different between mamma vs mummy

English

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Latin mamma.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?mæm?/
• Rhymes: -æm?

Noun

mamma (plural mammae or mammas)

1. (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.
2. (meteorology) An accessory cloud like a mammary in appearance, which can form on the underside of most cloud genera.

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 2

Alternative spelling of mama; see further etymology there.

Noun

mamma (plural mammas)

1. Alternative spelling of mama: mother.
   • 1856, Gustave Flaubert, Madame Bovary, Part III Chapter XI, translated by Eleanor Marx-Aveling

     The next day Charles had the child brought back. She asked for her mamma. They told her she was away; that she would bring her back some playthings.

Further reading

• mamma at OneLook Dictionary Search

Alemannic German

Noun

mamma f

1. (Gressoney) mom, mama

References

• “mamma” in Patuzzi, Umberto, ed., (2013) Ünsarne Börtar [Our Words], Luserna, Italy: Comitato unitario delle isole linguistiche storiche germaniche in Italia / Einheitskomitee der historischen deutschen Sprachinseln in Italien

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?m?.ma?/
• Hyphenation: mam?ma
• Rhymes: -?ma?

Etymology 1

Noun

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

1. Alternative form of mama.

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Latin mamma.

Noun

mamma f (plural mamma's or mammae)

1. 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): /?mam?a/
• Rhymes: -am?a

Noun

mamma f (genitive singular mammu, plural mammur)

1. mom, mum (colloquial word for mother)

   Synonym: móðir

Declension

Finnish

Noun

mamma

1. (dialectal) mama

   Synonym: äiti

2. (colloquial) An elder, plump woman.

   Synonym: tantta

Declension

Compounds

• mammamekko
• mammanpoika

Further reading

• mamma in Kielitoimiston sanakirja

Gilbertese

Noun

mamma (plural mamma)

1. mammary gland
2. mummy; mom; mum

Verb

mamma

1. to suck the breast

Icelandic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?mam?a/
• Rhymes: -am?a

Noun

mamma f (genitive singular mömmu, nominative plural mömmur)

1. mom, mum (colloquial word for mother)

   Synonym: móðir

Declension

Further reading

• mamma in Hólmarsson et al.: Íslensk-ensk orðabók. 1989.
• mamma in Icelandic dictionaries at ISLEX

Interlingua

Noun

mamma (plural mammas)

1. mamma

Related terms

• mammari

Italian

Etymology

From Latin mamma.

Pronunciation

Noun

mamma f (plural mamme)

1. mom (US), mommy (US), mum (UK), mummy (UK)
2. mother
3. type of artichoke

Synonyms

• madre
• cimarolo

Derived terms

• mamma mia

Further reading

• mamma in Dizionario Italiano Olivetti

Latin

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ????? (mámm?).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /?mam.ma/, [?mäm?ä]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /?mam.ma/, [?m?m??]

Noun

mamma f (genitive mammae); first declension

1. (anatomy) a breast

2. (anatomy) an udder; a pap
3. (anatomy, of animals) a teat, a dug

4. (family) mama (a childish name for a mother in the language of children)

5. (transferred meaning) a protuberance on tree bark

Usage notes

• This term was used especially of females, but also of males- although rarely:

Declension

First-declension noun.

Derived terms

• mamilla
• mammam dare (with the dative; to give someone the breast, to suckle someone)
• mammalis

Descendants

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’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 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

Noun

mamma f (4th declension)

1. mum
2. mother

Declension

Further reading

• mamma at tezaurs.lv

Norwegian Bokmål

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mama/, [?m?m?a]

Noun

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

1. mother

   Synonym: mor

See also

• far, pappa
• bror, søster, søsken
• sønn, datter

References

• “mamma” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mama/, [?m?m?a]

Noun

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

1. mother

   Synonym: mor

See also

• far, pappa
• bror, syster, sysken
• son, dotter

References

• “mamma” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Pali

Alternative forms

Noun

mamma n

1. a vital spot of the body
2. nerve center

Declension

Romansch

Alternative forms

• mama, mumma, moma

Etymology

From Latin mamma.

Noun

mamma f (plural mammas)

1. mother

Coordinate terms

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

Swedish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [²mam?a]

Noun

mamma c

1. mom (US), mommy (US), mum (UK), mummy (UK)

   Synonyms: mor, moder, morsa (slang)

   Antonym: pappa

Declension

Further reading

• mamma in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?m?mi/
• Rhymes: -?mi

Etymology 1

From Middle English mummie, from Anglo-Norman mumie, from Middle French momie, from Medieval Latin mumia, from Arabic ?????????? (m?miy??), from Persian ?????? (mumyâ), from ???? (mum, “wax”). Doublet of mumijo.

Noun

mummy (countable and uncountable, plural mummies)

1. (countable) An embalmed human or animal corpse wrapped in linen bandages for burial, especially as practised by the ancient Egyptians and some Native American tribes. [from 17th c.]
   • 1832, Royal Society (Great Britain), Abstracts of The Papers Printed in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, From 1800 to 1830 inclusive, Volume 1: 1800-1814, page 201,

     […] Mr. Pearson proceeds to give a particular description of the very perfect mummy of an Ibis, which forms the chief subject of the present paper.

   • 2008, Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen,, Mysteries Unwrapped: The Real Monsters, page 2,

     Many people believed in the curse of the mummy, and soon, the curse had become an accepted part of Tut?s legend.

2. (countable, by extension) A reanimated embalmed human corpse, as a typical character in horror films. [from 20th c.]
   • 2007, S. T. Joshi, Icons of Horror and the Supernatural: An Encyclopedia of Our Worst Nightmares, Volume 1, page 376,

     For many, mummies fascinate more than repel. Our horrific connotations lie not so much with the mummy itself, but in associated fears. The mummy serves, of course, as a general reminder of our own mortality and our fear of death, but this alone is not enough to make it a monster.

3. (countable, by extension) Any naturally preserved human or animal body. [from 18th c.]
5. (countable, uncountable, now rare) A brown pigment originally prepared from the ground-up remains of Egyptian animal or human mummies mixed with bitumen, etc. [from 19th c.]

   Synonym: mummy brown
6. (uncountable, now rare) A pulp. [from 17th c.]
   • 1837, Mathew Carey, Vindiciae Hibernicae (page 116)

     You may beat them to a mummy, you may put them upon the rack, you may burn them on a gridiron, […] yet you will never remove them from that innate fidelity […]

7. (uncountable, medicine, now historical) A substance used in medicine, prepared from mummified flesh. [from 14th c.]
   • 1978, Benjamin Walker, Encyclopedia of Metaphysical Medicine, Routledge 1978, p. 253:

     Yet another scatological medicament was obtained from mummy, the material derived from a dried or embalmed human corpse, the most valuable being that imported from Mizraim (ancient Egypt).

   • 2006, Philip Ball, The Devil's Doctor, Arrow 2007, p. 360:

     Nonetheless, his book advertises many Paracelsian remedies, including laudanum, mummy, antimony and mercury.

   • 1638, Sir Thomas Herbert, Some Yeares Travels into Africa and Asia the Great

     In or near this place is a precious liquor, or mummy, growing, Mumnaky-koobasa they call it, which none presumes to take, it being carefully preserved for the King's sole use.

8. (uncountable, horticulture, obsolete) A sort of wax used in grafting. [18th c.]

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• Thesaurus:corpse

Verb

mummy (third-person singular simple present mummies, present participle mummying, simple past and past participle mummied)

1. (transitive, dated) To mummify.

Etymology 2

Diminutive of mum, related to mom and mommy, from mother.

Noun

mummy (plural mummies)

1. (chiefly Britain, usually childish) mother.
   • 1926, John Steinbeck, The Saturday Evening Post, Volume 198, page 9,

     “Oh, mummy, would you like the loveliest daughter-in-law in the world? Oh, mummy, I must marry Flora Dewsley. But I know I am not nearly good enough, mummy. She knows nothing of the world and its wickedness, and I — Well, mummy, at school, a fellow learns everything. And no man is perfect, is he, mummy? […] ”

   • 1927, Harper's Magazine, Volume 155, page 188,

     Meeting mummy after this visit was not exactly easy.

   • 2003, Lionel Shriver, We Need to Talk About Kevin, 2010, unnumbered page,

     “ […] What?s your problem, you little shit? Proud of yourself, for ruining Mummy?s life?” I was careful to use the insipid falsetto the experts commend. “You?ve got Daddy snowed, but Mummy?s got your number. You're a little shit, aren?t you??

   • 2004, Dennis Child, Psychology and the Teacher, Continuum International Publishing, page 91,

     ‘ […] We have to ask mummy if we can go to Rajah?s mummy?s house (Rajah?s mummy is the owner of the dog). We can if mummy says “yes”. […] ’

   • 2009, Paul Harding, Tinkers, 2010, unnumbered page,

     Darla stared at her father and said, Mummy, Mummy, Mummy!

     Marjorie wheezed and said, Father. You. Are. Filthy!

     Joe said Daddy?s muddy! Daddy?s muddy!

     Darla stared at the darkened doorway where Howard stood, saying, Mummy, Mummy, Mummy, each time a little louder, each time a bit more shrilly, […] .

Alternative forms

• mommy (US)

Derived terms

• mummy's boy
• mummy porn

Translations