ама

See also: яма, ꙗма, and Appendix:Variations of "ama"

Bulgarian

Etymology

Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish اما (ammâ), from Arabic أَمَّا (ʔammā).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɐˈma]

• Audio (Standard Bulgarian):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ma
• Syllabification^(key): а‧ма
• Hyphenation^(key): ама

• IPA^(key): [ˈamɐ]
• Rhymes: -amɐ
• Syllabification^(key): а‧ма
• Hyphenation^(key): ама

Conjunction

ама́ • (amá)

1. (colloquial) but, however, yet

   Synonyms: а́ла (ála), въ́преки това́ (vǎ́preki tová), но (no), оба́че (obáče)

   Го́спод заба́вя, а́ма не забра́вя.

   Góspod zabávja, áma ne zabrávja.

   God delays, but does not forget.

   Да се оже́ня, а́ма моми́те не ме и́скат.

   Da se ožénja, áma momíte ne me ískat.

   I'd get married, but the girls don't want me.

Particle

а́ма • (áma)

1. (colloquial) used for emphasis at the beginning of exclamations to express dissatisfaction, irritation, admiration, or surprise; what, wow, oh

   Ама че хо́ра!

   Ama če hóra!

   What people!

   Ама че де́н, ама че чу́до!

   Ama če dén, ama če čúdo!

   What a day, what a marvel!

References

• “ама”, in Речник на българския език [Dictionary of the Bulgarian Language] (in Bulgarian), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2014
• “ама”, in Речник на българския език [Dictionary of the Bulgarian Language] (in Bulgarian), Chitanka, 2010
• “ама”, in ЛексИт [LexIt] (in Bulgarian), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2014
• Georgiev, Vladimir I., editor (1971), “ама”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volume 1 (А – З), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Pubg. House, →ISBN, page 10

Chuvash

Etymology

Two possible origins have been proposed:

• Accoring to Jegorov, From Proto-Turkic *ene (“mother”). Compare анне (anne) and амӑшӗ (amăš̬ĕ), all three synonymous forms descending from the same Proto-Turkic root.
• Accoring to Räsänen, from Proto-Turkic *eme (“woman”), in which case cognate with Ottoman Turkish امه (eme, “concubine”)

Both Jegorov and Räsänen compare Mongolian эм (em), from Proto-Mongolic *eme. However, such comparisons are likely not related by inheritance.

Noun

ама • (ama)

1. female
2. mother

Further reading

• “ама”, in Электронлӑ сӑмахсар [Elektronlă s̬ămahsar]‎^[1] (overall work in Russian and Chuvash), 1996.
• Jegorov, V. G. (1964), “ама”, in Etimologičeskij slovarʹ čuvašskovo jazyka [Etymological Dictionary of the Chuvash Language] (in Russian), Cheboksary: Čuvašskoje knižnoje izdatelʹstvo, page 25
• Räsänen, Martti (1969), “emä”, in Versuch eines etymologischen Wörterbuchs der Türksprachen (in German), Helsinki: Suomalais-ugrilainen seura, page 42

Dolgan

Adjective

ама • (ama)

1. usual, ordinary

Macedonian

Etymology

Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish اما (ammâ), from Arabic أَمَّا (ʔammā).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈama]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: а‧ма

Conjunction

а́ма • (áma)

1. but

   Synonym: но (no)

References

• “ама” in Дигитален речник на македонскиот јазик (Digitalen rečnik na makedonskiot jazik) [Digital dictionary of the Macedonian language] − drmj.eu

Mariupol Greek

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈämɐ]
• Hyphenation: а‧ма

Conjunction

а́ма • (áma)

1. Emphatic form of ма (ma)

References

• A. A. Diamantopulo-Rionis with D. L. Demerdzhi, A. M. Davydova-Diamantopulo, A. A. Shapurma, R. S. Kharabadot, and D. K. Patricha (2006), “а́ма”, in Румейско-русский и русско-румейский словарь пяти диалектов греков Приазовья, Mariupol, →ISBN
• G. A. Animica; M. P. Galikbarova (2013), Румеку глоса‎^[2], Donetsk, page 6

Nanai

Etymology

From Proto-Tungusic *ame, compare Evenki амин (amin), Manchu ᠠᠮᠠ (ama).

Noun

ама (ama)

1. father

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

From Ottoman Turkish اما (ammâ), in turn from Arabic أَمَّا (ʔammā).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /âma/
• Hyphenation: а‧ма

Conjunction

а̏ма (Latin spelling ȁma)

1. (regional) but [from 18th c.]

   Synonym: али

Interjection

ама (Latin spelling ama)

1. (regional) Used to express impatience.; ugh, blah

Further reading

• “ама”, in Hrvatski jezični portal [Croatian language portal] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2006–2026
• “ама”, in Hrvatski jezični portal [Croatian language portal] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2006–2026

Sirenik

Etymology

From Proto-Yupik *amǝ-, from Proto-Eskimo *amǝ-.

Conjunction

ама (ama)

1. and
2. also

References

• G. A. Menovschikov (1964), Язык сиреникских эскимосов [The language of Sirenik Eskimos]‎^[3], Академия Наук СССР, page 179
• Yupik etymological database

Yakut

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.) Cognate with the Dolgan word above. Also compare Tuvan анаа (anaa, “normal, ordinary”).

Adjective

ама • (ama)

1. ordinary, plain, simple

   See synonyms at көннөрү (könnörü).

   ама киһи ― ama kihi ― an ordinary person

2. typical, usual

Particle

ама • (ama)

1. at the beginning of a sentence, expresses improbability or doubt