ama

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɑː.mə/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

• (Singapore English) IPA^(key): /ˈɑː.mɑ/
• Rhymes: (Received Pronunciation, General American) -ɑːmə

Etymology 1

From Portuguese ama (“female nurse”), from Medieval Latin amma (“wet nurse, amma”), perhaps an alteration of mamma, of imitative origin, or from Ancient Greek.

Noun

ama (plural amas)

1. Alternative spelling of amah
   • 1910, Mary F. Roulet, The Spaniard at Home, page 14:

     Not only does the baby have a jewel then, or some handsome gift, but his ama (nurse) is remembered with a bright gold doubloon (sixteen dollars).

   • 2007, Ondina E. González, Bianca Premo, Raising an Empire, page 143:

     Again as with Juan, shortly after the religious rite the children would be transferred to the care of wet nurses, or amas, who would take them into their individual homes.

   • 2013, Maria Aurora Couto, Filomena's Journey:

     It was rumoured that she had been his ama, the wet nurse who then became part of the family, taking charge so effectively that she ruled the household.

Translations

Etymology 2

From Japanese あま.

Noun

ama (plural amas)

1. A traditional Japanese pearl diver, typically female.

Etymology 3

From Polynesian.

Noun

ama (plural amas)

1. (nautical) The float on the outrigger of a proa or trimaran.

Translations

Etymology 4

From Sanskrit अम (ama, “disease”).

Noun

ama (countable and uncountable, plural amas)

1. (Ayurveda) A toxic byproduct of improper or incomplete digestion.

Etymology 5

Unknown.

Noun

ama (plural amas)

1. Fabric made from the hair of a camel or goat.

Translations

Etymology 6

From Hokkien 阿媽／阿妈 (a-má, “paternal grandmother”).

Alternative forms

• amah, ahma, amma

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔɐˈma/

Noun

ama (plural amas)

1. (Philippines, Chinese Filipino, colloquial) paternal grandmother; paternal grandma
   • 2012, Andrew Drilon, “Two Women Worth Watching”, in Charles Tan, editor, Lauriat: A Filipino-Chinese Speculative Fiction Anthology‎, Maple Shade, New Jersey: Lethe Press, Inc., page 8:

     "Perhaps," her grandmother had said. She was nearing death at that point, Mia's ama. Her body was wracked with arthritis, rheumatism, Parkinson's, osteoporosis and more. The maids said she was crazy with pain, and perhaps too far gone to even think properly.

2. (Philippines, Chinese Filipino, colloquial) term of address for one's paternal grandmother
   • 2017, Ari C. Dy, “Introduction”, in Chinese Buddhism in Catholic Philippines: Syncretism as Identity‎, Anvil Publishing, Inc.:

     There would always be some food offerrings there, and every morning, Amma would burn some incense. More elaborate offerings were made on the anniversaries of his birth and death, and the Chinese festivals for the dead such as Qingming in April and the Hungry Ghosts on the seventh lunar month.

Coordinate terms

• (paternal male): angkong
• (maternal female): guama
• (maternal male): guakong

Anagrams

• AAM, aam, maa

Afar

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aˈma/,
• Hyphenation: a‧ma

Determiner

amá

1. this, that, these, those (masculine; near the spoken to)

See also

References

• E. M. Parker, R. J. Hayward (1985) “ama”, in An Afar-English-French dictionary (with Grammatical Notes in English), University of London, →ISBN
• Mohamed Hassan Kamil (2015) L’afar: description grammaticale d’une langue couchitique (Djibouti, Erythrée et Ethiopie)‎, Paris: Université Sorbonne Paris Cité (doctoral thesis)

Aklanon

Etymology

From Proto-Austronesian *amax.

Noun

ama

1. father

Albanian

Alternative forms

• amo

Etymology

From Ottoman Turkish اما (ammâ).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):

Conjunction

ama

1. but, however

   Synonyms: megjithatë, mirëpo, por

Alladian

Noun

ama

1. village

References

• Marc Augé, Le rivage alladian: organisation et évolution des villages alladian

Amis

Noun

ama

1. grandmother

References

• “Entry #”, in 阿美語中部方言辭典 [Dictionary of the Central Dialect of Amis]‎ (in Chinese), Taiwan: Council of Indigenous Peoples, 2021

Asoa

Etymology

Compare Mangbetu àmà.

Pronoun

ama

1. we

Further reading

• Asoa Swadesh List

Basque

Etymology

Nursery-word, first attested in the 15th century..

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ama/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ama
• Hyphenation: a‧ma

Noun

ama anim

1. mother
2. origin

Declension

Derived terms

Further reading

• "ama" in Euskaltzaindiaren Hiztegia , euskaltzaindia.eus
• “ama” in Orotariko Euskal Hiztegia , euskaltzaindia.eus

Bikol Central

Etymology

From Proto-Austronesian *amax.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔaˈmaʔ/,
• Hyphenation: a‧ma

• Audio (BCL)

  (file)

Noun

amâ (Basahan spelling ᜀᜋ)

1. father

   Synonyms: papa, tatay, papay

Bolinao

Noun

ama

1. father

Catalan

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic)
• IPA^(key): (Valencian)

Etymology 1

From Late Latin amma, q.v.

Noun

ama f (plural ames)

1. wet nurse

   Synonym: dida

2. mistress

   Synonym: mestressa

Derived terms

• amo

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

ama

1. inflection of amar:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Further reading

• “ama” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Cebuano

Etymology

From Proto-Austronesian *amax.

Noun

ama

1. (obsolete) a male parent; a father

   Synonyms: amahan, papa, tatay

Chayuco Mixtec

Etymology

From Proto-Mixtec *awą.

Adverb

ama

1. (interrogative) when

Conjunction

ama

1. when

References

• Pensinger, Brenda J. (1974) Diccionario mixteco-español, español-mixteco (Serie de vocabularios y diccionarios indígenas “Mariano Silva y Aceves”; 18)‎ (in Spanish), México, D.F.: El Instituto Lingüístico de Verano en coordinación con la Secretaría de Educación Pública a través de la Dirección General de Educación Extraescolar en el Medio Indígena, pages 3, 86

Domari

Etymology

Ultimately from Sanskrit अस्मे (asmé) (locative of वयम् (vayam, “we”)), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *asmáy, from Proto-Indo-European *n̥smé. Cognate with Hindi हम (ham), Urdu ہَم (ham), Punjabi ਅਸੀਂ (asī̃), Marathi आम्ही (āmhī), Konkani आमि (āmi), Assamese আমি (ami).

Pronoun

ama (plural eme)

1. I; first-person singular pronoun

References

• Matras, Yaron (2012) A Grammar of Domari (Mouton Grammar Library)‎, Walter de Gruyter, →ISBN

Eastern Bontoc

Noun

ama

1. father

Eastern Huasteca Nahuatl

Adverb

ama

1. now

Esperanto

Etymology

ami +‎ -a

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):
• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ama
• Hyphenation: a‧ma

Adjective

ama (accusative singular aman, plural amaj, accusative plural amajn)

1. loving, with love, relating to or characterized by love

   ama rememoro / sento.

   loving memory / feeling of love.

   • (Can we date this quote?), Heinrich August Luyken, Stranga Heredaĵo, Ĉapitro 3,

     Per amaj, kunsentaj vortoj Leonardo sukcesis plie firmigi la konfidon de la junulo [...]

     Through loving, sympathetic words Leonardo managed to strengthen the youth’s trust further.

Galician

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈama̝/

Etymology 1

From Old Galician-Portuguese ama (“mistress”), from Hispanic Late Latin amma, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *amma- (“mother”).

Noun

ama f (plural amas)

1. mistress
2. wet nurse
3. housekeeper
   • 1448, X. Ferro Couselo, editor, A vida e a fala dos devanceiros, Vigo: Galaxia, page 295:

     Iten, Johán Cortido, vesiño da çidade d'Ourense, et sua ama diseron, por lo dito juramento que feito avyan, que omes de Aluaro de Taboa[da] que lle lleuaron e tomaron do seu lugar de Casa Noua sete mantas e hun alfamare e tres sabaas de cama et hun pano de cabeça et quatro toucas et hun sodario et viinte e duas maranas de fiado delgado et seys bincos de prata et huas doas de viinte pares de doas et hun leitón, por que lle dauan dosentos mrs, et seys sacos et dous coitellos de mesa et çen mrs vellos en diñeiros, et tres capilejos et dous vntos, et dous legóos nouos et hun espeto et hua fouçe et hun caldeiro de cobre et hun manto vermello et hua sabaa, e que todo lle tomaran e que a apancaran e que a encheran de couçes

     Item, Xoán Cortido, citizen of the city of Ourense, and his housekeeper, told, under the oath they'd done, that men of Álvaro de Taboada took from them and took in their place of Casa Nova: seven blankets, a quilt, three bedsheets, a cloth for the head, and four shawls and a shroud and twenty two skeins of thin yarn and six silver earrings and twenty pairs of beads and a sucking piglet, for which they would give two hundred maravedis, and six bags and two table knives and a hundred old maravedis in coins, and three coifs and two lards, and two new hoes and a roasting skewer and a sickle and a copper cauldron and a red robe and a sheet, and that all this they took and that they beat her up and filled her with kicks

Etymology 2

Verb

ama

1. inflection of amar:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

References

• “ama” in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval, SLI - ILGA 2006–2022.
• “ama” in Xavier Varela Barreiro & Xavier Gómez Guinovart: Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval. SLI / Grupo TALG / ILG, 2006-2016.
• “ama” in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega, SLI - ILGA 2006–2013.
• “ama” in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega. Santiago: ILG.
• “ama” in Álvarez, Rosario (coord.): Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués, Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega.

Galoli

Etymology

From Proto-Austronesian *amax.

Noun

ama

1. father

Garo

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

ama

1. mother

Synonyms

• ma·gipa

References

• Burling, R. (2003) The Language of the Modhupur Mandi (Garo) Vol. II: The Lexicon‎, Bangladesh: University of Michigan, page 375

Guaraní

Noun

ama

1. rain

Gun

Etymology

Cognate with Saxwe Gbe ama, Adja ama, Fon ama.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ā.mà/

• (file)

Noun

amà (plural amà lẹ)

1. leaf

Hawaiian

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *hama. Cognates include Tongan hama and Maori ama.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈa.ma/,

Noun

ama

1. outrigger float

References

• Pukui, Mary Kawena, Elbert, Samuel H. (1986) “ama”, in Hawaiian Dictionary, Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press

Hoyahoya

Noun

ama

1. man

References

• Philip Carr, Hoyahoya organised phonology data (2006)

Hungarian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):
• Hyphenation: ama
• Rhymes: -mɒ

Determiner

ama

1. (archaic, literary) Alternative form of amaz before consonants: that (as in yon or yonder)

   Coordinate term: eme

Usage notes

See at eme.

Related terms

• amaz

Further reading

• ama in Bárczi, Géza and László Országh. A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (‘The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language’, abbr.: ÉrtSz.). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN
• ama, redirecting to amaz in Ittzés, Nóra (ed.). A magyar nyelv nagyszótára (‘A Comprehensive Dictionary of the Hungarian Language’). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 2006–2031 (work in progress)

Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse ama.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -aːma

Verb

ama (weak verb, third-person singular past indicative amaði, supine amað)

1. to trouble

Conjugation

Derived terms

Ilocano

Noun

ama

1. father

Interlingua

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈa.ma/

Verb

ama

1. present of amar
2. imperative of amar

Irish

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key):
• (Connacht, Ulster) IPA^(key):

Etymology 1

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

ama m (genitive singular ama, nominative plural amaí)

1. yoke
2. (in the plural) hames

Declension

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Noun

ama m

1. genitive singular of am

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Eclipsis	with h-prothesis	with t-prothesis
ama	n-ama	hama	not applicable
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

References

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “ama”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈa.ma/
• Rhymes: -ama
• Hyphenation: à‧ma

Verb

ama

1. inflection of amare:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Japanese

Romanization

ama

1. Rōmaji transcription of あま

Jarai

Etymology

From Proto-Austronesian *amax.

Noun

ama (classifier čô)

1. father

Kamayurá

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):

Noun

ama

1. mother

References

• Meinke Salzer (1976) “Fonologia Provisória da Língua Kamayurá”, in Série Linguística, volume 5, pages 131–170

Kankanaey

Noun

ama

1. father

Laboya

Etymology

From Proto-Austronesian *amax.

Noun

ama

1. father

References

• Rina, A. Dj., Kabba, John Lado B. (2011) “ama”, in Kamus Bahasa Lamboya, Kabupaten Sumba Bakat [Dictionary of Lamboya Language, West Sumba Regency], Waikabubak: Dinas Kebudayaan dan Pariwisata, Kabupaten Sumba Bakat, page 5
• Blust, Robert, Trussel, Stephen (2010–) “*amax”, in The Austronesian Comparative Dictionary

Ladino

Etymology

From Turkish ama, from Ottoman Turkish اما (ammâ), from Arabic أَمَّا (ʔammā).

Conjunction

ama

1. but

   Synonyms: ma, pero

Latin

Etymology 1

See hama.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈa.ma/,
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈa.ma/,

Noun

ama f (genitive amae); first declension

1. Alternative spelling of hama

Declension

First-declension noun.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	ama	amae
Genitive	amae	amārum
Dative	amae	amīs
Accusative	amam	amās
Ablative	amā	amīs
Vocative	ama	amae

References

• ăma in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• 2. AMA in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• 3. AMA in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• ăma in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette, page 108/3.
• “ama” on page 112/1 of the Oxford Latin Dictionary (1st ed., 1968–82)
• Niermeyer, Jan Frederik (1976) “ama”, in Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden, Boston: E. J. Brill, page 39/1

Etymology 2

A regularly conjugated form of amō (“I love”, verb).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈa.maː/,
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈa.ma/,

Verb

amā

1. second-person singular present active imperative of amō

Laz

Conjunction

ama

1. Latin spelling of ამა (ama)

Limos Kalinga

Noun

amá

1. father

Lolopo

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):

Noun

ama

1. (Yao'an) mother, mom

Lubuagan Kalinga

Noun

ama

1. father

Maguindanao

Noun

ama

1. father

Maltese

Etymology

From Italian amare.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈaː.ma/

Verb

ama (imperfect jama, past participle amat, verbal noun amar)

1. to love, like

Conjugation

Conjugation of ama
		singular				plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person		1st person	2nd person	3rd person
perfect	m	amajt	amajt	ama		amajna	amajtu	amaw
	f			amat
imperfect	m	nama	tama	jama		namaw	tamaw	jamaw
	f			tama
imperative			ama				amaw

Related terms

Mansaka

Etymology

From Proto-Austronesian *amax.

Noun

ama

1. father

Maori

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *hama. Cognates include Tongan hama and Hawaiian ama.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a.ma/,

Noun

ama

1. outrigger (of a canoe)
2. bargeboard support

References

• “ama” in John C. Moorfield, Te Aka: Maori–English, English–Maori Dictionary and Index, 3rd edition, Longman/Pearson Education New Zealand, 2011, →ISBN.

Matal

Conjunction

ama

1. but

   Dza uwana asal matəf gəl aŋha, adàziŋ ala, ama dza uwana az gəl aŋha ala kà gi, adàɓəl gəl aŋha. (Mata 16:25)

   For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life on account of me will find it. (Matthew 16:25)

References

Nias

Noun

ama (mutated form nama)

1. father

   amagu ― my father

   amada ― our (and also your) father

References

Nyimang

Noun

ámá

1. human beings, people
2. members of the Nyimang people who speak the Ama dialect

References

• Afrikanistische Arbeitspapiere, issues 61-64, page 103: From the accompanying notes, I have these self-names: Nyimang ama-du wada 'ama (people)-of language' and
• Claude Rilly, Alex de Voogt, The Meroitic Language and Writing System (2012), page 80 (in notes)

Old Norse

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *ammōną (“to irritate, bother”). Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₃emh₃- (“to insist, urge”).

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: am‧a

Verb

ama

1. to bother
2. to wound

Conjugation

Noun

ama f (genitive ǫmu, plural ǫmur)

1. a large amount, a ton

References

• ama in Geir T. Zoëga (1910) A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press

Ometepec Nahuatl

Noun

ama

1. paper

Portuguese

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: (Portugal) -ɐmɐ, (Brazil) -ɐ̃mɐ
• Hyphenation: a‧ma

Etymology 1

From Old Galician-Portuguese ama, from Late Latin amma, q.v.

Noun

ama f (plural amas)

1. female nurse
2. female housekeeper
3. governess

Derived terms

• ama-de-leite
• ama-seca

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

ama

1. inflection of amar:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Quechua

Adverb

ama

1. (imperative) do not, used with -chu

   Ama mikhuychu!

   Don't eat!

Derived terms

• ama ñiy

See also

• mana

Noun

ama

1. old ruin

Declension

Rade

Etymology

From Proto-Chamic *ʔama, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *t-ama, from Proto-Austronesian *t-ama.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /amaa/,

Noun

ama

1. a father

Rapa Nui

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *hama. Cognates include Tongan hama and Hawaiian ama.

Noun

ama

1. outrigger

Rukai

Etymology

From Proto-Austronesian *t-ama.

Noun

ama

1. father
2. father's brother

Sakizaya

Etymology

From Proto-Austronesian *t-ama.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a.ˈma/,

Noun

ama

1. father

Scottish Gaelic

Noun

ama m

1. genitive singular of àm

Mutation

Scottish Gaelic mutation
Radical	Eclipsis	with h-prothesis	with t-prothesis
ama	n-ama	h-ama	t-ama
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

From Ottoman Turkish اما (ammâ), in turn from Arabic أَمَّا (ʔammā).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /âma/
• Hyphenation: a‧ma

Conjunction

ȁma (Cyrillic spelling а̏ма)

1. (regional) but

Synonyms

• (but): ali

Interjection

ama (Cyrillic spelling ама)

1. (regional) Used to express impatience.; ugh, blah

Sicilian

Verb

ama

1. inflection of amari:
   1. third-person singular present active indicative/subjunctive
   2. second-person singular imperative

Sidamo

Etymology

From Proto-Cushitic. Cognates include Burji ama and Hadiyya ama.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈama/
• Hyphenation: a‧ma

Noun

ama f (plural amuwa f)

1. mother

Declension

References

• Kazuhiro Kawachi (2007) A grammar of Sidaama (Sidamo), a Cushitic language of Ethiopia, page 82
• Gizaw Shimelis, editor (2007), “ama”, in Sidaama-Amharic-English dictionary, Addis Ababa: Sidama Information and Culture department

Somali

Conjunction

ama

1. or

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈama/

• Audio (Colombia):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ama
• Syllabification: a‧ma

Etymology 1

From Late Latin amma, q.v.

Noun

ama f (plural amas, masculine amo, masculine plural amos)

1. lady of the house
2. proprietress
3. landlady
4. housekeeper, head maid
5. nursemaid, nanny
6. wetnurse
7. mistress

Usage notes

• Feminine nouns beginning with stressed /ˈa/ like this one regularly take the singular articles el and un, usually reserved for masculine nouns.

  el ama, un ama

• They maintain the usual feminine singular articles la and una if an adjective intervenes between the article and the noun.

Derived terms

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

ama

1. inflection of amar:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Further reading

• “amo”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014

Sumerian

Romanization

ama

1. Romanization of 𒂼 (ama)

Swahili

Etymology

From Arabic أَم (ʔam).

Pronunciation

• Audio (Kenya)

  (file)

Conjunction

ama

1. or

   Synonym: au

Tagalog

Etymology 1

From Proto-Austronesian *amax. Compare Bikol Central ama, Cebuano ama, Fijian tama, Higaonon amay, Hiligaynon amay, Ibanag yama, Maranao ama', Malay rama, Saaroa ama'a, Taivoan ama', and Yami ama.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /ʔaˈma/,
• Rhymes: -a
• Syllabification: a‧ma

Noun

amá (Baybayin spelling ᜀᜋ)

1. (formal, literary) father

   Synonyms: tatay, papa, itay, (idiomatic) haligi ng tahanan

2. (figurative) founder; organizer

   Synonym: tagapagtatag

3. senior; older
4. sire

Derived terms

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Spanish ama.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /ˈʔama/,
• Rhymes: -ama
• Syllabification: a‧ma

Noun

ama (Baybayin spelling ᜀᜋ)

1. mistress; housewife
2. governess; caretaker of children

Etymology 3

From Chinese .

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /ˈʔama/,
• Rhymes: -ama
• Syllabification: a‧ma

Adverb

ama (Baybayin spelling ᜀᜋ)

1. rarely; seldom

   Synonyms: bihira, madalang, manaka-naka

Etymology 4

From Hokkien 阿媽／阿妈 (a-má, “paternal grandmother”).

Alternative forms

• ahma, amma, amah

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /ʔaˈma/,
• Rhymes: -a
• Syllabification: a‧ma

Noun

amá (Baybayin spelling ᜀᜋ) (Chinese Filipino, colloquial)

1. paternal grandmother; paternal grandma

   Synonym: lola

   Coordinate term: angkong

   • 2006, Christine S. Bellen, “Trese”, in Carla M. Pacis, Eugene Y. Evasco, editors, Bagets: an anthology of Filipino young adult fiction‎, UP Press, page 11:

     Mestisang Tsina naman si Nanay. Negosyante sina Ama at Angkong ko. Purong Tsino si Angkong. Lumikas mula sa Macao ang pamilya nila at dito sa Pilipinas nagtayo ng isang maliit na tindahan hanggang sa lumago ito at naging isang grocery.

     Mom is a Chinese mestiza. My grandmother and grandfather are businesspeople. Grandpa is a pure Chinese. Their family evacuated from Macau and it was here in the Philippines where they started a small store until it flourished and became a grocery.

2. term of address for one's paternal grandmother
   • 2006, Christine S. Bellen, “Trese”, in Carla M. Pacis, Eugene Y. Evasco, editors, Bagets: an anthology of Filipino young adult fiction‎, UP Press, page 11:

     Sa Pilipinas na napangasawa ni Angkong si Ama. Pilipina ang nanay ni Ama pero sila ang mas mahigpit sa mga pamahiing Tsino.

     It was in the Philippines already where Grandpa married Grandma. Grandma's mother is a Filipina but they are the ones who are stricter in Chinese superstitions.

Tausug

Etymology

From Proto-Austronesian *amax.

Noun

ama

1. father

Thao

Noun

ama

1. father
2. paternal uncle

Torres Strait Creole

Noun

ama

1. mother
2. maternal aunt; one's mother's sister
3. mother-in-law; one's spouse's mother

Turkish

Etymology 1

Inherited from Ottoman Turkish اما (ammâ), from Arabic أَمَّا (ʔammā).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):
• Hyphenation: a‧ma

Conjunction

ama

1. but; however

   Synonyms: ancak, amma, lakin, velakin

Descendants

• → Ladino: ama

Etymology 2

From am (“cunt, pussy”) +‎ -a (dative suffix).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):
• Hyphenation: a‧ma

Noun

ama

1. dative singular of am

See also

• amma
• âmâ

Further reading

• “ama”, in Turkish dictionaries, Türk Dil Kurumu
• Nişanyan, Sevan (2002–) “ama”, in Nişanyan Sözlük
• Ayverdi, İlhan (2010) “ama”, in Misalli Büyük Türkçe Sözlük, a reviewed and expanded single-volume edition, Istanbul: Kubbealtı Neşriyatı

Tzotzil

Pronunciation

• (Zinacantán) IPA^(key): /ˈʔämä/

Noun

ama

1. flute

References

• “ˀama” in Laughlin, Robert M. (1975) The Great Tzotzil Dictionary of San Lorenzo Zinacantán. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press.

Uri

Noun

ama

1. water

References

• Rachel Gray, Margaret Potter, Thom Retsema, Mungkip: an endangered language, SIL Electronic Survey Reports 35 (2009), page 25

Wayuu

Noun

ama

1. horse

Yale

Noun

ama

1. dog

Yami

Etymology

From Proto-Austronesian *amax.

Noun

ama

1. father