お母さん

Japanese

Etymology

Kanji in this term
母
かあ Grade: 2
kun’yomi

お (o-, honorific prefix) +‎ 母 (kā, “mother”) +‎ さん (-san, honorific suffix).

/okakasama/ → /okkasama/ → /okaːsama/

/okakasan/ → /okkasama/ → /okaːsan/

Attested in Osaka and Kyoto, with rare use in Edo (Tokyo), from the late Edo period, especially among upper-middle class households in Osaka.

Usage became widespread in the 20th century after the Ministry of Education adopted お父(とう)さん (otōsan, “father”) and お母(かあ)さん for use in 尋常小学読本 (Jinjō shōgaku dokuhon “Standard elementary school reader”, 1903).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) おか​あさん [òkáꜜàsàǹ] (Nakadaka – [2])
• IPA^(key): [o̞ka̠ːsã̠ɴ]

Noun

お母(かあ)さん • (okāsan) 

1. (honorific) mother; one's mother

Alternative forms

• (honorific, polite) 御(お)母(かあ)様(さま) (okāsama), 御(お)母(かか)様(さま) (okakasama), 御(お)嬶(かか)様(さま) (okakasama)
• (honorific, childish) 御(お)母(たあ)様(さま) (otāsama), 御(お)母(たた)様(さま) (otatasama)
• (honorific, archaic) 御(お)母(かか)さん (okakasan), 御(お)嬶(かか)さん (okakasan), 御(お)っ母(か)さん (okkasan)

Descendants

• Min Nan: 卡桑 (khà-sàng) (Taiwanese)

See also

• 母(はは) (haha): a mother
• 母(かか) (kaka)
• 嚊(かか) (kaka)
• 嬶(かか) (kaka) (vulgar)
• ママ (mama): (childish) mama, a childish form of mother, one's female parent
• お袋(ふくろ) (ofukuro): (informal) one's mother
• 御(お)袋(ふくろ) (ofukuro): (informal) one's mother
• 母(ぽ)堂(どう) (podō): (formal, written) one's mother
• 母(かあ)様(さま) (kāsama)
• 母(かか)さん (kakasan)
• 御(お)母(かか) (okaka)
• 御(お)嬶(かか) (okaka)
• お母(か)ん (okan) (Kansai)