mama

See also: Appendix:Variations of "mama"

Languages (75)

English

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Page categories

English

English Wikipedia has an article on:

mama

Wikipedia

Alternative forms

• mamma, momma, mumma

Etymology

Originally from baby talk. Possibly influenced by Middle English mome (“mother, aunt”), from Old English *mōme, from Proto-West Germanic *mōmā, from Proto-Germanic *mōmǭ (“mother, aunt”), from Proto-Indo-European *méh₂-méh₂, reduplication of *méh₂- (“mother”), related to German Muhme (“aunt”), Latin mamma (“mother, nurse”), Irish mam (“mother”), Lithuanian mama, moma (“mother”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /məˈmɑː/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (General American) enPR: mäʹmə, IPA^(key): /ˈmɑmə/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: (General American) -ɑːmə, (UK) -ɑː

Noun

mama (plural mamas)

1. (hypocoristic, usually childish, Canada, US) Mother, female parent.
   • 1990, Prince, “Nothing Compares 2 U”, performed by Sinéad O’Connor:

     All the flowers that you planted, mama, in the backyard / All died when you went away

Derived terms

• baby-mama
• baby mama
• big mama
• crunchy mama
• hoochie mama
• mama-bear
• mama bear
• mama grizzly
• mama pad
• mama-pian
• mama put
• mama-san
• mama shop
• save the drama for your mama
• scrunchy mama
• silky mama
• sugar mama
• yo mama

Related terms

• mom
• mommy
• mother
• mum
• mummy

Translations

mother — see mother

mum — see mum

Anagrams

• amma, ma'am

Aklanon

Etymology

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *mamaq, compare Malay mamah.

Verb

mama

1. to chew (tobacco, betel)

Amis

Noun

mama

1. father

'Are'are

Etymology

From the prefix ma- and ama.

Noun

mama

1. father

References

• Kateřina Naitoro, A Sketch Grammar of 'Are'are: The Sound System and Morpho-Syntax (2013)

Aukan

Noun

mama

1. mother
2. woman

   Synonym: uman

Aymara

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ma.ma/

Noun

mama

1. mother
2. Mrs., mistress (general respectful address for married women).

   tatanak mamanaka ― ladies and gentlemen