different between mummy vs mama

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

English

Alternative forms

• mamma, momma

Etymology

Originally from baby talk. Possibly influenced by Middle English mome (“mother, aunt”), from Old English *m?me, from Proto-West Germanic *m?m?, from Proto-Germanic *m?m? (“mother, aunt”), from Proto-Indo-European *méh?-méh?, reduplication of *méh?- (“mother”), related to German Muhme (“aunt”), Latin mamma (“mother, nurse”), Irish mam (“mother”), Lithuanian mama, moma (“mother”).

Pronunciation

• (General American) enPR: mä?m?, IPA^(key): /?m?m?/
• (UK) IPA^(key): /m??m??/
• Rhymes: -??m?

Noun

mama (plural mamas)

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

Related terms

Translations

Anagrams

• amma, ma'am

'Are'are

Noun

mama

1. father

References

• Kate?ina Naitoro, A Sketch Grammar of 'Are'are: The Sound System and Morpho-Syntax (2013)

Amis

Noun

mama

1. father

Aukan

Noun

mama

1. mother
2. woman

   Synonym: uman

Aymara

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ma.ma/

Noun

mama

1. mother
2. Mrs., mistress (general respectful address for married women).

Azerbaijani

Noun

mama (definite accusative maman?, plural mamalar)

1. (dialectal)paternal aunt

   Synonym: bibi

2. mom

   Synonym: ana

Usage notes

Declension

References

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

Noun

mama (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

Catalan

Etymology

From Latin mamma.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Central) IPA^(key): /?ma.m?/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /?ma.ma/

Noun

mama f (plural mames)

1. (familiar) mom
2. (anatomy) mamma

Derived terms

• càncer de mama (“breast cancer”)

Related terms

Further reading

• “mama” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “mama” in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana.
• “mama” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “mama” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

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. Sometimes used in reference to a pregnant female, possibly as a shortened form of mother-to-be

   Synonyms: ina, inahan, nanay

2. a term of address to one's mother, mother-in-law or wife

Chinook Jargon

Etymology

From English mama or French maman.

Noun

mama

1. mother

   Synonym: naha

   Coordinate term: papa

Dutch

Etymology

Loaned from French maman

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?m?ma?/
• (Belgium) IPA^(key): /m??ma?/
• Rhymes: -a?

Noun

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

1. mama, mother

   Synonyms: ma, mam

   Synonyms: moeder, moe, (Flemish) moeke

Alternative forms

• mamma

References

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

Related terms

• mamar
• mamífero

Verb

mama

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

Garo

Etymology

Likely from Bengali ???? (mama)

Noun

mama

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

Synonyms

• mamagipa (formal)
• mamatang (formal)

Guinea-Bissau Creole

Etymology

From Portuguese mama. Cognate with Kabuverdianu mama.

Noun

mama

1. bosom
2. breast of a woman

Hausa

Noun

m??ma f (possessed form m??mar?)

1. mother

   Synonym: uwa

Noun

m??ma m (possessed form m??man)

1. breast

   Synonym: nono

Hungarian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [?m?m?]
• Hyphenation: ma?ma
• Rhymes: -m?

Noun

mama (plural mamák)

1. mom, mum

   Synonyms: anya, anyu, édesanya, anyuka, anyuci

   Coordinate term: papa

2. (dialectal) grandmom

Declension

Derived terms

Ido

Etymology

Borrowed from English mama, French maman, German Mama, Italian mamma, Russian ????? (máma), Spanish mamá.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?mama/

Noun

mama (plural mamai)

1. mama, mom, mommy, mum

   Synonym: matro

   Coordinate terms: papa, patro

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

Further reading

• "mama" in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.
• Gregory Toner, Maire Ní Mhaonaigh, Sharon Arbuthnot, Dagmar Wodtko, Maire-Luise Theuerkauf, editors (2019) , “mama”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Entries containing “mama” in New English-Irish Dictionary by Foras na Gaeilge.

Istriot

Etymology

From Latin mamma.

Noun

mama f

1. mom, mamma, mother

See also

• mare

Japanese

Romanization

mama

1. R?maji transcription of ??
2. R?maji transcription of ??

Kabuverdianu

Etymology

From Portuguese mama.

Noun

mama

1. bosom
2. breast of a woman

Krisa

Pronoun

mama

1. you

Laboya

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [?ma?ma]

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

Originally from baby talk, possibly through or influenced by other languages. Compare Lithuanian mama, Russian ???? (mama) and English mama.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?mama/
• Hyphenation: ma?ma

Noun

mama f (diminutive mame?a)

1. (colloquial) mum, mummy

Declension

Synonyms

• (more formal) muote

Coordinate terms

• t?te (“dad”)

References

• A. Andronov; L. Leikuma (2008) Latgal?šu-Latv?šu-Kr?vu sarunu vuordineica, Lvava, ?ISBN, page 10

Lithuanian

Noun

mamà f (plural mãmos) stress pattern 4

1. mother

Declension

Related terms

• mamýt?, mam?l? (diminutive)

Lower Sorbian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [?mama]

Noun

mama f (diminutive maminka)

1. mother, mom

Declension

Further reading

• mama in Ernst Muka/Mucke (St. Petersburg and Prague 1911–28): S?ownik dolnoserbskeje r?cy a jeje nar?cow / Wörterbuch der nieder-wendischen Sprache und ihrer Dialekte. Reprinted 2008, Bautzen: Domowina-Verlag
• mama in Manfred Starosta (1999): Dolnoserbsko-nimski s?ownik / Niedersorbisch-deutsches Wörterbuch. Bautzen: Domowina-Verlag.

Maquiritari

Noun

mama

1. mother (used when addressing one’s mother, but not when referring to her)

References

• Ed. Key, Mary Ritchie and Comrie, Bernard. The Intercontinental Dictionary Series, Carib (De'kwana).

Martuthunira

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mama/

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 ???? (m?m?) and Marathi ???? (m?m?).

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 *m?m? (“mama, mother”), from Proto-Germanic *m?m? (“mama, mother; aunt, auntie”). Cognate with German Mama, English mama.

Noun

mama f

1. mother

References

• “mama” in Cimbrian, Ladin, Mòcheno: Getting to know 3 peoples. 2015. Servizio minoranze linguistiche locali della Provincia autonoma di Trento, Trento, Italy.
• “mama” 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

Nigerian Pidgin

Noun

mama

1. mother

Pali

Alternative forms

Pronoun

mama

1. genitive/dative singular of aha? (“me”)

Panyjima

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mama/

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

• IPA^(key): [?m?m?]

Noun

mama

1. father

   Synonym: punari

2. father’s older brother or close male friend; uncle

   Synonym: mama pu?ka

3. god

Derived terms

Polish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?ma.ma/

Noun

mama f

1. mum

Declension

Related terms

Further reading

• mama in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Portuguese

Etymology

From Latin mamma. Compare Italian mammella, French mamelle.

Pronunciation

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

Noun

mama f (plural mamas)

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

Verb

mama

1. third-person singular (ele and ela, also used with você and others) present indicative of mamar
2. second-person singular (tu, sometimes used with você) affirmative imperative of mamar

Quechua

Noun

mama

1. mother
2. madam, lady
3. (figuratively) nest, home
4. (geology) vein
5. (mathematics) matrix

Declension

Derived terms

• jatun mama
• mama qucha

See also

• tayta

Romanian

Noun

mama f

1. definite nominative/accusative singular of mam?

Rwanda-Rundi

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *mààmá.

Noun

m?má 1a (plural b?mâmá 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 ????? (mámm?).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?mama/

Noun

mama f (plural mamas) (Limba Sarda Comuna)

1. mother

See also

• babbu
• tzia

Serbo-Croatian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mâma/
• Hyphenation: ma?ma

Noun

m?ma f (Cyrillic spelling ?????)

1. mom

Declension

Slovak

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?mama/

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 Slovak dictionaries at korpus.sk

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin mamma.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?mama/, [?ma.ma]

Noun

mama f (plural mamas)

1. (anatomy) mamma, breast

Related terms

Verb

mama

1. Informal second-person singular (tú) affirmative imperative form of mamar.
2. Formal second-person singular (usted) present indicative form of mamar.
3. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted^?) present indicative form of mamar.

Swahili

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

• mama mboga (“female vegetable hawker”)
• mama ntilie (“female food hawker”)
• mama samaki (“female fish hawker”)

Tagalog

Pronunciation 1

• IPA^(key): /?ma.ma?/
• Hyphenation: ma?ma

Noun

mamà

1. a term used in referring to, or in addressing, a male unknown to the speaker

   Synonyms: mang, manong

Pronunciation 2

• Hyphenation: ma?ma
• IPA^(key): /ma.?ma/
• IPA^(key): /ma.ma/
• IPA^(key): /?ma.ma/

Etymology

/ma.?ma/ from Spanish mamá, adapted from French maman. /ma.ma/ from Hokkien ??. /?ma.ma/ from English mama / momma.

Noun

mama (masculine papa)

1. (colloquial, familiar, childish) mum, mom

   Synonyms: ma, ina, nanay, inay, nay, inang, nanang

2. sibling of parent, younger than father or mother; any relative of the father or mother

Pronunciation 3

• IPA^(key): /ma.?ma?/
• Hyphenation: ma?ma

Noun

mamâ

1. betel chewing

Related terms

Tok Pisin

Etymology

From English mama.

Noun

mama

1. mother

   Antonym: papa

Derived terms

• mama karim

Tumbuka

Noun

mama 1a (plural ?amama 2)

1. mother, mom

Coordinate terms

• dada

Turkish

Noun

mama (definite accusative mamay?, plural mamalar)

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

Declension

Upper Sorbian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [?mama]

Noun

mama f (diminutive mami?ka or mamimka)

1. mama, mommy, mum

Declension

Related terms

Venda

Verb

mama

1. to suck

Venetian

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)

Yoruba

Alternative forms

• m??m??

Noun

màmá

1. mother

Coordinate terms

• baba