania.
   16. A township in Chester County, Pennsylvania.
3. A community in the Rural Municipality of Stanley No. 215, Saskatchewan, Canada.
4. A surname.

Synonyms

• (city of England): Brummagem, Bromichan, Bremicham

Derived terms

• Birmingham dribbler
• Birminghamese
• Birmingham gauge
• Birminghamian (“native or resident of Birmingham, Alabama”)
• Birminghamism
• Birminghamize
• Birmingham screwdriver
• Birmingham wire gauge

Related terms

• Brum
• brummagem
• Brummie

Translations

city and borough in England

• Arabic: بَرْمِنْغْهَام m (barminḡhām)

  Hijazi Arabic: برمنقهام f (birminghām)

• Armenian: Բիրմինգհեմ (hy) (Birminghem)
• Bengali: বার্মিংঘম (barmiṅghom), বার্মিংহাম (barmiṅham)
• Bulgarian: Бирмингам m (Birmingam)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 伯明翰 (zh) (Bómínghàn)

• Galician: Birmingham
• Georgian: ბირმინგემი (birmingemi)
• German: Birmingham (de)
• Greek: Μπέρμιγχαμ (el) n (Bérmincham)
• Gujarati: બર્મિંઘમ (barmiṅgham)
• Hindi: बर्मिंघम (barmiṅgham)
• Japanese: バーミンガム (Bāmingamu)
• Kannada: ಬರ್ಮಿಂಘಮ್ (barmiṅgham)
• Korean: 버밍엄 (ko) (Beoming'eom)
• Lao: ເບີຣ໌ມິແງມ (bœ̄n mi ngǣm)
• Latvian: Birmingema f
• Lithuanian: Birmingamas m
• Malayalam: ബർമിങ്ങാം (baṟmiṅṅāṁ), ബിർമിങ്ഹാം (biṟmiṅhāṁ)
• Nepali: बर्मिङ्घम (barmiṅgham)
• Romanian: Birmingham
• Russian: Бирминге́м (ru) m (Birmingém)
• Sanskrit: बर्मिङ्घम् (barmiṅgham)
• Tamil: பர்மிங்காம் (parmiṅkām, literally “barmiṅgām”)
• Telugu: బర్మింఘమ్ (barmiṅgham)
• Thai: เบอร์มิแงม
• Turkish: Birmingham
• Ukrainian: Бірмінгем m (Birminhem)
• Urdu: برمنگھم m (barmingham)
• Welsh: Birmingham (cy)
• Yiddish: בירמינגהאַם (birmingham)

city in Alabama

• Armenian: Բիրմինգհեմ (hy) (Birminghem)
• Bulgarian: Бирмингам m (Birmingam)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 伯明翰 (zh) (Bómínghàn)

• Georgian: ბირმინგემი (birmingemi)
• German: Birmingham (de)
• Greek: Μπέρμιγχαμ (el) n (Bérmincham)
• Japanese: バーミングハム (Bāminguhamu)
• Korean: 버밍햄 (Beominghaem)
• Latvian: Birmingema f
• Lithuanian: Birmingamas m
• Russian: Бирминге́м (ru) m (Birmingém)
• Turkish: Birmingham
• Ukrainian: Бірмінгем m (Birminhem)

city in Michigan

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 伯明翰 (zh) (Bómínghàn)

• German: Birmingham (de)
• Greek: Μπέρμιγχαμ (el) n (Bérmincham)
• Japanese: バーミングハム (Bāminguhamu)
• Russian: Бирминге́м (ru) m (Birmingém)
• Turkish: Birmingham

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Macedonian: ^{(please verify)} Бирмингем m (Birmingem)

References

• Oxford English Dictionary, 1884–1928, and First Supplement, 1933.

Further reading

• “Birmingham”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• “Birmingham”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
• “Birmingham”, in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th edition, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016, →ISBN.
• “Birmingham”, in Collins English Dictionary.

German

Etymology

From English Birmingham.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbœʁmɪŋˌhɛm/, /ˈbœʁmɪŋəm/
• There is no distinction between both pronunciations. The fuller form is more common.

• Audio

  (file)

Proper noun

Birmingham n (proper noun, genitive Birminghams or (optionally with an article) Birmingham)

1. Birmingham (a city in England, United Kingdom)
2. Birmingham (a city in Alabama, United States)
3. One of various smaller places in the United States.

Polish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English Birmingham, from Middle English, from Old English Beormingahām, from Beorma + ing + hām.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbir.min.ɡam/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -inɡam
• Syllabification: Bir‧min‧gham

Proper noun

Birmingham n (indeclinable) or Birmingham m inan

1. Birmingham (a major city and metropolitan borough of the West Midlands, England)
2. Several places in the United States:
   1. Birmingham (a city, the county seat of Jefferson County, Alabama, United States)
   2. Birmingham (a community in the city of Derby, New Haven County, Connecticut, United States)
   3. Birmingham (a submerged ghost town in Marshall County, Kentucky, United States)
   4. Birmingham (an unincorporated community in Allen Township, Miami County, Indiana, United States)
   5. Birmingham (an unincorporated community in Fairfield Township, Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States)
   6. Birmingham (a tiny city in Van Buren County, Iowa, United States)
   7. Birmingham (an unincorporated community in Franklin Township, Jackson County, Kansas, United States)
   8. Birmingham (a city in Oakland County, Michigan, United States)
   9. Birmingham (a village in Clay County, Missouri, United States)
   10. Birmingham (an unincorporated community in Pemberton Township, Burlington County, New Jersey, United States)
   11. Birmingham (a ghost town in Lafayette Township, Coshocton County, Ohio, United States)
   12. Birmingham (an unincorporated community in Florence Township, Erie County, Ohio, United States)
   13. Birmingham (an unincorporated community in Monroe Township, Guernsey County, Ohio, United States)
   14. Birmingham (a borough of Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, United States)

Declension

Indeclinable or:

Declension of Birmingham

	singular	plural
nominative	Birmingham	Birminghamy
genitive	Birminghamu	Birminghamów
dative	Birminghamowi	Birminghamom
accusative	Birmingham	Birminghamy
instrumental	Birminghamem	Birminghamami
locative	Birminghamie	Birminghamach
vocative	Birminghamie	Birminghamy

Further reading

• Birmingham in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Turkish

Proper noun

Birmingham

1. Birmingham (a major city and metropolitan borough of the West Midlands, England)
2. Several places in the United States:
   1. Birmingham (a city, the county seat of Jefferson County, Alabama, United States)
   2. Birmingham (a community in the city of Derby, New Haven County, Connecticut, United States)
   3. Birmingham (a submerged ghost town in Marshall County, Kentucky, United States)
   4. Birmingham (an unincorporated community in Allen Township, Miami County, Indiana, United States)
   5. Birmingham (an unincorporated community in Fairfield Township, Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States)
   6. Birmingham (a tiny city in Van Buren County, Iowa, United States)
   7. Birmingham (an unincorporated community in Franklin Township, Jackson County, Kansas, United States)
   8. Birmingham (a city in Oakland County, Michigan, United States)
   9. Birmingham (a village in Clay County, Missouri, United States)
   10. Birmingham (an unincorporated community in Pemberton Township, Burlington County, New Jersey, United States)
   11. Birmingham (a ghost town in Lafayette Township, Coshocton County, Ohio, United States)
   12. Birmingham (an unincorporated community in Florence Township, Erie County, Ohio, United States)
   13. Birmingham (an unincorporated community in Monroe Township, Guernsey County, Ohio, United States)
   14. Birmingham (a borough of Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, United States)

Welsh

Etymology

Borrowed from English Birmingham.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbərmɪŋˌham/

Proper noun

Birmingham f

1. Birmingham (a major city and metropolitan borough of the West Midlands, England)
2. Several places in the United States:
   1. Birmingham (a city, the county seat of Jefferson County, Alabama, United States)
   2. Birmingham (a community in the city of Derby, New Haven County, Connecticut, United States)
   3. Birmingham (a submerged ghost town in Marshall County, Kentucky, United States)
   4. Birmingham (an unincorporated community in Allen Township, Miami County, Indiana, United States)
   5. Birmingham (an unincorporated community in Fairfield Township, Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States)
   6. Birmingham (a tiny city in Van Buren County, Iowa, United States)
   7. Birmingham (an unincorporated community in Franklin Township, Jackson County, Kansas, United States)
   8. Birmingham (a city in Oakland County, Michigan, United States)
   9. Birmingham (a village in Clay County, Missouri, United States)
   10. Birmingham (an unincorporated community in Pemberton Township, Burlington County, New Jersey, United States)
   11. Birmingham (a ghost town in Lafayette Township, Coshocton County, Ohio, United States)
   12. Birmingham (an unincorporated community in Florence Township, Erie County, Ohio, United States)
   13. Birmingham (an unincorporated community in Monroe Township, Guernsey County, Ohio, United States)
   14. Birmingham (a borough of Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, United States)

Usage notes

Non-Welsh placenames usually resist mutation in Welsh; thus, o Birmingham (“from Birmingham”) and yn Birmingham (“in Birmingham”), rather than o Firmingham and ym Mirmingham. The mutated forms are only occasionally encountered and are considered nonstandard.

Mutation

Welsh mutation
radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
Birmingham	Firmingham	Mirmingham	unchanged
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.