mama

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English

English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Alternative forms

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

Noun

mama (plural mamas)

  1. (hypocoristic, usually childish, Canada, US) Mother, female parent.

Derived terms

Translations

Anagrams

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

Aukan

Noun

mama

  1. mother
  2. woman
    Synonym: uman

Aymara

Pronunciation

Noun

mama

  1. mother
  2. Mrs., mistress (general respectful address for married women).
    tatanak mamanakaladies and gentlemen

Azerbaijani

Pronunciation

Noun

mama (definite accusative mamanı, plural mamalar)

  1. (dialectal) paternal aunt [nt. 1]
    Synonym: bibi
  2. mom
    Synonym: ana
  3. midwife
    Synonym: mamaça

Usage notes

Declension

    Declension of mama
singular plural
nominative mama
mamalar
definite accusative mamanı
mamaları
dative mamaya
mamalara
locative mamada
mamalarda
ablative mamadan
mamalardan
definite genitive mamanın
mamaların
    Possessive forms of mama
nominative
singular plural
mənim (my) mamam mamalarım
sənin (your) maman mamaların
onun (his/her/its) maması mamaları
bizim (our) mamamız mamalarımız
sizin (your) mamanız mamalarınız
onların (their) maması or mamaları mamaları
accusative
singular plural
mənim (my) mamamı mamalarımı
sənin (your) mamanı mamalarını
onun (his/her/its) mamasını mamalarını
bizim (our) mamamızı mamalarımızı
sizin (your) mamanızı mamalarınızı
onların (their) mamasını or mamalarını mamalarını
dative
singular plural
mənim (my) mamama mamalarıma
sənin (your) mamana mamalarına
onun (his/her/its) mamasına mamalarına
bizim (our) mamamıza mamalarımıza
sizin (your) mamanıza mamalarınıza
onların (their) mamasına or mamalarına mamalarına
locative
singular plural
mənim (my) mamamda mamalarımda
sənin (your) mamanda mamalarında
onun (his/her/its) mamasında mamalarında
bizim (our) mamamızda mamalarımızda
sizin (your) mamanızda mamalarınızda
onların (their) mamasında or mamalarında mamalarında
ablative
singular plural
mənim (my) mamamdan mamalarımdan
sənin (your) mamandan mamalarından
onun (his/her/its) mamasından mamalarından
bizim (our) mamamızdan mamalarımızdan
sizin (your) mamanızdan mamalarınızdan
onların (their) mamasından or mamalarından mamalarından
genitive
singular plural
mənim (my) mamamın mamalarımın
sənin (your) mamanın mamalarının
onun (his/her/its) mamasının mamalarının
bizim (our) mamamızın mamalarımızın
sizin (your) mamanızın mamalarınızın
onların (their) mamasının or mamalarının mamalarının

References

  1. ^ Şirəliyev M. Ş., İslamov M. İ., editors (1999–2003), “mama”, in Azərbaycan dialektoloji lüğəti [Azerbaijani Dialectological Dictionary] (in Azerbaijani), Ankara: Türk Dil Kurumu.

Further reading

  • mama” in Obastan.com.

Bavarian

Noun

mama

  1. (Timau) mother, mom, mama

References

  • Umberto Patuzzi, ed., (2013) Ünsarne Börtar, Luserna: Comitato unitario delle linguistiche storiche germaniche in Italia / Einheitskomitee der historischen deutschen Sprachinseln in Italien.

Bikol Central

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

  • Hyphenation: ma‧ma
  • IPA(key): /ˈmama/

Noun

máma (masculine papa)

  1. a mother; a (human) female who (a) parents a child (b) gives birth to a baby (c) donates a fertilized egg or (d) donates a body cell which has resulted in a clone. Sometimes used in reference to a pregnant female, possibly as a shortened form of mother-to-be
    Synonyms: ina, nanay
  2. a term of address to one's mother, mother-in-law or wife

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

  • Hyphenation: ma‧ma
  • IPA(key): /maˈmaʔ/

Noun

mamâ

  1. betel nut
Derived terms

Brunei Malay

Noun

mama

  1. A mother.
    Synonym: babu

Catalan

Etymology 1

From Latin mamma.

Pronunciation

Noun

mama f (plural mames)

  1. (informal) mom
  2. (anatomy) mamma
Derived terms

Further reading

Etymology 2

Verb

mama

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

Cebuano

Pronunciation

  • Hyphenation: ma‧ma

Noun

mama

  1. a mother; a (human) female who (a) parents a child (b) gives birth to a baby (c) donates a fertilized egg or (d) donates a body cell which has resulted in a clone
    Synonyms: ina, inahan, nanay
  2. a term of address to one's mother, mother-in-law or wife

Usage notes

  • Sense 1 is sometimes used in reference to a pregnant female, possibly as a shortened form of mother-to-be.

Chinook Jargon

Etymology

From English mama or French maman.

Noun

mama

  1. mother
    Synonym: naha
    Coordinate term: papa

Dutch

Etymology

Loaned from French maman[1]

Pronunciation

Noun

mama f (plural mama's, diminutive mamaatje n)

  1. mama, mother
    Mama, ik heb honger!Mommy, I’m hungry!
    Synonyms: ma, mam
    Synonyms: moeder, moe, (Flemish) moeke

Alternative forms

Derived terms

Descendants

  • Berbice Creole Dutch: mama
  • Negerhollands: mama, Mama
    • Virgin Islands Creole: muma

References

  1. ^ van der Sijs, Nicoline, editor (2010), “mama”, in Etymologiebank, Meertens Institute

Ewe

Noun

mama

  1. grandmother

Fijian

Noun

mama

  1. ring (for one's finger)

Galician

Etymology

From Latin mamma.

Noun

mama f (plural mamas)

  1. (anatomy) mamma, breast

Verb

mama

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

Garo

Etymology

Likely from Bengali মামা (mama)

Noun

mama

  1. maternal uncle
  2. husband of aunt
  3. father-in-law
  4. brother of father-in-law

Synonyms

Guinea-Bissau Creole

Etymology

From Portuguese mama. Cognate with Kabuverdianu mama.

Noun

mama

  1. bosom
  2. breast of a woman

Hausa

Pronunciation

Noun

mā̀ma f (possessed form mā̀mar̃)

  1. mother
    Synonym: uwa

Noun

mā̀ma m (possessed form mā̀man)

  1. breast
    Synonym: nono

Hawaiian

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *mamaq.

Pronunciation

IPA(key): /ˈma.ma/,

Verb

mama

  1. to chew, masticate (but not swallow)

References

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

Hungarian

Pronunciation

Noun

mama (plural mamák)

  1. mom, mum
    Synonyms: anya, anyu, édesanya, anyuka, anyuci
    Coordinate term: papa
  2. (dialectal) grandmom

Declension

Inflection (stem in long/high vowel, back harmony)
singular plural
nominative mama mamák
accusative mamát mamákat
dative mamának mamáknak
instrumental mamával mamákkal
causal-final mamáért mamákért
translative mamává mamákká
terminative mamáig mamákig
essive-formal mamaként mamákként
essive-modal
inessive mamában mamákban
superessive mamán mamákon
adessive mamánál mamáknál
illative mamába mamákba
sublative mamára mamákra
allative mamához mamákhoz
elative mamából mamákból
delative mamáról mamákról
ablative mamától mamáktól
non-attributive
possessive - singular
mamáé mamáké
non-attributive
possessive - plural
mamáéi mamákéi
Possessive forms of mama
possessor single possession multiple possessions
1st person sing. mamám mamáim
2nd person sing. mamád mamáid
3rd person sing. mamája mamái
1st person plural mamánk mamáink
2nd person plural mamátok mamáitok
3rd person plural mamájuk mamáik

Derived terms

Compound words

Further reading

  • mama 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

Ido

Etymology

Borrowed from English mamaFrench mamanGerman MamaItalian mammaRussian ма́ма (máma)Spanish mamá.

Pronunciation

Noun

mama (plural mamai)

  1. mama, mom, mommy, mum
    Synonym: matro
    Coordinate terms: papa, patro

Ilocano

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /maˈma/
  • Hyphenation: ma‧ma

Noun

mamá (Kur-itan spelling ᜋᜋ)

  1. momma (a betel nut plus other ingredients to be chewed on)
    Maiparit ti agtupra ti mama.
    Spitting of momma is not allowed.

Indonesian

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈmama/
  • Hyphenation: ma‧ma
  • Rhymes: -ma, -a

Etymology 1

Originally from baby talk.

Noun

mama (plural mama-mama, first-person possessive mamaku, second-person possessive mamamu, third-person possessive mamanya)

  1. mother: female parent.
    Synonyms: biyung, bunda, emak, embok, ibu, ibunda, ibung, indung, mak, mami, mandeh, mbok, umi
Alternative forms

Etymology 2

Learned borrowing from Latin mamma, from Ancient Greek μάμμη (mámmē).

Noun

mama (plural mama-mama, first-person possessive mamaku, second-person possessive mamamu, third-person possessive mamanya)

  1. mamma:
    1. (medicine) breast, udder: The milk-secreting organ of female humans and other mammals which includes the mammary gland and the nipple or teat.
      Synonyms: buah dada, bukit kembar, gunung kembar, payudara, susu, tetek, toket
    2. (meteorology) An accessory cloud like a mammary in appearance, which can form on the underside of most cloud genera.

Further reading

Ingrian

Etymology

Borrowed from Russian мама (mama).

Pronunciation

Noun

mama

  1. mum, mama
    • 1936, N. A. Iljin and V. I. Junus, Bukvari iƶoroin șkouluja vart, Leningrad: Riikin Ucebno-pedagogiceskoi Izdateljstva:
      Kana, ka-ka-ka, na, mama, kana.
      A hen, cluck cluck cluck, here, mummy, a hen.

Declension

Declension of mama (type 3/kana, no gradation, gemination)
singular plural
nominative mama mamat
genitive maman mammoin
partitive mammaa mamoja
illative mammaa mammoi
inessive mamas mamois
elative mamast mamoist
allative mamalle mamoille
adessive mamal mamoil
ablative mamalt mamoilt
translative mamaks mamoiks
essive mamanna, mammaan mamoinna, mammoin
exessive1) mamant mamoint
1) obsolete
*) the accusative corresponds with either the genitive (sg) or nominative (pl)
**) the comitative is formed by adding the suffix -ka? or -kä? to the genitive.

Coordinate terms

  • papa (dad; papa)

References

  • Fedor Tumansky (1790) “мама”, in Опытъ повѣствованїя о дѣянїях, положенїи, состоянїи и раздѣленїи Санкт-Петербургской губернїи [An experiment of an account of the acts, location, condition and division of the Saint Petersburg gubernia], Краткїй словарь ижерскаго, финскаго, эстонскаго, чюдскаго, и ямскаго нарѣчїя съ россїйскимъ переводомъ [A short dictionary of the Ingrian, Finnish, Estonian, Chud and Yamtian dialects with a Russian translation], page 699
  • Ruben E. Nirvi (1971) Inkeroismurteiden Sanakirja, Helsinki: Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura, page 295

Irish

Etymology

From Latin mamma.

Noun

mama m (genitive singular mama, nominative plural mamaí)

  1. (literary) breast, pap
  2. (anatomy) mamma
    Synonym: faireog mhamach

Declension

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical Lenition Eclipsis
mama mhama not applicable
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

Istriot

Etymology

From Latin mamma.

Noun

mama f

  1. mom, mamma, mother

See also

Japanese

Romanization

mama

  1. Rōmaji transcription of まま
  2. Rōmaji transcription of ママ

Kabuverdianu

Etymology

From Portuguese mama.

Noun

mama

  1. bosom
  2. breast of a woman

Krisa

Pronoun

mama

  1. you

Laboya

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Verb

mama

  1. to chew betel

Etymology 2

Noun

mama

  1. to mother

References

  • Allahverdi Verdizade (2019) “mama”, in Lamboya word list, Leiden: LexiRumah

Latgalian

Etymology

From Proto-Balto-Slavic *mā́ˀmāˀ. Cognates include Latvian mama and Lithuanian mama.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key):
  • Hyphenation: ma‧ma

Noun

mama f (diminutive mameņa)

  1. (colloquial) mum, mummy

Declension

Synonyms

Coordinate terms

References

  • A. Andronov, L. Leikuma (2008) Latgalīšu-Latvīšu-Krīvu sarunu vuordineica, Lvava, →ISBN, page 10

Lithuanian

Etymology

A nursery word. From Proto-Balto-Slavic *mā́ˀmāˀ, from Proto-Indo-European *méh₂-méh₂, a reduplication of *méh₂- - the root of *méh₂tēr (mother).

Cognate with Proto-Slavic *mama, German Muhme (aunt), Latin mamma (mother, nurse), Irish mam (mother) among others.

Noun

mamà f (plural mãmos) stress pattern 4

  1. mother

Declension

Lower Sorbian

Etymology

A nursery word. From Proto-Slavic *mama, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *mā́ˀmāˀ, from Proto-Indo-European *méh₂-méh₂, a reduplication of *méh₂- - the root of *méh₂tēr (mother).

Cognate with German Muhme (aunt), Latin mamma (mother, nurse), Irish mam (mother), Lithuanian mama, moma (mother) among others. Cf. Proto-Slavic *tata, *baba.

Pronunciation

Noun

mama f (diminutive maminka)

  1. mother, mom

Declension

Further reading

  • Muka, Arnošt (1921, 1928) “mama”, in Słownik dolnoserbskeje rěcy a jeje narěcow (in German), St. Petersburg, Prague: ОРЯС РАН, ČAVU; Reprinted Bautzen: Domowina-Verlag, 2008
  • Starosta, Manfred (1999) “mama”, in Dolnoserbsko-nimski słownik / Niedersorbisch-deutsches Wörterbuch (in German), Bautzen: Domowina-Verlag

Maguindanao

Etymology

From ma- and ama.

Adjective

mama

  1. male

Noun

mama

  1. a male

Maranao

Etymology

From ma- +‎ ama.

Adjective

mama

  1. male (clarification of this definition is needed)

Noun

mama

  1. a male

Martuthunira

Pronunciation

Noun

mama

  1. paternal uncle (one’s father’s brother)

References

  • Dench, Alan Charles. 1995. Martuthunira: A Language of the Pilbara Region of Western Australia. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics. Series C-125.

Mauritian Creole

Etymology 1

From French maman.

Noun

mama

  1. mother

Etymology 2

From Hindi मामा (māmā) and Marathi मामा (māmā).

Noun

mama

  1. uncle
    Synonyms: chacha, tonton

References

  • Baker, Philip & Hookoomsing, Vinesh Y. 1987. Dictionnaire de créole mauricien. Morisyen – English – Français

Mòcheno

Etymology

Possibly derived from Middle High German muome, from Old High German muoma, from Proto-West Germanic *mōmā (mama, mother), from Proto-Germanic *mōmǭ (mama, mother; aunt, auntie). Cognate with German Mama, English mama.

Noun

mama f

  1. mother

References

Nigerian Pidgin

Noun

mama

  1. mother

Old Polish

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *màma. First attested in the fifteenth century.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): (10th–15th CE) /mama/
  • IPA(key): (15th CE) /mama/

Noun

mama f

  1. (attested in Masovia) mom, mother
    • 1950 [1470], Władysław Kuraszkiewicz, Adam Wolff, editors, Zapiski i roty polskie XV-XVI wieku z ksiąg sądowych ziemi warszawskiej, number 1308, Warsaw:
      Yakom ya Malgorzacze, mamye mey, nye szabral dwu szuknyv
      [Jakom ja Małgorzacie, mamie mej, nie zabrał dwu sukniu]
  2. wet nurse, nurse
    • Middle of the 15th century, Rozmyślanie o żywocie Pana Jezusa, page 12:
      Nye tako, yako ynne panny czynyv, yze schvkaya ynych opczych mam (non ut solent homines extraneam quaesivit nutricem mater puero), alye swe dzyeczatko svymy pyrszyamy karmyla (sc. Anna)
      [Nie tako, jako inne panny czynią, iże szukają inych obcych mam (non ut solent homines extraneam quaesivit nutricem mater puero), ale swe dzieciątko swymi pirsiami karmiła (sc. Anna)]

Derived terms

nouns

Descendants

References

  • Boryś, Wiesław (2005) “mama”, in Słownik etymologiczny języka polskiego (in Polish), Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literackie, →ISBN
  • Mańczak, Witold (2017) “mama”, in Polski słownik etymologiczny (in Polish), Kraków: Polska Akademia Umiejętności, →ISBN
  • Bańkowski, Andrzej (2000) “mama”, in Etymologiczny słownik języka polskiego [Etymological Dictionary of the Polish Language] (in Polish)
  • B. Sieradzka-Baziur, Ewa Deptuchowa, Joanna Duska, Mariusz Frodyma, Beata Hejmo, Dorota Janeczko, Katarzyna Jasińska, Krystyna Kajtoch, Joanna Kozioł, Marian Kucała, Dorota Mika, Gabriela Niemiec, Urszula Poprawska, Elżbieta Supranowicz, Ludwika Szelachowska-Winiarzowa, Zofia Wanicowa, Piotr Szpor, Bartłomiej Borek, editors (2011–2015), “mama”, in Słownik pojęciowy języka staropolskiego [Conceptual Dictionary of Old Polish] (in Polish), Kraków: IJP PAN, →ISBN

Old Slovak

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *mama.

Noun

mama f

  1. mom, mother

Descendants

References

  • Majtán, Milan et al., editors (1991–2008), “mama”, in Historický slovník slovenského jazyka [Historical Dictionary of the Slovak Language] (in Slovak), volumes 1–7 (A – Ž), Bratislava: VEDA, →OCLC

Pali

Alternative forms

Pronoun

mama

  1. genitive/dative singular of ahaṃ (me)

Panyjima

Pronunciation

Noun

mama

  1. father
    Synonym: papu
  2. paternal uncle (one’s father’s brother)

References

  • Dench, Alan (1991). "Panyjima", in R.M.W. Dixon and Barry J. Blake: The Handbook of Australian Languages, Volume 4. Melbourne: Oxford University Press Australia, 125–244.

Papiamentu

Etymology

From Dutch mama.

Noun

mama

  1. mother

Pitjantjatjara

Pronunciation

Noun

mama

  1. father
    Synonym: punari
  2. father’s older brother or close male friend; uncle
    Synonym: mama puḻka
  3. god

Derived terms

Polish

Polish Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia pl

Etymology

Inherited from Old Polish mama.

Pronunciation

 
  • Audio:(file)
  • Rhymes: -ama
  • Syllabification: ma‧ma

Noun

mama f (diminutive (dialectal) mamula)

  1. mum, mom, mother
  2. (Middle Polish) wetnurse
    Synonym: mamka
  3. (Middle Polish) nurse, caregiver
    Synonym: piastunka

Declension

Derived terms

nouns

Trivia

According to Słownik frekwencyjny polszczyzny współczesnej (1990), mama is one of the most used words in Polish, appearing 0 times in scientific texts, 0 times in news, 1 time in essays, 17 times in fiction, and 93 times in plays, each out of a corpus of 100,000 words, totaling 111 times, making it the 552nd most common word in a corpus of 500,000 words.[1]

References

  1. ^ Ida Kurcz (1990) “mama”, in Słownik frekwencyjny polszczyzny współczesnej [Frequency dictionary of the Polish language] (in Polish), volume 1, Kraków, Warszawa: Polska Akademia Nauk. Instytut Języka Polskiego, page 233

Further reading

  • mama in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
  • mama in Polish dictionaries at PWN
  • Maria Renata Mayenowa, Stanisław Rospond, Witold Taszycki, Stefan Hrabec, Władysław Kuraszkiewicz (2010-2023) “mama”, in Słownik Polszczyzny XVI Wieku [A Dictionary of 16th Century Polish]
  • Magdalena Majdak (19.02.2015) “MAMA”, in Elektroniczny Słownik Języka Polskiego XVII i XVIII Wieku [Electronic Dictionary of the Polish Language of the XVII and XVIII Century]
  • Samuel Bogumił Linde (1807–1814) “mama”, in Słownik języka polskiego
  • Aleksander Zdanowicz (1861) “mama”, in Słownik języka polskiego, Wilno 1861
  • J. Karłowicz, A. Kryński, W. Niedźwiedzki, editors (1902), “mama”, in Słownik języka polskiego (in Polish), volume 2, Warsaw, page 868
  • mama in Narodowy Fotokorpus Języka Polskiego

Portuguese

Pronunciation

 
 

Etymology 1

From Latin mamma. Compare Italian mammella, French mamelle.

Noun

mama f (plural mamas)

  1. (human) breast, bosom
  2. (animal) udder, teat

Etymology 2

Verb

mama

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

Quechua

Pronunciation

Noun

mama

  1. mother
    Coordinate terms: yaya, tayta, tata (father)
  2. madam, lady
    Synonym: wayru
    Coordinate terms: tayta, tata (mister)
  3. (geology) vein
  4. (mathematics) matrix

Declension

Derived terms

See also

Rapa Nui

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *mamaq.

Verb

mama

  1. to chew

Romanian

Noun

mama

  1. definite nominative/accusative singular of mamă

Rwanda-Rundi

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *mààmá.

Noun

māmá class 1a (plural bāmâmá class 2a)

  1. my mother
  2. my maternal aunt

See also

  • nyoko (your mother)
  • nyina (his/her mother)
  • data (my father)

Sardinian

Etymology

From Latin mamma, from Ancient Greek μάμμη (mámmē).

Pronunciation

Noun

mama f (plural mamas) (Limba Sarda Comuna)

  1. mother

See also

Serbo-Croatian

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /mâma/
  • Hyphenation: ma‧ma

Noun

mȁma f (Cyrillic spelling ма̏ма)

  1. mom

Declension

Silesian

Etymology

Inherited from Old Polish mama.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈma.ma/
  • Rhymes: -ama
  • Syllabification: ma‧ma

Noun

mama f

  1. (colloquial) mom, mother
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:muter
    Coordinate terms: see Thesaurus:fater

Declension

verbs

Further reading

  • mama in dykcjonorz.eu
  • mama in silling.org

Slovak

Etymology

Inherited from Old Slovak mama, from Proto-Slavic *mama, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *mā́ˀmāˀ, from Proto-Indo-European *méh₂-méh₂, a reduplication of *méh₂- - the root of *méh₂tēr (mother).

Pronunciation

Noun

mama f (genitive singular mamy, nominative plural mamy, genitive plural mám, declension pattern of žena)

  1. mama

Declension

Derived terms

Further reading

  • mama”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2003–2024

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin mamma.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈmama/
  • Rhymes: -ama
  • Syllabification: ma‧ma

Noun

mama f (plural mamas)

  1. (anatomy) mamma, breast
    Synonyms: pecho, seno

Verb

mama

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

Further reading

Sranan Tongo

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

Noun

mama

  1. mother
  2. (figuratively, in compounds) origin, source, centre, basis

Derived terms

Swahili

Swahili Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia sw

Pronunciation

Noun

mama (n class, plural mama)

  1. mother (female parent)
    Coordinate term: baba
  2. Respectful term of address for an older woman.

Derived terms

Tagalog

Etymology 1

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *mama, from Proto-Austronesian *mamah (father’s brother). Also possibly borrowed from Sanskrit माम (māma) or from Tamil மாமா (māmā). Compare Malay mamak.

Pronunciation

Noun

mamà (Baybayin spelling ᜋᜋ)

  1. a term used in referring to, or in addressing, a male unknown to the speaker
    Synonyms: mang, manong
  2. (archaic, familiar) uncle (parent's younger brother)
  3. (archaic, familiar, childish) any relative of the father or mother
Derived terms

See also

Etymology 2

Each pronunciation has a different source:

Pronunciation

Noun

mama or mamá (masculine papa, Baybayin spelling ᜋᜋ) (colloquial, familiar, childish)

  1. mum, mom
    Synonyms: ma, ina, nanay, inay, nay, inang, nanang

Etymology 3

From Proto-Philippine *mamaq, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *mamaq (chew without intending to swallow, as betel nut; premasticate food to give to an infant; premasticated food). Compare Javanese ꦩꦩꦃ (mamah) and Malay mamah.

Pronunciation

Noun

mamâ (Baybayin spelling ᜋᜋ)

  1. betelnut chewing
Derived terms
See also

Etymology 4

Pronunciation

Noun

mamâ (Baybayin spelling ᜋᜋ) (obsolete)

  1. name of the Baybayin letter (ma), corresponding to "ma"

See also

Further reading

  • mama”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila, 2018
  • San Buena Ventura, Fr. Pedro de (1613) Juan de Silva, editor, Vocabulario de lengua tagala: El romance castellano puesto primero, La Noble Villa de Pila
    • page 173: “Comer) Mama (pc) buyo”
    • page 400: “M) Mama (pc) letra del .A.b.c. Tagalog .|. mama yaon .|. . ſumulat ca nang mama nang iniõg ſulat, eſcriue la. M. de bueſtra eſcritura, yſulat mo aco nang mama, eſcriueme vna .M.”
    • page 575: “Tio) Mama (pp) llamandole el ſobrino y como en Eſpañol vſamos llamar tio al hias viejo, tambien lo vſan eſtos y diçen, mama ay, ola tio, yaring ſi mama a, eſte mi tio.”

Anagrams

Tetum

Verb

mama

  1. to chew betel

Tok Pisin

Etymology

From English mama.

Noun

mama

  1. mother
    Antonym: papa

Derived terms

Tumbuka

Noun

mama class 1a (plural ŵamama class 2)

  1. mother, mom

Coordinate terms

Turkish

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key):
  • Hyphenation: ma‧ma

Noun

mama (definite accusative mamayı, plural mamalar)

  1. baby food
  2. pet food
  3. food (in child's language)

Declension

Inflection
Nominative mama
Definite accusative mamayı
Singular Plural
Nominative mama mamalar
Definite accusative mamayı mamaları
Dative mamaya mamalara
Locative mamada mamalarda
Ablative mamadan mamalardan
Genitive mamanın mamaların
Possessive forms
Nominative
Singular Plural
1st singular mamam mamalarım
2nd singular maman mamaların
3rd singular maması mamaları
1st plural mamamız mamalarımız
2nd plural mamanız mamalarınız
3rd plural mamaları mamaları
Definite accusative
Singular Plural
1st singular mamamı mamalarımı
2nd singular mamanı mamalarını
3rd singular mamasını mamalarını
1st plural mamamızı mamalarımızı
2nd plural mamanızı mamalarınızı
3rd plural mamalarını mamalarını
Dative
Singular Plural
1st singular mamama mamalarıma
2nd singular mamana mamalarına
3rd singular mamasına mamalarına
1st plural mamamıza mamalarımıza
2nd plural mamanıza mamalarınıza
3rd plural mamalarına mamalarına
Locative
Singular Plural
1st singular mamamda mamalarımda
2nd singular mamanda mamalarında
3rd singular mamasında mamalarında
1st plural mamamızda mamalarımızda
2nd plural mamanızda mamalarınızda
3rd plural mamalarında mamalarında
Ablative
Singular Plural
1st singular mamamdan mamalarımdan
2nd singular mamandan mamalarından
3rd singular mamasından mamalarından
1st plural mamamızdan mamalarımızdan
2nd plural mamanızdan mamalarınızdan
3rd plural mamalarından mamalarından
Genitive
Singular Plural
1st singular mamamın mamalarımın
2nd singular mamanın mamalarının
3rd singular mamasının mamalarının
1st plural mamamızın mamalarımızın
2nd plural mamanızın mamalarınızın
3rd plural mamalarının mamalarının

Turkmen

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Noun

mama

  1. maternal grandmother
  2. term of address for old women

Etymology 2

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

Noun

mama

  1. smallpox
    Synonym: jäjek

Upper Sorbian

Pronunciation

Noun

mama f (diminutive mamička or mamimka)

  1. mama, mommy, mum

Declension

Venda

Verb

mama

  1. to suck

Venetan

Etymology

From Latin mamma. Compare Italian mamma.

Noun

mama f (plural mame)

  1. mother
  2. mum, mummy

Wanyi

Etymology

Compare Guugu Yimidhirr mayi.

Noun

mama

  1. (vegetable-based) food

References

  • Mary Laughren, Rob Pensalfini, Tom Mylne, Accounting for verb-initial order in an Australian language, in Verb First: On the syntax of verb-initial languages (2005)

West Makian

Pronunciation

Noun

mama

  1. mother
    Synonym: mamu

Usage notes

The terms mama and mamu are used for referring to a mother, whereas the term yaya is used for addressing one's mother.

References

  • Clemens Voorhoeve (1982) The Makian languages and their neighbours, Pacific linguistics

Ye'kwana

Variant orthographies
ALIV mama
Brazilian standard mama
New Tribes mama

Alternative forms

  • maama (Caura River dialect)

Pronunciation

Noun

mama

  1. (Cunucunuma River dialect) first-person possessed form of

Yoruba

Alternative forms

Etymology

Probably influenced by English mama, may have existed before contact with English though. Possibly a corruption of mọ̀mọ́.

Pronunciation

Noun

màmá

  1. mother
    Synonyms: iye, ìyá, mọ́mì, yèyé, èye
  2. a term of endearment or respect for an older woman or female relative
    Synonyms: iye, ìyá, mọ́mì, yèyé

Coordinate terms