mamma

See also: Mamma, mammà, and måmma

English

Etymology 1

Learned borrowing from Latin mamma.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈmæmə/
Audio (Southern England): (file)
Rhymes: -æmə

Noun

mamma (plural mammae or mammas)

(anatomy, plural mammae) The milk-secreting organ of female humans and other mammals which includes the mammary gland and the nipple or teat; a breast; an udder.
- 1880, Herbert Spencer, The Study of Sociology, page 434:
  Either sex under special stimulations is capable of manifesting powers ordinarily shown only by the other […] Thus, to take an extreme case, the mammæ of men will, under special excitation, yield milk: there are various cases of gynecomasty on record, and in famines infants whose mothers have died have been thus saved.
(meteorology) An accessory cloud like a mammary in appearance, which can form on the underside of most cloud genera.

Derived terms

Translations

milk-secreting organ

Catalan: mama (ca) f, mamella (ca) f
Finnish: nisä (fi)
Galician: mama (gl) f
Indonesian: mama (id), payudara (id), susu (id), tetek (id)
Irish: mama m, faireog mhamach f
Italian: mammella (it)
Kurdish:
Central Kurdish: گوان (gwan) (animals only)

Northern Kurdish: guhan (ku) m
Macedonian: до́јка f (dójka)
Portuguese: mama (pt) f
Russian: моло́чная железа́ (ru) f (molóčnaja železá)
Spanish: mama (es) f

Etymology 2

Variant of mama.

Noun

mamma (plural mammas)

Alternative spelling of mama.
- 1689 (indicated as 1690), [John Locke], “Of General Terms”, in An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding. […], London: […] Eliz[abeth] Holt, for Thomas Basset, […], →OCLC, book III, § 7, page 191:
  The Ideas of the Nurſe, and the Mother, are vvell framed in their Minds; and, like Pictures of them there, repreſent only thoſe Individuals. The Names they firſt give to them, are confined to theſe Individuals; and the names of Nurſe, and Mamma, the Child uſes, determine themſelves to thoſe Perſons.
- 1691, Tho[mas] Shadwell, “Epilogue”, in The Scowrers. A Comedy, […], London: […] James Knapton, […], →OCLC:
  This begets Scorn, hovv can one stand in avve, / Of a vain Tavvdry, Amorous Mamma.
- 1819 July 15, [Lord Byron], Don Juan, London: […] Thomas Davison, […], →OCLC, canto I, stanza XLVIII, page 27:
  I can't but say that his mamma was right, / If such an education was the true one.
- 1844 June, Michael Angelo Titmarsh [pseudonym; William Makepeace Thackeray], “[Critical Reviews of Books and Pictures.] May Gambols; or, Titmarsh in the Picture Galleries.”, in Miscellaneous Essays, Sketches and Reviews (The Works of William Makepeace Thackeray; XXV), London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], published 1885, →OCLC, page 256:
  The exhibition of the New Society of Water-Colour Painters has grown to be quite as handsome and agreeable as that of its mamma, the old Society in Pall Mall East.
- 1878 April 25 – September 24 (date written), Anthony Trollope, “Lady Albury’s Letter”, in Ayala’s Angel […], volume II, London: Chapman and Hall […], published 1881, →OCLC, page 59:
  That they should spend their Christmas at Merle Park was an acknowledged thing;—to mamma Tringle an acknowledged benefit, because she liked to have her daughter with her; to papa Tringle an acknowledged evil, because he could not endure to be made to give more than he intended to give.
- 1886, Gustave Flaubert, chapter VII, in Eleanor Marx-Aveling, transl., Madame Bovary: Provincial Manners […], London: Vizetelly & Co., […], →OCLC, part I, page 47:
  Charles […] respected his mother, and he loved his wife infinitely; he considered the judgment of the one infallible, and yet he thought the conduct of the other irreproachable. When Madame Bovary had gone, he tried timidly and in the same terms to hazard one or two of the more anodyne observations he had heard from his mamma. Emma proved to him with a word that he was mistaken, and sent him off to his patients.
- 1887, John Ruskin, “Cumæ”, in Præterita. Outlines of Scenes and Thoughts Perhaps Worthy of Memory in My Past Life, volume II, Orpington, Kent: George Allen, →OCLC, pages 71–72:
  [T]he cameo cutters were also skilful in mortal portraiture, and papa and mamma, still expectant of my future greatness, resolved to have me carved in cameo.
- 1927 April 9, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, “The Story of William”, in Meet Mr. Mulliner, London: Herbert Jenkins […], published 27 September 1927, →OCLC, page 179:
  [W]hat would I do supposing the Jane on whom I had always looked as a steady mamma had handed me the old skimmer and told me to take all the air I needed because she had gotten another sweetie?
- a. 1984 (date written), Rebecca West [pseudonym; Cicily Isabel Fairfield], chapter I, in This Real Night, London; Basingstoke, Hampshire: Macmillan London, published 1984, →ISBN, part 1, page 10:
  Silly Mamma, of course you should have your hair done like other Mammas.

Derived terms

Interjection

mamma

Alternative spelling of mama.
- 1896, George Ade, chapter XII, in Artie: A Story of the Streets and Town, 2nd edition, Chicago, Ill.: Herbert S. Stone & Co., published 10 October 1896, →OCLC, page 109:
  He do n't do a thing in the world except travel around with some more o' them handy boys and lay for jack-pots. And the talk he gives you! Mamma! He 's better 'n any o' them shell-workers that used to graft out at the gover'ment pier.

Verb

mamma (third-person singular simple present mammas, present participle mammaing, simple past and past participle mammaed) (transitive, uncommon)

Alternative spelling of mama.
- 1749 June 26 (Gregorian calendar), [Samuel Richardson], “Letter LXIV. Miss Clarissa Harlowe, to Miss Howe.”, in Clarissa. Or, The History of a Young Lady: […], 2nd edition, volume III, London: […] S[amuel] Richardson; [a]nd sold by John Osborn, […], →OCLC, page 320:
  Priſc[illa] vvill Mamma-up Mrs. Sinclair, and vvill undertake to court her guardian to let her paſs a delightful vveek vvith her.
- 1905 May 7, “The Lancer”, in Los Angeles Sunday Times, volume 47, number 155, Los Angeles, Calif.: The Times-Mirror Company, →OCLC, part II, page 5, column 2:
  What shall be the effeminating effect upon the rising generation if the brave men of today are to be mammaed by a crew of timid Supervisors?
- 1905 December 6, “Humor: Babies and the parson: How his scheme for keeping them quiet was spoiled”, in The Evening Examiner, volume XXXIX, number 132, Peterborough, Ont.: [The Peterborough Examiner], →ISSN, →OCLC, page 9, column 4:
  [W]hen the next Sunday two and the third Sunday four babies cooed and mammaed and howled in chorus it was more than he could stand.
  Originally published in the Magazine of Fun.
- 2007 September, Chris(tine) [pseudonym], “Columns”, in Maximum Rocknroll, number 292, San Francisco, Calif.: Maximum Rocknroll, →ISSN, →OCLC, column 3:
  I've been pretty out of the loop—immersed in my small world of day-to-day living, working and baby-mammaing.

Alemannic German

Noun

mamma f

(Gressoney) mom, mama

References

Patuzzi, Umberto, ed., (2013) Luserna / Lusérn: Le nostre parole / Ünsarne börtar / Unsere Wörter [Our Words], Luserna, Italy: Comitato unitario delle isole linguistiche storiche germaniche in Italia / Einheitskomitee der historischen deutschen Sprachinseln in Italien

Dutch

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈmɑ.maː/
Audio: (file)
Hyphenation: mam‧ma
Rhymes: -ɑmaː

Etymology 1

Noun

mamma f (plural mamma's, diminutive mammaatje n)

alternative form of mama

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Latin mamma.

Noun

mamma f (plural mamma's or mammae, no diminutive)

mamma, breast
Synonym: borst

Usage notes

Most people will use this word as an alternative spelling of mama (“mother”).

Faroese

Alternative forms

momma

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈmamːa/
Rhymes: -amːa

Noun

mamma f (genitive singular mammu, plural mammur)

mom, mum (colloquial word for mother)
Synonym: móðir

Hvar er mamma mín?
Where is my mommy?

Declension

f1	singular		plural
f1	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	mamma	mamman	mammur	mammurnar
accusative	mammu	mammuna	mammur	mammurnar
dative	mammu	mammuni	mammum	mammunum
genitive	mammu	mammunnar	mamma	mammanna

Finnish

Etymology

From Swedish mamma.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈmɑmːɑ/, [ˈmɑ̝mːɑ̝]
Rhymes: -ɑmːɑ
Syllabification^(key): mam‧ma
Hyphenation^(key): mam‧ma

Noun

mamma

(dialectal, childish) mama, mother (chiefly Southwest Finnish, Satakunta, Uusimaa, Kymenlaakso, South Karelia)
Synonym: äiti
(dialectal, childish) grandma, grandmother (chiefly Southwest Finnish, Satakunta, Uusimaa, Kymenlaakso, South Karelia)
Synonym: isoäiti
(colloquial) An elder, plump woman.
Synonym: tantta

Declension

Inflection of mamma (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)
nominative		mamma	mammat
genitive		mamman	mammojen
partitive		mammaa	mammoja
illative		mammaan	mammoihin
		singular	plural
nominative		mamma	mammat
accusative	nom.	mamma	mammat
accusative	gen.	mamman	mammat
genitive		mamman	mammojen mammain ^rare
partitive		mammaa	mammoja
inessive		mammassa	mammoissa
elative		mammasta	mammoista
illative		mammaan	mammoihin
adessive		mammalla	mammoilla
ablative		mammalta	mammoilta
allative		mammalle	mammoille
essive		mammana	mammoina
translative		mammaksi	mammoiksi
abessive		mammatta	mammoitta
instructive		—	mammoin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of mamma (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor
		singular	plural
nominative		mammani	mammani
accusative	nom.	mammani	mammani
accusative	gen.	mammani	mammani
genitive		mammani	mammojeni mammaini ^rare
partitive		mammaani	mammojani
inessive		mammassani	mammoissani
elative		mammastani	mammoistani
illative		mammaani	mammoihini
adessive		mammallani	mammoillani
ablative		mammaltani	mammoiltani
allative		mammalleni	mammoilleni
essive		mammanani	mammoinani
translative		mammakseni	mammoikseni
abessive		mammattani	mammoittani
instructive		—	—
comitative		—	mammoineni

second-person singular possessor
		singular	plural
nominative		mammasi	mammasi
accusative	nom.	mammasi	mammasi
accusative	gen.	mammasi	mammasi
genitive		mammasi	mammojesi mammaisi ^rare
partitive		mammaasi	mammojasi
inessive		mammassasi	mammoissasi
elative		mammastasi	mammoistasi
illative		mammaasi	mammoihisi
adessive		mammallasi	mammoillasi
ablative		mammaltasi	mammoiltasi
allative		mammallesi	mammoillesi
essive		mammanasi	mammoinasi
translative		mammaksesi	mammoiksesi
abessive		mammattasi	mammoittasi
instructive		—	—
comitative		—	mammoinesi

first-person plural possessor
		singular	plural
nominative		mammamme	mammamme
accusative	nom.	mammamme	mammamme
accusative	gen.	mammamme	mammamme
genitive		mammamme	mammojemme mammaimme ^rare
partitive		mammaamme	mammojamme
inessive		mammassamme	mammoissamme
elative		mammastamme	mammoistamme
illative		mammaamme	mammoihimme
adessive		mammallamme	mammoillamme
ablative		mammaltamme	mammoiltamme
allative		mammallemme	mammoillemme
essive		mammanamme	mammoinamme
translative		mammaksemme	mammoiksemme
abessive		mammattamme	mammoittamme
instructive		—	—
comitative		—	mammoinemme

second-person plural possessor
		singular	plural
nominative		mammanne	mammanne
accusative	nom.	mammanne	mammanne
accusative	gen.	mammanne	mammanne
genitive		mammanne	mammojenne mammainne ^rare
partitive		mammaanne	mammojanne
inessive		mammassanne	mammoissanne
elative		mammastanne	mammoistanne
illative		mammaanne	mammoihinne
adessive		mammallanne	mammoillanne
ablative		mammaltanne	mammoiltanne
allative		mammallenne	mammoillenne
essive		mammananne	mammoinanne
translative		mammaksenne	mammoiksenne
abessive		mammattanne	mammoittanne
instructive		—	—
comitative		—	mammoinenne

third-person possessor
		singular	plural
nominative		mammansa	mammansa
accusative	nom.	mammansa	mammansa
accusative	gen.	mammansa	mammansa
genitive		mammansa	mammojensa mammainsa ^rare
partitive		mammaansa	mammojaan mammojansa
inessive		mammassaan mammassansa	mammoissaan mammoissansa
elative		mammastaan mammastansa	mammoistaan mammoistansa
illative		mammaansa	mammoihinsa
adessive		mammallaan mammallansa	mammoillaan mammoillansa
ablative		mammaltaan mammaltansa	mammoiltaan mammoiltansa
allative		mammalleen mammallensa	mammoilleen mammoillensa
essive		mammanaan mammanansa	mammoinaan mammoinansa
translative		mammakseen mammaksensa	mammoikseen mammoiksensa
abessive		mammattaan mammattansa	mammoittaan mammoittansa
instructive		—	—
comitative		—	mammoineen mammoinensa

Derived terms

compounds

Gilbertese

Noun

mamma (plural mamma)

mammary gland
mummy; mom; mum

Verb

mamma

to suck the breast

Icelandic

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ˈmam(ː)a]
Rhymes: -amːa

Noun

mamma f (genitive singular mömmu, nominative plural mömmur)

mom, mum (colloquial word for mother)
Synonym: móðir

Hvar er mamma mín?
Where is my mommy?

Declension

Declension of *mamma* (feminine)
	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	mamma	mamman	mömmur	mömmurnar
accusative	mömmu	mömmuna	mömmur	mömmurnar
dative	mömmu	mömmunni	mömmum	mömmunum
genitive	mömmu	mömmunnar	mamma	mammanna

Interlingua

Noun

mamma (plural mammas)

mamma

Related terms

mammari

Italian

Etymology

Inherited from Latin mamma.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈmam.ma/^[1]
Audio: (file)
Rhymes: -amma
Hyphenation: màm‧ma

Noun

mamma f (plural mamme)

mom/mum
Alternative forms: (regional, vocative) ma', (southern Italy, chiefly vocative) mammà

Synonym: madre (“mother”)

Coordinate term: papà

Derived terms

mamma mia

Noun

mamma f (plural mamme)

synonym of carciofo cimarolo^[2]

References

^ mamma in Luciano Canepari, Dizionario di Pronuncia Italiana (DiPI)
^ cimaròlo in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Latin

Etymology

Uncertain. Either a native childish term of onomatopoeic origin, or borrowed from Ancient Greek μάμμη (mámmē).

Pronunciation

(Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈmam.ma]
(modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈmam.ma]

Noun

mamma f (genitive mammae); first declension

(anatomy) breast
Puero isti da mammam.
Give that boy of yours your breast [i.e. suckle him].
(anatomy) udder; pap
(anatomy, of animals) teat; dug
mammam sugere ― to suck on a breast
(childish) mama (mother)
Cum cibum ac potionem buas ac papas vocent, matrem mammam, patrem tatam.
Since children call food and drink bua and papa, mother mamma and father tata.
(by extension) a protuberance on tree bark

Usage notes

Used especially of females, but also of males (albeit rarely):
Mammas homo solus e maribus habet.
Among male animals, man alone has breasts.

Declension

First-declension noun.

	singular	plural
nominative	mamma	mammae
genitive	mammae	mammārum
dative	mammae	mammīs
accusative	mammam	mammās
ablative	mammā	mammīs
vocative	mamma	mammae

Derived terms

Related terms

mammothreptus

Descendants

Aromanian: mamã
→ English: mamma
French: maman, m'man
- Haitian Creole: manman
- → Portuguese: mamã
- → Spanish: mamá
  - → Cebuano: mama
  - → Central Bikol: mama
  - → Tagalog: mama
- → Persian: مامان (mâmân)
Ido: mama
→ Irish: mama
Istriot: mama
Italian: mamma
Megleno-Romanian: mamă
Mozarabic: ממה (mmh)
Neapolitan: mamma
Old Galician-Portuguese: mama
- Galician: mama
- Portuguese: mama
Old Galician-Portuguese: mamoa (from mammula)
- Galician: mámoa
- Portuguese: mamoa
Romanian: mamă
Romansh: mamma, mama, mumma, moma
Sardinian: mama, mamma, immamma
Spanish: mama

References

“mamma”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
“mamma”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
"mamma", in Charles du Fresne du Cange, Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
“mamma”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
“mamma”, in William Smith, editor (1854, 1857), A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography, volume 1 & 2, London: Walton and Maberly

Latvian

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ˈmamːa]

Noun

mamma f (4th declension)

mum
mother

Declension

Declension of *mamma* (4th)
	singular	plural
nominative	mamma	mammas
genitive	mammas	mammu
dative	mammai	mammām
accusative	mammu	mammas
instrumental	mammu	mammām
locative	mammā	mammās
vocative	mamma	mammas

Maltese

Etymology

Etymology tree

Latin mamma

Italian mammabor.

Maltese mamma

Borrowed from Italian mamma.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈmam.ma/
Rhymes: -amma

Noun

mamma f (plural mammiet or mammi)

(childish) mom, mummy/mommy
Synonyms: ma, mamà, omm

il-mamma u t-tata ― mommy and daddy
original
(grammar) basic form of a verb (the basic form of a verb used as a dictionary entry)
Coordinate term: għerq

Derived terms

Meänkieli

Etymology

Borrowed from Swedish mamma and inherited from Finnish mamma.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /mɑmːɑ/

Noun

mamma (plural mammat)

mom, mommy
Oonkos mammastilla tullu feeperi? ― Did your mom get a fever?

Norwegian Bokmål

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /mama/, [ˈmɑ̂mːa]

Noun

mamma m (definite singular mammaen, indefinite plural mammaer, definite plural mammaene)

mother
Synonym: mor

References

“mamma” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /mama/, [ˈmɑmːa]

Noun

mamma f (definite singular mammaa, indefinite plural mammaer, definite plural mammaene)

mother
Synonym: mor

References

“mamma” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Pali

Alternative forms

Alternative scripts

𑀫𑀫𑁆𑀫 (Brahmi script)
मम्म (Devanagari script)
মম্ম (Bengali script)
මම‍්ම (Sinhalese script)
မမ္မ or မမ်မ (Burmese script)
มมฺม or มัมมะ (Thai script)
ᨾᨾ᩠ᨾ (Tai Tham script)
ມມ຺ມ or ມັມມະ (Lao script)
មម្ម (Khmer script)
𑄟𑄟𑄴𑄟 (Chakma script)

Noun

mamma n

a vital spot of the body
nerve center

Declension

Declension table of "mamma" (neuter)

Case / Number	Singular	Plural
Nominative (first)	mammaṃ	mammāni
Accusative (second)	mammaṃ	mammāni
Instrumental (third)	mammena	mammehi or mammebhi
Dative (fourth)	mammassa or mammāya or mammatthaṃ	mammānaṃ
Ablative (fifth)	mammasmā or mammamhā or mammā	mammehi or mammebhi
Genitive (sixth)	mammassa	mammānaṃ
Locative (seventh)	mammasmiṃ or mammamhi or mamme	mammesu
Vocative (calling)	mamma	mammāni

Portuguese

Etymology 1

Noun

mamma f (plural mammas)

pre-reform spelling (used until 1943 in Brazil and 1911 in Portugal) of mama

Etymology 2

Verb

mamma

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

Romansh

Alternative forms

mama, mumma, moma

Etymology

From Latin mamma.

Noun

mamma f (plural mammas)

mother

Coordinate terms

(with regards to gender): bab
(with regards to ancestry): figl, figlia

Swedish

Swedish Wikipedia has an article on:

mamma

Wikipedia ^sv

Etymology

Uncertain. Either a native childish term of onomatopoeic origin, or borrowed from Ancient Greek μάμμη (mámmē).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /²mamːa/
Audio: (file)

Noun

mamma c

mom, mum, mother
Synonyms: mor, moder, (slang) morsa, (definite, colloquial) mamsen

Coordinate term: pappa

Han älskar sin mamma
He loves his mom

Mamma, när blir det mat?
Mom, when's dinner?
(literally, “Mom, when does it become [when will there be] food?”)
Mat (“food”) often implies dinner. See also the usage notes for bli (“become”).

Hon har blivit mamma
She has become a mother
See vara for why there is no article.

mamma och pappa
Mom and Dad

Usage notes

The most common and neutral word for mother.

Declension

Declension of **mamma**
		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	mamma	mammas
singular	definite	mamman	mammans
plural	indefinite	mammor	mammors
plural	definite	mammorna	mammornas

Derived terms

References

“mamma”, in Svensk ordbok [Dictionary of Swedish] (in Swedish)
“mamma”, in Svenska Akademiens ordbok [Dictionary of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)

[1] Luciano Canepari, Dizionario di Pronuncia Italiana (DiPI)

[2] ròlo in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

[1]

[2]

English

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

Noun

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 2

Noun

Derived terms

Interjection

Verb

Further reading

Alemannic German

Noun

References

Dutch

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Noun

Etymology 2

Noun

Usage notes

Faroese

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

Noun

Declension

Finnish

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Declension

Derived terms

Further reading

Gilbertese

Noun

Verb

Icelandic

Pronunciation

Noun

Declension

Further reading

Interlingua

Noun

Related terms

Italian

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Derived terms

Noun

References

Further reading

Latin

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Usage notes

Declension

Derived terms

Related terms

Descendants

References

Latvian

Pronunciation

Noun

Declension

Further reading

Maltese

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Derived terms

Meänkieli

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Norwegian Bokmål

Pronunciation

Noun