algae: Annotated classification: Class Ulvophyceae Primarily marine; includes Acetabularia, Caulerpa, Monostroma, and sea lettuce (Ulva). Division Chromophyta Most with

Vladimir Lenin was the founder of the Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks), inspirer and leader of the Bolshevik Revolution (1917), and the architect, builder, and first head (1917–24) of the Soviet state. He was the founder of the organization known as Comintern (Communist International) and the

Ulyanovsk, city and administrative centre of Ulyanovsk oblast (region), western Russia. It lies along the Volga River at its confluence with the Sviyaga. Founded in 1648, it was a key fortress on the Sinbirsk defensive line; in 1924 it was renamed after V.I. Ulyanov (Lenin), who was born there and

Ulyanovsk, oblast (region), western Russia. The oblast lies athwart the middle Volga River, which is there transformed into a broad lake by the downstream Samara dam. The larger western part lies on the Volga Upland, which is dissected by river valleys and erosion gullies; the smaller Trans-Volga

Ulysses, joint European-U.S. space probe launched in 1990 that was the first spacecraft to fly over the poles of the Sun and return data on the solar wind, the Sun’s magnetic field, and other activity in the Sun’s atmosphere at high solar latitudes. Understanding such solar activity is important

Ulysses, novel by Irish writer James Joyce, first published in book form in 1922. Stylistically dense and exhilarating, it is regarded as a masterpiece and has been the subject of numerous volumes of commentary and analysis. The novel is constructed as a modern parallel to Homer’s epic poem

Odysseus, hero of Homer’s epic poem the Odyssey and one of the most frequently portrayed figures in Western literature. According to Homer, Odysseus was king of Ithaca, son of Laertes and Anticleia (the daughter of Autolycus of Parnassus), and father, by his wife, Penelope, of Telemachus. (In later

Ulysses, blank-verse poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, written in 1833 and published in the two-volume collection Poems (1842). In a stirring dramatic monologue, the aged title character outlines his plans to abandon his dreary kingdom of Ithaca to reclaim lost glory in a final adventure on the seas.

Robert Aldrich: The 1970s: Ulzana’s Raid (1972), however, was one of Aldrich’s best films. The western, which drew parallels with the Vietnam War, starred Lancaster as a veteran scout who has to rely on the help of a cavalry officer (Bruce Davidson) to capture a band of Apaches led…

Cameroon: Moving toward independence: …led by Felix-Roland Moumie and Reuben Um Nyobe, demanded a thorough break with France and the establishment of a socialist economy. French officials suppressed the UPC, leading to a bitter civil war, while encouraging alternative political leaders. On January 1, 1960, independence was granted. In elections held soon after independence,…

Algeria: Relations in North Africa: The Arab Maghreb Union (AMU), established in 1989, not only improved relations between the Maghreb states—Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia—but also underscored the need for concerted policies. The AMU sought to bring the countries closer together by creating projects of shared interests. Initially there was…

Parvati, wife of the Hindu god Shiva. Parvati is a benevolent goddess. Born the daughter of a mountain called Himalaya, she won Shiva’s affection only after undergoing severe ascetic discipline. The couple had two children. The Mahabharata, the Ramayana, Kalidasa’s poem Kumarasambhava (“The Birth

The Beach of Falesá, long story by Robert Louis Stevenson, first published as “Uma” in 1892 in Illustrated London News and collected in Island Nights’ Entertainments (1893). An adventure romance fused with realism, it depicts a man’s struggle to maintain his decency in the face of uncivilized

Itsekiri: Among the other deities are Umale Okun, god of the sea, and Ogun, god of iron and war. Divination may be accomplished by men skilled in consulting the Ifa oracle, and ceremonies are performed to the ancestors on various occasions.

umami, savory or meaty taste, one of the five fundamental taste sensations. The taste of umami is derived from three natural substances found in meat and vegetables: glutamate, guanylate, and inosinate. The umami taste receptor has the ability to distinguish between these naturally occurring

Uman, city, central Ukraine, on the Umanka River. It dates from the Middle Ages and was incorporated in 1795. For more than a century (1726–1832) it was owned by the Potocki family of Polish magnates. It grew considerably from the late 19th century, with the arrival of the railroad. Uman eventually

Oman, country occupying the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula at the confluence of the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea. Much of the country’s interior falls within the sandy, treeless, and largely waterless region of the Arabian Peninsula known as the Rubʿ al-Khali. The region is still the

Uummannaq Fjord, inlet of Baffin Bay, western Greenland, north of Nuussuaq Peninsula. About 100 miles (160 km) long and 15–30 miles (24–48 km) wide, the inlet divides into several smaller fjords extending eastward to the inland ice cap, where they are fed by extensive glaciers. Upernivik and

umangite, a copper selenide (Cu3Se2) occurring only in small grains or fine granular aggregates with other copper minerals of the sulfide group. The mineral is bluish black with a reddish tint. Deposits of the mineral are found in the Sierra de Umango (for which it is named) in Argentina; in the

humanism: The ideal of humanitas: …the late 15th century, as umanisti—that is, professors or students of Classical literature. The word umanisti derives from the studia humanitatis, a course of Classical studies that, in the early 15th century, consisted of grammar, poetry, rhetoric, history, and moral philosophy. The

Indian philosophy: Shaiva-siddhanta: …of the Knowledge of Shiva”), Umapati’s Shivaprakasham (“Lights on Shiva”) in the 14th century, Shrikantha’s commentary on the Vedanta-sutras (14th century), and Appaya Dikshita’s commentary thereon.

Battle of Poson: …against the Arab armies of ʿUmar, the emir of Melitene (now Malatya, Tur.), ending with an Arab defeat and paving the way for Byzantine conquests in the late 10th century.

Suhrawardīyah: …was founded in Iran by ʿUmar al-Khalwatī, then spread into Turkey and Egypt in many branches. The Ṣafawīyah, organized by Ṣafī od-Dīn, at Ardabīl, Iran, gave rise to the Iranian Ṣafavid dynasty (1502–1736) and several Turkish branches active against the Ottomans early in the 16th century. The Algerian Raḥmānīyah grew…

Afṭasid dynasty: ʿUmar al-Mutawakkil (reigned 1068–94) was also forced to pay tribute to Alfonso VI of Castile and Leon; and he made an unsuccessful attempt to annex Toledo, which was held by a rival Muslim dynasty (1080). When Toledo was eventually taken by Alfonso in 1085, al-Mutawakkil…

Suhrawardīyah: … and developed by his nephew ʿUmar as-Suhrawardī. The order’s ritual prayers (dhikr) are based upon thousands of repetitions of seven names of God, identified with seven “subtle spirits” (laṭāʾif sabʿah) which in turn correspond to seven lights.

ʿUmar I was the second Muslim caliph (from 634), under whom Arab armies conquered Mesopotamia and Syria and began the conquest of Iran and Egypt. A member of the clan of ʿAdī of the Meccan tribe of Quraysh, ʿUmar at first opposed Muhammad but, in about 615, became a Muslim. By 622, when he went to

Rasulid dynasty: ʿUmar I ibn ʿAlī (reigned 1229–50), Rasūl’s grandson, first established himself at Zabīd (Yemen) and then moved into the mountainous interior, making Sanaa the Rasulid capital. Though the Hejaz (west coast of Arabia) was a tributary of the Egyptian Mamluks from 1252, ʿUmar also ruled…

ʿUmar ibn Abī Rabīʿah was one of the greatest early Arabic poets. ʿUmar belonged to the wealthy merchant family of Makhzūm, a member of the Meccan tribe of Quraysh (of which the Prophet Muhammad was also a member). He spent most of his life in Mecca, also traveling to southern Arabia, Syria, and

ʿUmar I was the second Muslim caliph (from 634), under whom Arab armies conquered Mesopotamia and Syria and began the conquest of Iran and Egypt. A member of the clan of ʿAdī of the Meccan tribe of Quraysh, ʿUmar at first opposed Muhammad but, in about 615, became a Muslim. By 622, when he went to

ʿAbd al-Raḥmān III: Accession as emir: …enemy was a crypto-Christian rebel, ʿUmar ibn Ḥafṣūn, lord of Bobastro. ʿAbd al-Raḥmān’s strategy was one of continuous harassment of Ibn Ḥafṣūn’s forts. Beginning with the campaign of Monteleón, ʿAbd al-Raḥmān captured 70 forts in the provinces of Elvira, Granada, and Jaén—all of which had been directly or indirectly controlled…

Battle of Karbala: …and under the command of ʿUmar ibn Saʿd, son of the founder of Kūfah. Ḥusayn, whose retinue mustered perhaps 72 fighting men, nevertheless gave battle, vainly relying on the promised aid from Kūfah. He and almost all his family and followers were killed. The bodies of the dead, including that…

ʿUmar Tal was a West African Tukulor leader who, after launching a jihad (holy war) in 1854, established a Muslim realm, the Tukulor empire, between the upper Senegal and Niger rivers (in what is now upper Guinea, eastern Senegal, and western and central Mali). The empire survived until the 1890s

ʿUmar II was a pious and respected caliph who attempted to preserve the integrity of the Muslim Umayyad caliphate (661–750) by emphasizing religion and a return to the original principles of the Islamic faith. His father, ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz, was a governor of Egypt, and through his mother he was a

ʿUmar ibn Abī Rabīʿah was one of the greatest early Arabic poets. ʿUmar belonged to the wealthy merchant family of Makhzūm, a member of the Meccan tribe of Quraysh (of which the Prophet Muhammad was also a member). He spent most of his life in Mecca, also traveling to southern Arabia, Syria, and

ʿUmar II was a pious and respected caliph who attempted to preserve the integrity of the Muslim Umayyad caliphate (661–750) by emphasizing religion and a return to the original principles of the Islamic faith. His father, ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz, was a governor of Egypt, and through his mother he was a

Chagatai literature: …both Chagatai and Persian under ʿUmar Khan, the husband of Mahlarayim. Among the poets of his court was Muhammad Sharaf Gulkhānī, author of Zarbumasal (“Proverbs”), a masnawi consisting of fables. The poet Uvaysī, believed to be a friend of Mahlarayim, also spent some years in the Kokandian court. This literary…

Bābur: Early years: Bābur’s father, ʿUmar Shaykh Mīrzā, ruled the small principality of Fergana to the north of the Hindu Kush mountain range. Because there was no fixed law of succession among the Turks, every prince of the Timurids—the dynasty founded by Timur—considered it his right to rule the whole…

ʿUmar Tal was a West African Tukulor leader who, after launching a jihad (holy war) in 1854, established a Muslim realm, the Tukulor empire, between the upper Senegal and Niger rivers (in what is now upper Guinea, eastern Senegal, and western and central Mali). The empire survived until the 1890s

serial murder: History: …in Pakistan in 1998–99; and Muḥammad Adam ʿUmar, who confessed in 2000 to having killed 16 female medical students in Yemen and 11 other women in Sudan. In the United States, Ted Bundy killed more than 25 girls and young women between 1974 and 1978, and Jeffrey Dahmer murdered 17…

Rashidun: …the Friday sermons; and as umarāʾ al-muʾminīn (“commanders of the faithful”), they commanded the army.

Arabic literature: Love poetry: It is termed ʿUmarī, named for the poet ʿUmar ibn Abī Rabīʿah, whose poems reveal much closer contact with the beloved and reflect a strongly narcissistic attitude on the part of the poem’s speaker.

glasswort: …including samphire (Salicornia europaea) and umari keerai (S. brachiata), are edible and can be eaten raw or cooked.

al-ʿUmarī was a scholar and writer whose works on the administration of the Mamlūk dominions of Egypt and Syria became standard sources for Mamlūk history. A scion of a family of bureaucrats, al-ʿUmarī, as his name implies, traced his origin to ʿUmar, the second Islamic caliph. His father held the

Doku Umarov was a Chechen separatist and guerrilla leader who declared himself emir of the so-called Islamic Caucasus Emirate, which comprised areas within the southwestern Russian republics of Dagestan, Chechnya, Ingushetiya, North Ossetia–Alaniya, Kabardino-Balkariya, and Karachayevo-Cherkesiya.

Doku Umarov was a Chechen separatist and guerrilla leader who declared himself emir of the so-called Islamic Caucasus Emirate, which comprised areas within the southwestern Russian republics of Dagestan, Chechnya, Ingushetiya, North Ossetia–Alaniya, Kabardino-Balkariya, and Karachayevo-Cherkesiya.

Nasarawa: …Afo (Afao) tribal territory by Umaru, a dissident official from the nearby town of Keffi, as the seat of the new emirate of Nassarawa. Umaru expanded his domain by conquering neighboring territory and made Nassarawa a vassal state to Zaria (175 miles [282 km] north). One of his successors, Muhammadu…

African literature: Hausa: …problems were also considered by Alhaji Umaru in his poem Wakar talauci da wadata (1903; “Song of Poverty and of Wealth”). There was poetic reaction to the presence of British colonial forces: Malam Shi’itu’s Bakandamiya (“Hippo-Hide Whip”) and Alhaji Umaru’s Zuwan nasara (“Arrival of the Christians”). Much poetry dealt with…

Indian philosophy: Jain philosophy: The Tattvarthadhigama-sutra of Umasvatis, however, is the first systematic work, and Siddhasena (7th century ce) the first great logician. Other important figures are Akalanka (8th century), Manikyanandi, Vadideva, Hemchandra (12th century), Prabhachandra (11th century), and Yasovijaya (17th century).

Indian philosophy: Jain philosophy: The Tattvarthadhigama-sutra of Umasvatis, however, is the first systematic work, and Siddhasena (7th century ce) the first great logician. Other important figures are Akalanka (8th century), Manikyanandi, Vadideva, Hemchandra (12th century), Prabhachandra (11th century), and Yasovijaya (17th century).

Plateau Indian: Language: (Yakima), Walla Walla, Tenino, Umatilla, and others (see also Sahaptin).

Taishi Shōtoku was an influential regent of Japan and author of some of the greatest contributions to Japanese historiography, constitutional government, and ethics. Shōtoku was a member of the powerful Soga family and was the second son of the short-reigned emperor Yōmei. When political

Umayyad dynasty, the first great Muslim dynasty to rule the empire of the caliphate (661–750 ce), sometimes referred to as the Arab kingdom (reflecting traditional Muslim disapproval of the secular nature of the Umayyad state). The Umayyads, headed by Abū Sufyān, were a largely merchant family of

Great Mosque of Damascus, the earliest surviving stone mosque, built between 705 and 715 ce by the Umayyad Caliph al-Walīd I, who proclaimed to his citizens: “People of Damascus, four things give you a marked superiority over the rest of the world: your climate, your water, your fruits, and your

hanif: …Prophet’s first wife, Khadījah, and Umayyah ibn Abī aṣ-Ṣalt, an early 7th-century Arab poet.

Ambala, city, northern Haryana state, northwestern India. It lies just east of the Ghaggar River, about 25 miles (40 km) south of Chandigarh. Ambala is a major grain, cotton, and sugar trade centre and is connected by road and rail with Delhi (south) and Amritsar (northwest; Punjab state). Other

Christianity: Christian practice in the modern world: In the Umbanda cult of Brazil, altars hold small plaster images of the Christian saints associated with the orixás. Each one of the saints presides over a domain of human activity or over a disease, social group, geographic area, or craft. For example, Omolú, the god of…

inflorescence: Indeterminate inflorescence.: In an umbel, each of the pedicels initiates from about the same point at the tip of the peduncle, giving the appearance of an umbrella-like shape, as in the wax flowers (Hoya).

Apiales, carrot order of flowering plants, containing some 5,489 species. There are seven families in the order, the three largest of which are Apiaceae (carrot, or parsley, family), Araliaceae (ginseng family), and Pittosporaceae. Apiales belongs to the core asterid clade (organisms with a single

Apiaceae, the parsley family, in the order Apiales, comprising about 434 genera and nearly 3,780 species of plants distributed throughout a wide variety of habitats, principally in the north temperate regions of the world. A number of species are economically important as leaf and root vegetables,

California laurel, (Umbellularia californica), aromatic evergreen tree of the laurel family (Lauraceae). It occurs on the Pacific coast of North America from Oregon to California and grows about 15 to 25 metres (50 to 80 feet) tall. A handsome tree, it is often grown in gardens and along avenues.

Australia: The Precambrian: The late Adelaidean Umberatana and Wilpena groups unconformably succeed older rocks. The Umberatana group contains a rich record of two glaciations: the older Sturtian glaciation is indicated by glaciomarine diamictites deposited on a shallow shelf and at the bottom of newly rifted troughs; the younger Marinoan glaciation is…

Humbert I was the count of Savoy and founder of the house of Savoy, whose services to the Holy Roman emperor Conrad II were rewarded with the cession of lands that placed him in control of the strategic Alpine passes between Italy and France. Humbert, whose origins are surrounded by controversy but

film: Shooting angle and point of view: …in the Italian Neorealist film Umberto D. (1952).

Umberto I was the duke of Savoy and king of Italy who led his country out of its isolation and into the Triple Alliance with Austria-Hungary and Germany. He supported nationalistic and imperialistic policies that led to disaster for Italy and helped create the atmosphere in which he was

Naples: The Duomo: …Umberto I (also called the Rettifilo) through that historic quarter. The stolid Rettifilo conceals, in small recesses, many historic buildings—beginning with the church of San Pietro Martire and concluding, at Piazza Garibaldi, with that of San Pietro ad Aram and its paleo-Christian crypt. Near Piazza Garibaldi, the Aragonese Nolana Gate…

Umberto II was a prince of Savoy and briefly king of Italy in 1946 until he was forced to abdicate after a republican form of government was approved in a general referendum. The son of King Victor Emmanuel III, Umberto graduated from the Royal Military Academy in Turin. He became a general in 1931

human cardiovascular system: Human fetal circulation: …to the placenta via the umbilical arteries, which branch off from the internal iliac arteries.

umbilical cord, narrow cord of tissue that connects a developing embryo, or fetus, with the placenta (the extra-embryonic tissues responsible for providing nourishment and other life-sustaining functions). In the human fetus, the umbilical cord arises at the belly and by the time of birth is about

human cardiovascular system: Human fetal circulation: … to the fetus by the umbilical vein. It then passes to the inferior vena cava of the fetus by way of a vessel called the ductus venosus. From the inferior vena cava, the blood enters the right atrium, then passes through the foramen ovale into the left atrium; from there…

rock tripe, lichen of the genus Umbilicaria, sometimes used as emergency food by soldiers or explorers. It contains about one-third more calories than equal amounts of honey, corn flakes, or hominy; however, this lichen cannot seriously be considered as a food crop because of its slow growth rate.

fungus: Annotated classification: Order Umbilicariales Forms lichens; grows on rocks; thallus is often foliose and is attached to substrate by an umbilicus; includes rock tripe; examples of genera include Lasallia and Umbilicaria. Order Pertusariales Forms lichens; grows on rocks, mosses, and barks; primary thallus may be

navel, in anatomy, a small depression in the abdominal wall at the point of attachment of the umbilical cord (q.v.). It indicates the point through which the mammalian fetus obtained nourishment from its mother through the blood vessels of the umbilical

human ear: Transmission of sound by air conduction: …waves, its central portion, the umbo, vibrates as a stiff cone, bending inward and outward. The greater the force of the sound waves, the greater the deflection of the membrane and the louder the sound. The higher the frequency of a sound, the faster the membrane vibrates and the higher…

umbra, that part of a shadow in which all light from a given source is excluded. The shadow from a point source of illumination is essentially all umbra, but that from a source of some size (as from the Sun) consists of a small umbra and a much larger partial shadow called the penumbra. Thus, in an

mudminnow: …sometimes called rockfish, and the central mudminnow (U. limi) mudfish or dogfish. Mudminnows are often used as bait and sometimes kept in home aquariums.

mudminnow: In North America the eastern mudminnow (U. pygmaea) is sometimes called rockfish, and the central mudminnow (U. limi) mudfish or dogfish. Mudminnows are often used as bait and sometimes kept in home aquariums.

Harlem Writers Guild: …Harlem Writers Guild founded the Umbra Workshop to advance African American literary independence in the arts. The Umbra Workshop was based on the Lower East Side, signifying a break with the literary traditions of Harlem. Umbra participants moved toward a more-radical Black separatist view of American politics and culture. Some…

Valtellina: …feet [1,176 m]), and the Umbrail (9,944 feet [3,031 m]).

umbrella, a portable, hand-held device that is used for protection against rain and sunlight. The modern umbrella consists of a circular fabric or plastic screen stretched over hinged ribs that radiate from a central pole. The hinged ribs permit the screen to be opened and closed so that the

Rihanna: Music career: A Girl Like Me and Good Girl Gone Bad: …its anthemic lead single, “Umbrella,” featuring an introductory rap from Jay-Z, became one of the year’s biggest hits and earned Rihanna a Grammy Award.

elm: Major species: glabra), with smoother bark; and Camperdown elm (U. glabra camperdownii), a variety of Wych elm also known as umbrella elm because of its drooping branches. The fast-growing Siberian elm (U. pumila), a brittle-twigged weak-wooded tree, is sometimes planted for quick shade and for windbreaks.

Dipteridaceae, the umbrella fern family, in the division Pteridophyta (the lower vascular plants). The family has a long fossil history dating back to the Triassic Period (251 million to 199.6 million years ago), but it presently contains only two extant genera, Dipteris (11 species) and

Botswana: Botswana since independence: …2014 elections to form the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC). That organization of the opposition presented an unprecedented challenge to the longtime-ruling BDP, but the BDP was victorious in elections held on October 24, 2014. The BDP, which garnered 37 seats, maintained a majority in the National Assembly, although it…

umbrella plant: …alternifolius (family Cyperaceae), also called umbrella palm and umbrella sedge, is widely cultivated in water gardens and as a potted plant. It grows up to 1 m (3 feet) high. Native to Madagascar, Réunion, and Mauritius, it is widely naturalized in the tropics and subtropics.

umbrella pine, (Sciadopitys verticillata), coniferous evergreen tree endemic to Japan, the only member of the umbrella pine family (Sciadopityaceae). Historically, this genus was classified variously in Cupressaceae or the now-defunct Taxodiaceae, but subsequent studies confirmed its structural

pine: …including black, white, Himalayan, and stone pines, and some are planted in reforestation projects or for windbreaks. Pine-leaf oil, used medicinally, is a distillation product of the leaves; charcoal, lampblack, and fuel gases are distillation by-products.

umbrella plant, any of several unrelated but similarly leaved plants. Cyperus alternifolius (family Cyperaceae), also called umbrella palm and umbrella sedge, is widely cultivated in water gardens and as a potted plant. It grows up to 1 m (3 feet) high. Native to Madagascar, Réunion, and Mauritius,

umbrella plant: …alternifolius (family Cyperaceae), also called umbrella palm and umbrella sedge, is widely cultivated in water gardens and as a potted plant. It grows up to 1 m (3 feet) high. Native to Madagascar, Réunion, and Mauritius, it is widely naturalized in the tropics and subtropics.

tent: …a projecting horizontal flap; the umbrella tent, which was originally made with internal supporting arms like an umbrella but which later became widely popular with external framing of hollow aluminum; and the cabin tent, resembling a wall tent with walls four to six feet high. Special tent designs include mountain…

magnolia: Major species: …feet) tall with purple-based blooms; umbrella tree (M. tripetala), 12 metres (40 feet) tall with leaves 60 cm (2 feet) long that are sometimes used as rain shields; cucumber tree (M. acuminata), a 30-metre (100-foot) tree with cucumber-shaped rosy fruits; and Thompson’s magnolia (M. ×thompsoniana), a hybrid between the umbrella…

schefflera, any of several tropical evergreen trees or shrubs, in the ginseng family (Araliaceae), that are widely cultivated as indoor foliage plants because of their tolerance to low light conditions. The genus Schefflera includes the New Zealand seven fingers (S. digitata), which may reach a

umbrellabird, any of three species of cotingas (family Cotingidae, order Passeriformes) of tropical American forests. They are notable for their unique, umbrella-like crest and for the pendant suspended from the throat, which is an inflatable wattle. When displaying, the male spreads the crest to

Cornales, dogwood order of flowering plants, comprising six families and more than 590 species. Cornales is the basalmost order of the core asterid clade (organisms with a single common ancestor), or sympetalous lineage of flowering plants, in the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group III (APG III) botanical

Maurice Prendergast: A painting such as Umbrellas in the Rain (1899), painted during his second European trip, reflects his new interest in Post-Impressionist currents, especially in the paintings of Édouard Vuillard and Paul Cézanne and the doctrines of pointillism. Later pictures are composed of floating geometric areas of colour, representing such…

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, French musical film, released in 1964, that is unusual in that literally all of the dialogue in the movie—from mundane conversations to emotional confrontations—is sung. Director-writer Jacques Demy dared to present a rather poignant and melancholy story in musical

Umbri, ancient pre-Etruscan people who gradually concentrated in Umbria (in central Italy) in response to Etruscan and Gallic pressure. By about 400 bc the inhabitants of this area spoke an Indo-European dialect closely related to Oscan (Umbrian). It is best known from the ritual texts called the

Umbria, region, central Italy, including the provinces of Perugia and Terni. It lies roughly equidistant between Rome (south) and Florence (north). The modern region takes its name from the Umbria of Roman times. The Roman emperor Augustus made Umbria (together with the district of Ager Gallicus)

Umbrian language, one of the ancient Italic languages closely related to Oscan and Volscian and more distantly related to Latin and Faliscan. Umbrian was spoken in central Italy, probably only in the area of the Tiber River valley in the last few centuries bc; it was displaced by Latin at an

Apennine Range: Physiography: …feet at Mount Cimone; the Umbrian-Marchigian Apennines, with their maximum elevation (8,130 feet) at Mount Vettore; the Abruzzi Apennines, 9,554 feet at Mount Corno; the Campanian Apennines, 7,352 feet at Mount Meta; the Lucanian Apennines, 7,438 feet at Mount Pollino; the Calabrian Apennines

mudminnow, any of several hardy fishes, family Umbridae (order Esociformes), found in cool, mud-bottomed ponds, lakes, and streams of southeastern Europe and North America. Somewhat pikelike fishes with rounded snouts and tails, mudminnows are about 7.5 to 15 cm (3 to 6 inches) long. They