Pronunciation: [ɪnhjˈuːm] (IPA) 
The spelling of the word "inhume" may seem confusing at first glance. However, it follows a common pattern in English where the prefix "in-" is added to a word to indicate negation or opposite meaning. In this case, the word "hume" means to bury or inter, and the prefix "in-" means not or without. Therefore, "inhume" means to not bury or leave unburied. The pronunciation is /ɪnˈhjuːm/, with the stress on the second syllable.
Inhume is a verb that refers to the act of burying a deceased body in the ground or a tomb. It involves the process of placing a deceased person's remains in a grave, often involving rituals or ceremonies specific to various cultural or religious practices. This word is primarily used in the context of burying human remains.
When someone is inhumed, their body is typically prepared for burial through embalming or other means, and then laid to rest in a designated burial site. Inhume can also encompass the act of interring or entombing someone's remains in a mausoleum, crypt, or grave chamber instead of an underground grave.
The term inhume can carry a solemn and reverential connotation, as it signifies a significant and final farewell to the deceased. It relates to the process by which the deceased is taken out of the sight of the living, providing closure and allowing for mourning and remembrance. Cultural practices surrounding the inhumation process vary widely across different societies and time periods, often incorporating different rituals, burial customs, or religious ceremonies.
Overall, inhume indicates the act of placing a deceased person's body in a grave or a tomb, reflecting the final step in the journey of a person's physical remains from life to the afterlife.
To bury; to inter; to deposit in the earth, as a dead body.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
The word inhume is derived from the Latin word inhumare, which means to bury or to inter. It is composed of the prefix in- meaning in or into, and humus meaning ground or earth. Thus, the word inhume literally translates to to place or bury into the earth.
