엄마

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Korean

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Etymology

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어미 (eomi, mother) +‎ (-a, hey, vocative particle). The final /i/ in 어미 (eomi) was dropped regularly; see Usage Notes in 이#noun suffix.

Korean colloquial family terms commonly stem from a fused vocative. See Category:Korean terms suffixed with -아 (vocative).

Pronunciation

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  • (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA(key): [ʌ̹mma̠]
    • Audio:(file)
  • Phonetic hangul: []
Romanizations
Revised Romanization?eomma
Revised Romanization (translit.)?eomma
McCune–Reischauer?ŏmma
Yale Romanization?emma

South Gyeongsang (Busan) pitch accent: 엄마의 / 엄마에 / 엄마까지

Syllables in red take high pitch. This word always takes high pitch on both syllables, and lowers the pitch of subsequent suffixes.

Noun

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엄마 (eomma)

  1. (colloquial) mum, mummy
    Synonyms: 어머니 (eomeoni, mother), 모친(母親) (mochin, mother, formal), 모(母) (mo, mother, legal)
    Coordinate terms: 아빠 (appa, dad, papa), 아버지 (abeoji, father), 부친(父親) (buchin, father, formal), 부(父) (bu, father, legal)
    가서 엄마한테 물어 .
    gaseo eommahante mureo bwa.
    Go ask your mom.
    엄마 바구니 들고 있습니다.Eomma-neun baguni-reul deulgo itseumnida.Mum is carrying a basket.

Usage notes

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2015 study by the National Institute of the Korean Language
How do you refer to your female parent?
Age cohort 16 to 25 26 to 35 36 to 45 46 to 55 56 to 65 65 or above
엄마 (eomma, Mom) 68 respondents
(99%)
52 respondents
(88%)
28 respondents
(85%)
50 respondents
(78%)
12 respondents
(52%)
24 respondents
(44%)
어머니 (eomeoni, Mother) 1 respondent
(1%)
5 respondents
(12%)
5 respondents
(15%)
14 respondents
(22%)
10 respondents
(43%)
29 respondents
(54%)
Other 0 respondents 0 respondents 0 respondents 0 respondent 1 respondent 1 respondent

Contrast with Usage Notes at 아빠 (appa, dad).