母

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See also: 毋 and 舟
母 U+6BCD, 母
CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-6BCD
← 毌
 		CJK Unified Ideographs 毎 →
⺟ U+2E9F, ⺟
CJK RADICAL MOTHER
← ⺞
 		CJK Radicals Supplement ⺠ →
Commons:Category
Commons:Category
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Translingual

Stroke order
5 strokes
Stroke order

Han character

母 (Kangxi radical 80, 毋+1, 5 strokes, cangjie input 田卜戈 (WYI), four-corner 77500, composition ⿻⿻𠃋𠃌⿻⺀一)

Derived characters

References

  • Kangxi Dictionary: page 588, character 25
  • Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 16723
  • Dae Jaweon: page 980, character 32
  • Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 4, page 2380, character 3
  • Unihan data for U+6BCD

Further reading

Chinese

simp. and trad.
 母

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 母
Shang Western Zhou Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han) Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script Bronze inscriptions Small seal script Transcribed ancient scripts
Characters in the same phonetic series (母) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 
Old Chinese
脢 *mɯːs, *mɯː, *mɯːs
挴 *mlɯːʔ, *mɯːʔ
海 *hmlɯːʔ
毐 *ʔmɯː, *ʔmɯːʔ
呣 *mɯ
拇 *mɯʔ
母 *mɯʔ
胟 *mɯʔ
姆 *mɯʔ, *mɯs, *maːʔ
畮 *mɯʔ
踇 *mɯʔ
苺 *mɯs, *mɯːʔ, *mɯːs
莓 *mɯs, *mɯː, *mɯːs
敏 *mrɯʔ, *mrɯŋʔ
鰵 *mrɯŋʔ
慜 *mrɯŋʔ
毋 *ma
梅 *mɯː
酶 *mɯː
鋂 *mɯː
每 *mɯːʔ
毎 *mɯːs
痗 *mɯːs, *hmɯːs
晦 *hmɯːs
誨 *hmɯːs
悔 *hmɯːʔ, *hmɯːs
霉 *mrɯl

Differentiated form of 女 with the addition of distinguishing dots. In the early oracle bone texts both words 女 (OC *naʔ, *nas, “woman”) and 母 were written as 女 (Yao, 1989, Liu, 2011, Huang, 2014). Part of this character appears in 乳.

Etymology

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *mow (“woman, female”).

Pronunciation

Note:
  • mō̤ - “female; capital; suffix”;
  • mū - “mother”.
Note:
  • Xiamen:
    • bú - vernacular;
    • bó͘ - literary.
  • Quanzhou:
    • bú, bó͘ - vernacular;
    • bió - literary.
  • Zhangzhou:
    • bú - vernacular;
    • bó - literary.
  • Taiwan:
    • bó - vernacular;
    • bió/bó͘, bú - literary.
Note: 1mo - literary.
  • Dialectal data
Variety Location 母
Mandarin Beijing /mu²¹⁴/
Harbin /mu²¹³/
Tianjin /mu¹³/
Jinan /mu⁵⁵/
Qingdao /mu⁵⁵/
Zhengzhou /mu⁵³/
Xi'an /mu⁵³/
Xining /mv̩⁵³/
Yinchuan /mu⁵³/
Lanzhou /mu⁴⁴²/
Ürümqi /mu⁵¹/
Wuhan /mu⁴²/
/moŋ⁴²/
Chengdu /mu⁵³/
Guiyang /mu⁴²/
Kunming /mu⁵³/
Nanjing /mu²¹²/
Hefei /mʊ²⁴/
/məŋ²⁴/
Jin Taiyuan /mu⁵³/
Pingyao /mu⁵³/
Hohhot /mu⁵³/ ～的
/məʔ⁰/ 外～娘
Wu Shanghai /mu²³/
/m̩²³/
Suzhou /mo⁵⁵/
Hangzhou /mu⁵³/
Wenzhou /mu³⁵/
Hui Shexian /mɔ³⁵/
/m̩³⁵/
Tunxi /m̩²⁴/
Xiang Changsha /mo⁴¹/
Xiangtan /mo⁴²/
Gan Nanchang /mu²¹³/
Hakka Meixian /mu⁴⁴/
Taoyuan /mu²⁴/
Cantonese Guangzhou /mou²³/
Nanning /mu²⁴/
Hong Kong /mou¹³/
Min Xiamen (Hokkien) /bɔ⁵³/
/bu⁵³/
Fuzhou (Eastern Min) /mo³²/
Jian'ou (Northern Min) /mu²¹/
Shantou (Teochew) /bo⁵³/
Haikou (Hainanese) /mu²¹³/
/mai²¹³/ 俗
Rime
Character 母
Reading # 1/1
Initial (聲) 明 (4)
Final (韻) 侯 (137)
Tone (調) Rising (X)
Openness (開合) Open
Division (等) I
Fanqie 莫厚切
Baxter muwX
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang
Shangfang 		/məuX/
Pan
Wuyun 		/məuX/
Shao
Rongfen 		/məuX/
Edwin
Pulleyblank 		/məwX/
Li
Rong 		/muX/
Wang
Li 		/məuX/
Bernhard
Karlgren 		/mə̯uX/
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex 		mǒu
Expected
Cantonese
Reflex 		mau5
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character 母
Reading # 1/1
Modern
Beijing
(Pinyin) 		mǔ
Middle
Chinese 		‹ muwX ›
Old
Chinese 		/*məʔ/ (? or *mˁoʔ)
English mother

Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system:

* Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence;
* Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. * as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p;
* Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix;
* Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary;

* Period "." indicates syllable boundary.
Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character 母
Reading # 1/1
No. 9288
Phonetic
component 		母
Rime
group 		之
Rime
subdivision 		0
Corresponding
MC rime 		母
Old
Chinese 		/*mɯʔ/

Definitions

母

  1. mother
    Antonym: 父
    父母  ―  fùmǔ  ―  father and mother
    母子  ―  mǔzǐ  ―  mother and son
  2. Used to address a female elder member of a family.
    Antonym: 父
    姑母  ―  gūmǔ  ―  father's sister
    祖母  ―  zǔmǔ  ―  grandmother
  3. (of animal) female
    Synonym: 雌 (cí)
    Antonym: 公 (gōng)
    母牛  ―  mǔniú  ―  female cow
  4. (figuratively, of instruments, tools, or connectors) female
  5. pertaining to origin
    母校  ―  mǔxiào  ―  alma mater
  6. a surname

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 媽媽 (“mum; mother”)
Variety Location Words
Classical Chinese 母, 娘
Formal (Written Standard Chinese) 母親
Northeastern Mandarin Beijing 媽媽, 媽, 娘, 母親
Taiwan 媽媽, 媽
Chengde 母親, 媽媽
Chifeng 媽媽
Hulunbuir (Hailar) 媽, 媽媽
Heihe 母親, 媽媽
Qiqihar 媽媽
Harbin 媽, 媽媽, 母親
Jiamusi 母親, 媽媽
Baicheng 母親, 媽媽, 娘
Changchun 媽媽, 媽, 娘
Tonghua 媽媽, 媽
Shenyang 媽媽, 母親, 額娘 dated, Manchus
Jinzhou 母親, 媽媽, 媽
Malaysia 媽媽, 媽
Singapore 媽媽, 媽, 老媽 <>
Jilu Mandarin Tianjin 媽媽, 娘
Tangshan 母親, 媽媽
Cangzhou 母親, 媽媽, 娘, 𫰎
Baoding 母親, 媽媽, 媽
Shijiazhuang 母親, 媽媽, 娘
Lijin 媽
Jinan 媽, 媽媽, 娘
Jiaoliao Mandarin Dalian 媽媽
Dandong 母親, 媽媽
Yantai 媽
Yantai (Muping) 媽
Qingdao 媽, 娘
Zhucheng 媽媽, 媽, 娘
Central Plains Mandarin Luoyang 媽, 媽兒
Lingbao 媽, 娘
Jining 媽媽, 娘
Wanrong 嬤
Wanrong (Ronghe) 媽
Linfen 媽
Shangqiu 母親, 媽媽, 娘
Yuanyang 母親, 媽媽, 娘
Zhengzhou 媽, 娘
Baihe 母親, 媽媽
Xi'an 媽
Baoji 母親, 媽, 娘
Xining 阿媽, 媽媽, 姆媽
Xuzhou 媽媽, 娘, 大兒, 母親
Fuyang 母親, 媽媽, 媽, 娘
Lanyin Mandarin Yinchuan 媽, 母親, 媽媽
Lanzhou 媽, 媽媽, 老媽 <>, 母親
Dunhuang 媽媽, 媽
Hami 媽媽
Ürümqi 媽媽, 媽, 老娘 <>, 阿娘 Hui, 阿娘子 used with minorities, 母親
Southwestern Mandarin Chengdu 媽媽, 媽
Nanchong 母親, 媽媽
Dazhou 媽
Hanyuan 母親, 媽媽
Xichang 母親, 媽媽
Zigong 母親, 媽媽, 娘
Chongqing 媽媽, 媽
Wuhan 姆媽, 媽媽, 老娘 <>, 黎山老 slang, 孟子見 dated slang, 娘
Yichang 母親, 媽媽, 媽, 娘, 大老
Xiangyang 母親, 媽媽, 娘
Tianmen 母親, 媽媽, 娘, 姆媽
Guiyang 媽, 老媽 <>, humorous
Zunyi 母兒, 媽
Bijie 媽
Liping 媽
Zhaotong 媽媽, 嬸嬸
Dali 阿媽
Kunming 媽, 媽媽, 母親
Mengzi 媽媽
Guilin 媽媽
Liuzhou 阿媽, 媽, 娘老 <>, 老媽子 <>, 娘, 母親
Jishou 母親, 媽媽, 媽, 娘
Changde 姆媽
Hanzhong 母親, 媽媽, 媽, 娘
Mae Salong (Lancang) 阿媽, 媽媽
Mae Sai (Tengchong) 媽
Jianghuai Mandarin Nanjing 媽, 姆媽, 娘
Yangzhou 媽媽, 姆媽, 老娘 <>, 母親
Lianyungang 母親, 媽媽
Lianshui 母親, 媽
Nantong 姆媽, 娘嬭 dated, 母親
Anqing 母親, 媽媽
Wuhu 媽媽, 姆媽
Hefei 媽, 媽爺
Hong'an 母親, 媽媽, 媽, 大, 娘
Cantonese Guangzhou 阿媽, 媽媽, 老母 <>
Hong Kong 媽咪, 阿媽, 媽媽, 媽打, 老母 <>, 老媽子 <>
Hong Kong (San Tin; Weitou) 阿媽, 阿奶, 老母 <>
Hong Kong (Kam Tin; Weitou) 媽, 阿媽
Hong Kong (Ting Kok) 阿奶, 阿仔
Hong Kong (Tung Ping Chau) 阿奶
Macau 阿媽, 媽咪, 老母 <>
Guangzhou (Xinjiao, Haizhu) 媽媽, 阿媽
Guangzhou (Longxi, Liwan) 阿媽, 阿嫂
Guangzhou (Huangpu) 阿媽, 阿娘, 阿大, 阿嬸
Guangzhou (Xinshi, Baiyun) 阿媽, 阿嫂
Guangzhou (Shijing, Baiyun) 阿媽, 阿嬸, 阿嫂
Guangzhou (Jiangcun, Baiyun) 阿大
Guangzhou (Longgui, Baiyun) 阿大
Guangzhou (Renhe, Baiyun) 阿大
Guangzhou (Zhuliao, Baiyun) 阿大
Guangzhou (Zhongluotan, Baiyun) 阿大
Guangzhou (Jiufo, Huangpu) 阿大
Guangzhou (Panyu) 阿媽, 媽媽, 老母 <>
Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu) 媽媽, 老母 <>
Guangzhou (Conghua) 阿奶, 阿嬸, 老母 <>
Guangzhou (Zengcheng) 阿奶, 阿嫂, 阿嬸, 媽媽, 老母 <>
Foshan 阿媽, 老母 <>
Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai) 阿嬸, 阿媽, 老母 <>
Foshan (Shunde) 阿娘, 老母 <>
Foshan (Sanshui) 阿媽, 阿家, 老母 <>
Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming) 阿媽, 老母 <>, 母親 <>
Zhongshan (Shiqi) 阿媽, 老母 <>
Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou) 阿媽, 老母 <>
Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; Tanka) 阿媽, 老母 <>
Zhuhai (Doumen) 阿媽, 老母 <>
Jiangmen (Baisha) 阿媽, 老母 <>
Jiangmen (Xinhui) 阿媽, 老母 <>
Taishan 阿媽, 媽, 老母 <>
Kaiping (Chikan) 阿媽, 老母 <>
Enping (Niujiang) 阿媽, 老母 <>
Heshan (Yayao) 阿媽, 老母 <>
Dongguan 阿媽, 阿奶, 阿姐, 媽媽 childish, 媽咪 childish, 老母 <>, 老乸 <>, Changping
Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an) 阿大, 阿媽, 媽媽, 老母 <>
Shaoguan 阿媽, 老母
Yunfu 老母, 阿媽
Yangjiang 阿媽, 阿娘, 阿奶 <>
Xinyi 阿媽, 老母 <>
Lianjiang 阿媽, 老母, 媽媽
Lianjiang (Cheban) 阿奶
Wuchuan (Wuyang) 阿媽, 阿奶
Wuchuan (Meilu) 老母
Nanning 媽媽, 阿媽, 媽, 老乸 <>, 老娘 <>, 老媽子 <>
Hepu (Lianzhou) 媽媽, 阿奶, 阿嬸, 俺乸 <>
Hepu (Shatian) 媽媽
Beihai 媽媽, 老奶 <>
Beihai (Nankang) 阿媽, 阿奶, 阿娘 <>
Beihai (Yingpan) 媽媽, 阿媽, 阿嬸, 老媽 <>
Danzhou 母
Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu) 阿媽, 媽咪, 老媽子 <>
Singapore (Guangfu) 阿媽, 媽媽, 老母 <>
Gan Nanchang 姆媽, 娘 <>
Lichuan 姆媽, 娘 <>
Pingxiang 姆媽, 娘老子 <>
Hakka Meixian 阿姆, 阿嫲, 哀仔 <>
Xingning 阿媽, 哀哩 <>
Huizhou (Huicheng; Bendihua) 阿媽, 阿奶 <>
Huidong (Daling) 阿姆, 媽
Dongguan (Qingxi) 阿媽, 阿姆 <>
Shenzhen (Shatoujiao) 阿媽, 阿姆 <>
Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui) 阿媽, 阿姆 <>
Wuhua (Shuizhai) 阿嫲, 阿娘, 阿姆
Wuhua (Huacheng) 阿嫲, 阿娘, 阿姆, 哀哩
Wuhua (Changbu) 阿媽, 阿姆
Wuhua (Mianyang) 阿娘
Wuhua (Meilin) 嫲, 阿嫲
Heyuan (Bendihua) 阿媽
Wengyuan 哀子, 阿姆
Shaoguan (Qujiang) 阿姆, 哀子 <>
Lianshan (Xiaosanjiang) 阿姆, 阿嬸
Liannan 姆, 媽
Guangzhou (Lütian, Conghua) 阿姆
Jiexi 阿姆
Raoping (Xinfeng) 阿姨, 阿禾 <>
Zhao'an (Xiuzhuan) 阿奶
Changting 姆媽, 姆娓, 哀哩 <>
Wuping 姆姆, 依呀, 哀哩 <>
Wuping (Yanqian) 哀哩
Wuping (Pingyu) 姆, 哀子 <>
Liancheng 姆, 哀 <>
Ninghua 姆媽, 母
Yudu 姆, 媽媽, 媽
Ningdu 姐
Ruijin 姆媽, 哀 <>, 乳子 <>
Shicheng 姆媽, 哀 <>
Shangyou (Shexi) 嫫, 姐佬 <>
Tonggu (Sandu) 姆㜷
Ganzhou (Panlong) 嬤
Dayu 姐佬, 姆姆
Miaoli (N. Sixian) 阿姆, 哀仔 <>
Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian) 阿姆, 唔媽, 哀仔 <>
Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu) 阿姆, 哀仔 <>
Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu) 阿姆, 哀 <>
Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping) 阿姆, 哀仔 <>
Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an) 阿依, 哀仔 <>
Hong Kong 阿媽, 阿姆 <>
Yangxi (Tangkou) 奶
Yangchun (Sanjia) 阿媽
Xinyi (Sihe) 老母, 老哀, 阿媽
Xinyi (Qianpai) 阿媽, 哀子
Gaozhou (Xindong) 阿媽
Maoming (Shalang, Dianbai) 阿嬸, 阿奶, 阿嫂, 阿媽
Huazhou (Xin'an) 哀子
Lianjiang (Shijiao) 阿媽, 哀子, 阿奶
Lianjiang (Qingping) 阿媽, 哀
Mengshan (Xihe) 娘, 嫂
Luchuan 阿姆
Sabah (Longchuan) 阿姆
Senai (Huiyang) 阿媽
Singkawang 阿姆
Huizhou Jixi 姆, 娘 <>
Shexian 姆媽, 媽媽, 阿姨
Jin Taiyuan 媽, 媽媽
Yangyuan 母親, 媽媽, 媽, 娘
Datong 母親, 媽
Xinzhou 波哇, 波波呀, 呀波呀, 波, 波波
Lüliang (Lishi) 母親, 媽
Changzhi 娘, 媽
Linhe 母親, 媽媽, 媽
Jining 媽媽
Hohhot 母親, 媽媽
Erenhot 母親, 媽媽
Pingshan 母親, 娘
Zhangjiakou 母親, 媽媽, 媽, 娘
Handan 母親, 娘
Linzhou 娘
Suide 媽
Northern Min Jian'ou 依呀, 媽媽, 奶 <>
Eastern Min Fuzhou 依媽, 依奶, 娘嬭 <>
Fuqing 奶, 依奶, 媽媽, 依娜, 娘嬭 <>
Matsu 依奶, 娘嬭 <>
Singapore (Fuqing) 媽媽
Southern Min Xiamen 阿母, 阿母仔, 母仔, 阿媽, 阿娘, 老母 <>, 娘嬭 <>
Xiamen (Tong'an) 老母 <>, 俺母仔
Quanzhou 阿母, 母仔, 阿娘, 老母 <>
Hui'an 阿娘
Zhangzhou 阿母, 母仔, 咉奶, 嘔傴 euphemistic, 老母 <>, 娘嬭 <>
Taipei 阿母, 阿娘, 媽媽, 老母 <>
New Taipei (Sanxia) 阿母, 阿娘, 姨仔, 老母 <>
Kaohsiung 卡桑, 阿母仔, 老母 <>
Yilan 阿母, 阿娘, 老母 <>
Changhua (Lukang) 阿母, 阿娘, 姨仔, 老母 <>
Taichung 媽媽, 阿母, 老母 <>
Tainan 歐卡桑, 阿母, 俺娘仔, 娘嬭, 老母 <>
Hsinchu 媽媽, 阿娘, 阿母, 老母 <>
Kinmen 俺娘仔, 老母 <>, 俺母 <>
Penghu (Magong) 阿母, 老母 <>
Penang (Hokkien) 阿母, 阿媽, 媽媽, 媽, 老母 <>
Singapore (Hokkien) 阿母, 老母 <>
Manila (Hokkien) 媽媽, 媽, 阿母, 母仔, 老母 <>
Chaozhou 阿媽, 阿娘, 阿姈, 阿嬡 <>
Shantou 阿媽, 阿嬡, 阿姈, 阿母, 嬡 <>, 母 <>
Shantou (Chenghai) 阿媽, 嬡 <>, 母 <>
Jieyang 阿媽, 阿嬡, 阿娘, 阿姈
Haifeng 媽, 媽媽, 阿媽
Johor Bahru (Teochew) 阿媽, 媽媽, 媽 <>
Singapore (Teochew) 阿媽, 阿嬡, 母 <>
Leizhou 嬭, 嫂 dated, 姨 dated, 母 <>, 尼母 <>, 尼姨 <>, dated, 尼嫂 <>, dated
Haikou 阿媽, 阿姐, 阿娘 dated, 阿嫂 dated, 母 <>
Zhongshan Min Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi) 媽媽, 媽, 老母 <>
Southern Pinghua Nanning (Tingzi) 媽, 阿嫂, 阿嬸, 阿媼 dated, 老娘 <>
Binyang 母親, 嬸
Wu Shanghai 媽媽, 姆媽, 娘 <>
Shanghai (Chongming) 姆媽, 娘 <>
Suzhou 姆媽, 娘 <>
Danyang 媽, 娘
Hangzhou 姆媽, 媽媽, 娘 <>
Ningbo 阿姆, 姆媽, 阿娘 <>, 老娘 <>
Wenzhou 阿媽, 阿奶, 奶
Jinhua 姆媽, 娘 <>
Xiang Changsha 媽媽, 姆媽, 娘老子, 娘 <>
Loudi 依爺, 姆媽, 娘老子, 娘 <>
Shuangfeng 姆媽, 娘 <>
Hengyang 姆媽 new-style, 娭毑 old-style, 娘 <>, 娘老倌 <>, 娘老倌子 <>
Note <> - non-face-to-face
Dialectal synonyms of 媽媽 (“mum (non-face-to-face)”)
Variety Location Words
Classical Chinese 母, 娘
Formal (Written Standard Chinese) 母親
Northeastern Mandarin Beijing 媽媽, 媽, 娘
Taiwan 媽媽, 媽
Harbin 媽, 媽媽
Shenyang 媽媽
Singapore 媽媽, 老媽, 媽
Jilu Mandarin Tianjin 媽媽
Jinan 媽, 媽媽, 娘
Jiaoliao Mandarin Yantai (Muping) 媽
Central Plains Mandarin Wanrong 嬤
Wanrong (Ronghe) 媽
Xi'an 媽
Xining 阿媽, 媽媽, 姆媽
Xuzhou 媽媽, 娘, 大兒
Lanyin Mandarin Yinchuan 媽
Lanzhou 媽, 老媽
Ürümqi 老娘
Southwestern Mandarin Chengdu 媽媽, 媽
Wuhan 姆媽, 媽媽, 老娘, 黎山老 slang, 孟子見 dated slang
Guiyang 媽, 老媽 humorous
Kunming 媽媽
Liuzhou 媽, 阿媽, 娘老, 老媽子
Mae Salong (Lancang) 阿媽, 媽媽
Mae Sai (Tengchong) 媽
Jianghuai Mandarin Nanjing 媽, 姆媽, 娘, 吾媽
Yangzhou 媽媽, 姆媽, 老娘
Nantong 娘嬭
Hefei 媽, 媽爺
Cantonese Guangzhou 老母, 阿媽
Hong Kong 老母, 老媽子, 阿媽, 媽咪, 媽媽, 媽打
Hong Kong (San Tin; Weitou) 老母, 阿奶
Hong Kong (Kam Tin; Weitou) 阿媽, 媽
Macau 老母
Guangzhou (Panyu) 老母
Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu) 老母
Guangzhou (Conghua) 老母
Guangzhou (Zengcheng) 老母
Foshan 老母
Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai) 老母
Foshan (Shunde) 老母
Foshan (Sanshui) 老母
Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming) 老母, 母親
Zhongshan (Shiqi) 老母
Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou) 老母
Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; Tanka) 老母
Zhuhai (Doumen) 老母
Jiangmen (Baisha) 老母
Jiangmen (Xinhui) 老母
Taishan 老母, 媽
Kaiping (Chikan) 老母
Enping (Niujiang) 老母
Heshan (Yayao) 老母
Dongguan 阿媽, 阿奶, 阿姐, 老母, 老乸 Changping, 媽媽 childish, 媽咪 childish
Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an) 老母
Shaoguan 老母
Yunfu 老母
Yangjiang 阿奶
Xinyi 老母
Nanning 媽, 老乸
Hepu (Lianzhou) 俺乸
Beihai 老奶
Beihai (Nankang) 阿娘
Beihai (Yingpan) 老媽, 阿嬸
Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu) 老媽子
Singapore (Guangfu) 老母, 阿媽
Gan Nanchang 姆媽, 娘
Lichuan 娘, 家母
Pingxiang 姆媽, 娘老子
Hakka Meixian 阿姆, 阿媽, 哀仔
Xingning 哀哩, 阿媽
Huizhou (Huicheng; Bendihua) 阿奶
Huidong (Daling) 阿姆, 媽
Dongguan (Qingxi) 阿姆
Shenzhen (Shatoujiao) 阿姆
Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui) 阿姆
Wuhua (Shuizhai) 阿嫲, 阿娘, 阿姆
Wuhua (Huacheng) 阿嫲, 阿娘, 阿姆, 哀哩
Wuhua (Changbu) 阿媽, 阿姆
Wuhua (Mianyang) 阿娘
Wuhua (Meilin) 阿嫲
Shaoguan (Qujiang) 哀子
Lianshan (Xiaosanjiang) 阿姆
Guangzhou (Lütian, Conghua) 阿姆
Changting 哀哩
Wuping 哀哩
Wuping (Pingyu) 哀子
Liancheng 哀
Ninghua 姆媽
Ruijin 哀, 乳子
Shicheng 哀
Shangyou (Shexi) 姐佬
Miaoli (N. Sixian) 哀仔
Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian) 哀仔
Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu) 哀仔
Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu) 哀
Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping) 哀仔
Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an) 哀
Hong Kong 阿姆
Singkawang 哀
Huizhou Jixi 姆, 娘
Jin Taiyuan 媽媽, 媽
Xinzhou 波, 波波
Northern Min Jian'ou 奶
Eastern Min Fuzhou 娘嬭
Fuqing 娘嬭
Matsu 娘嬭
Southern Min Xiamen 老母, 娘嬭, 阿娘
Xiamen (Tong'an) 老母
Quanzhou 老母, 阿娘
Jinjiang 老母
Zhangzhou 老母, 娘嬭, 豬母 humorous
Taipei 老母
New Taipei (Sanxia) 老母
Kaohsiung 老母
Yilan 老母
Changhua (Lukang) 老母
Taichung 老母, 媽媽
Tainan 老母
Hsinchu 老母
Kinmen 老母, 俺母
Penghu (Magong) 老母
Penang (Hokkien) 老母
Singapore (Hokkien) 老母
Manila (Hokkien) 老母
Chaozhou 阿嬡
Shantou 嬡, 母, 阿嬡, 阿姈, 阿母
Shantou (Chenghai) 嬡, 母
Haifeng 媽, 媽媽
Johor Bahru (Teochew) 阿媽, 媽
Singapore (Teochew) 母, 老母
Leizhou 嬭, 母, 尼母, 尼姨 dated, 尼嫂 dated
Haikou 母
Zhongshan Min Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi) 老母, 媽媽, 媽咪
Southern Pinghua Nanning (Tingzi) 媽, 老娘, 嫂, 嬸, 阿媼 dated
Binyang 母親, 嬸
Wu Shanghai 娘
Shanghai (Chongming) 娘
Suzhou 娘, 姆媽
Danyang 媽, 娘
Hangzhou 姆媽, 媽媽, 娘
Ningbo 阿娘, 老娘
Wenzhou 阿媽, 阿奶, 奶
Jinhua 娘
Xiang Changsha 媽媽, 娘, 姆媽, 娘老子
Loudi 依爺, 姆媽, 娘, 娘老子
Shuangfeng 姆媽, 娘
Hengyang 娘, 娘老倌, 娘老倌子

Compounds

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (母):
  • → Vietnamese: mẫu (母)

References

Japanese

Kanji

母

(Second grade kyōiku kanji)

Readings

Compounds

Compounds

Usage notes

In isolation, the character 母 has 5 strokes in modern Japanese – it is not simplified. In shinjitai compound characters, such as 毎 or 海, it is simplified to 4 strokes, as 毋. In hyōgaiji characters such as 姆, however, the component is not simplified.

Alternative forms

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
母
はは
Grade: 2
kun'yomi

From Old Japanese.

/haha/: */papa/ → /fafa/ → /fawa/ → /fafa/ → /haha/.

Medial /f/ regularly changes to /w/ , resulting in /fawa/ → /hawa/, the expected final form; see hawa below. This form first appears in the Heian period. However, likely due to spelling influence or reduplication associations, the earlier /fafa/ resurfaced in the late 16th century towards the end of the Muromachi period, with both forms seen until recent times, when hawa falls into disuse.[1] Initial /f-/ regularly becomes , resulting in modern .

Pronunciation

Noun

母(はは) • (haha) ←はは (fafa)?

  1. mother
    織(お)田(だ)信(のぶ)長(なが)の母(はは)は謎(なぞ)が多(おお)い。
    Oda Nobunaga no haha wa nazo ga ōi.
    Oda Nobunaga's mother was a mysterious woman.
Usage notes
  • This term conveys neither positive nor negative connotations. However, using it to describe someone the speaker knows personally is often considered lacking respect, where more polite forms like お母(かあ)さん (okāsan) are preferred.
  • This term is sometimes used in objective narrations, but for this purpose, 母(はは)親(おや) (hahaoya) is more common.
Coordinate terms
Derived terms
Derived terms

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
母
はわ
Grade: 2
kun'yomi

From Old Japanese, the phonologically expected development. See etymology for haha above for details.

Pronunciation

Noun

母(はわ) • (hawa) ←はは (fafa)?

  1. (humble) mother
    • 1603, Vocabvlario da Lingoa de Iapam (Nippo Jisho) [Vocabulary of the Language of Japan] (in Portuguese), Nagasaki, page 213:
      Faua. ハワ (母) 母親.
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
    • 1603, Vocabvlario da Lingoa de Iapam (Nippo Jisho) [Vocabulary of the Language of Japan] (in Portuguese), Nagasaki, page 196:
      Fafa. l, faua. ハハ. または、ハワ(母) 母.
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
    • 1603, Vocabvlario da Lingoa de Iapam (Nippo Jisho) [Vocabulary of the Language of Japan] (in Portuguese), Nagasaki, page 71:
      Caca. カカ (かか) Faua (母)に同じ. 母. これは子供の言葉である. また、尊敬すべき婦人、あるいは、年長で一家の主婦のような婦人の意に取られる.
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
    • 1603, Vocabvlario da Lingoa de Iapam (Nippo Jisho) [Vocabulary of the Language of Japan] (in Portuguese), Nagasaki, page 60:
      Bogui. ボギ (母儀) Faua (母)に同じ. 母.
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
Usage notes

Obsolete in mainstream Japanese. May persist in dialects.

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
母
は
Grade: 2
kun'yomi

From Old Japanese. Possibly an abbreviation of haha, or possibly the original form.

Pronunciation

Noun

母(は) • (ha) 

  1. (obsolete) mother
Usage notes

Not found in isolation, only found in compounds. Obsolete and unused in modern Japanese.

Derived terms
Derived terms

Etymology 4

Kanji in this term
母
あも
Grade: 2
kun'yomi

From Old Japanese. Obsolete and unused in modern Japanese. Already falling into disuse by the writing of the Man'yōshū in 759, where it is only found in pieces written in eastern dialects.[1] Possibly cognate with Korean 엄마 (eomma, “mother”), 어머니 (eomeoni, “mother”).

Pronunciation

Noun

母(あも) • (amo) 

  1. (obsolete) mother
Derived terms
Derived terms

Etymology 5

Kanji in this term
母
おも
Grade: 2
kun'yomi

From Old Japanese. Obsolete and unused in modern Japanese. Appears to be an alteration from amo above.

Pronunciation

Noun

母(おも) • (omo) 

  1. (obsolete) mother
  2. a woman who breastfeeds and raises a child in place of a parent: a wet nurse
Synonyms
Derived terms
Derived terms

Etymology 6

Kanji in this term
母
かか
Grade: 2
kun'yomi

Unknown. One theory holds that this is a corrupted and abbreviated form of 御方様 (okatasama), a term to refer to or address someone else's wife (now extremely formal, but much more everyday in the Edo period), possibly influenced by children's speech:

/okatasama/ → /katasama/ → /kakasama/ → /kaka/

Pronunciation

Noun

母(かか) • (kaka) 

  1. (childish) mommy, mummy
    • 1603, Vocabvlario da Lingoa de Iapam (Nippo Jisho) [Vocabulary of the Language of Japan] (in Portuguese), Nagasaki, page 71:
      Caca. カカ (かか) Faua (母)に同じ. 母. これは子供の言葉である. また、尊敬すべき婦人、あるいは、年長で一家の主婦のような婦人の意に取られる.
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
  2. (obsolete) wife
    Seen in the Edo period among the lower socioeconomic classes. Used to refer both to one's own wife when talking to others, and to refer to someone else's wife.[1]
Derived terms
Derived terms

Etymology 7

Kanji in this term
母
かあ
Grade: 2
kun'yomi

Alteration of kaka[1]: /kaka/ → /-kka/ → /kaː/

Pronunciation

Noun

母(かあ) • (kā) 

  1. mother
Usage notes

Almost never seen in isolation. Most commonly seen with honorific prefix o- and honorific suffix -san, as お母(かあ)さん (okāsan).

Derived terms
Derived terms
  • 母(かあ)さん (kāsan) (informal form of address; would only be used when addressing one's own mother)
  • 母(かあ)ちゃん (kāchan) (childish, informal form of address; used when addressing one's own mother)
  • お母(かあ) (okā) (informal form of address; would only be used when addressing one's own mother)
  • お母(かあ)さん (okāsan) (most common term; could be used to address or refer to one's own mother, or to refer to someone else's mother)

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
  2. ^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  3. ^ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN

Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 母 (MC muwX).

Historical Readings
Dongguk Jeongun Reading
Dongguk Jeongun, 1448 무ᇢ〯 (Yale: mwǔw)
Middle Korean
Text Eumhun
Gloss (hun) Reading
Hunmong Jahoe, 1527 어〮미〮 (Yale: émí) 모〯 (Yale: mwǒ)

Pronunciation

  • (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA(key):
  • Phonetic hangul:
    • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

Hanja

Korean Wikisource has texts containing the hanja:

Wikisource

母 (eumhun 어미 모 (eomi mo))

  1. hanja form? of 모 (“mother”)

Compounds

Compounds

References

  • 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典.

Old Japanese

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 母 (MC muwX).

Phonogram

母 (mo2)

  1. Denotes phonographic syllable mo2.

Further reading

Vietnamese

Han character

母: Hán Việt readings: mẫu[1][2]
母: Nôm readings: mẫu[1][2][3][4], mẹ[5]

  1. chữ Hán form of mẫu (“mother”).

Compounds

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Nguyễn et al. (2009).
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Trần (2004).
  3. ^ Bonet (1899).
  4. ^ Génibrel (1898).
  5. ^ Hồ (1976).
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