Mara

See also: Appendix:Variations of "mara"

English

Etymology 1

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Proper noun

Mara

1. A Maran Australian Aboriginal prefixing language spoken in southeastern Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory.

Derived terms

• Maran

References

• Colin Yallop, Australian Aboriginal Languages, Andrew Deutsch, 1982, →ISBN.

Etymology 2

From Hebrew מָרָא (mara, “bitterness”), derived from Hebrew מַר (mar, “bitter”). The modern given name may also be shortened from Maria or Tamara.

Proper noun

Mara

1. (rare) A female given name from Hebrew.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Ruth 1:20:

     Call me not Naomi, call me Mara; for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.

Related terms

• Marah

Etymology 3

From O'Mara, a variant of O'Meara.

Proper noun

Mara

1. A surname from Irish.

Etymology 4

From Sanskrit मर (mara), from Proto-Indo-European *mer- (“to die”). Doublet of mortality.

Proper noun

Mara

1. (Hinduism) The Hindu god of death; opposite of Kama.
2. (Buddhism) The Buddhist demon who tempts people away from enlightenment

Related terms

• mara

Translations

Buddhist demon

• Burmese: မာရ်နတ် (my) (marnat)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 天魔 (zh) (Tiānmó), 魔羅 / 魔罗 (zh) (Móluó), 波旬 (zh) (Bōxún)

• Japanese: 天魔 (ja) (Tenma), 魔羅 (ja) (Mara), 第六天魔王 (Dairokutenmaō), 波旬 (Hajun)
• Khmer: មារ (km) (miə)
• Korean: 마라 (mara), 천마 (ko) (cheonma)
• Lao: ມານ (mān), ມາຣະ (mā ra)
• Mon: မာ (mnw), မိုပ်မာ
• Shan: မႃႇၼၢတ်ႈ (shn) (màa nāat)
• Thai: มาร (th) (maan)
• Tibetan: please add this translation if you can
• Vietnamese: Thiên Ma

Etymology 5

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Proper noun

Mara

1. (Slavic mythology) The Slavic goddess of winter and death; Marena or Marzanna.

Etymology 6

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

Mara (plural Maras)

1. A member of a predominantly agricultural tribe of southern Assam and western Burma.

   Synonym: Lakher

Etymology 7

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Proper noun

the Mara

1. A river in Tanzania and Kenya.
   • 2018 May 16, Ed Yong, “Hippos Poop So Much That Sometimes All the Fish Die”, in The Atlantic‎^[2]:

     In the dry season, when the Mara becomes narrower and shallower, certain stretches of it become especially thick with hippos—and their dung.

Anagrams

• Rāma, Rama, ARMA, -rama, maar, amra, Aram, Amar

Finnish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɑrɑ/, [ˈmɑ̝rɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -ɑrɑ
• Syllabification^(key): Ma‧ra
• Hyphenation^(key): Ma‧ra

Etymology 1

Diminutive of Martti.

Proper noun

Mara

1. a diminutive of the male given name Martti
   1. (informal) Nickname for Martti Ahtisaari, Finnish politician and President of Finland (1994–2000)

Declension

Inflection of Mara (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)
nominative		Mara	Marat
genitive		Maran	Marojen
partitive		Maraa	Maroja
illative		Maraan	Maroihin
		singular	plural
nominative		Mara	Marat
accusative	nom.	Mara	Marat
	gen.	Maran
genitive		Maran	Marojen Marain rare
partitive		Maraa	Maroja
inessive		Marassa	Maroissa
elative		Marasta	Maroista
illative		Maraan	Maroihin
adessive		Maralla	Maroilla
ablative		Maralta	Maroilta
allative		Maralle	Maroille
essive		Marana	Maroina
translative		Maraksi	Maroiksi
abessive		Maratta	Maroitta
instructive		—	Maroin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of Mara (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Marani Marani accusative nom. Marani Marani gen. Marani genitive Marani Marojeni Maraini rare partitive Maraani Marojani inessive Marassani Maroissani elative Marastani Maroistani illative Maraani Maroihini adessive Marallani Maroillani ablative Maraltani Maroiltani allative Maralleni Maroilleni essive Maranani Maroinani translative Marakseni Maroikseni abessive Marattani Maroittani instructive — — comitative — Maroineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Marasi Marasi accusative nom. Marasi Marasi gen. Marasi genitive Marasi Marojesi Maraisi rare partitive Maraasi Marojasi inessive Marassasi Maroissasi elative Marastasi Maroistasi illative Maraasi Maroihisi adessive Marallasi Maroillasi ablative Maraltasi Maroiltasi allative Marallesi Maroillesi essive Maranasi Maroinasi translative Maraksesi Maroiksesi abessive Marattasi Maroittasi instructive — — comitative — Maroinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Maramme Maramme accusative nom. Maramme Maramme gen. Maramme genitive Maramme Marojemme Maraimme rare partitive Maraamme Marojamme inessive Marassamme Maroissamme elative Marastamme Maroistamme illative Maraamme Maroihimme adessive Marallamme Maroillamme ablative Maraltamme Maroiltamme allative Marallemme Maroillemme essive Maranamme Maroinamme translative Maraksemme Maroiksemme abessive Marattamme Maroittamme instructive — — comitative — Maroinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Maranne Maranne accusative nom. Maranne Maranne gen. Maranne genitive Maranne Marojenne Marainne rare partitive Maraanne Marojanne inessive Marassanne Maroissanne elative Marastanne Maroistanne illative Maraanne Maroihinne adessive Marallanne Maroillanne ablative Maraltanne Maroiltanne allative Marallenne Maroillenne essive Marananne Maroinanne translative Maraksenne Maroiksenne abessive Marattanne Maroittanne instructive — — comitative — Maroinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative Maransa Maransa accusative nom. Maransa Maransa gen. Maransa genitive Maransa Marojensa Marainsa rare partitive Maraansa Marojaan Marojansa inessive Marassaan Marassansa Maroissaan Maroissansa elative Marastaan Marastansa Maroistaan Maroistansa illative Maraansa Maroihinsa adessive Marallaan Marallansa Maroillaan Maroillansa ablative Maraltaan Maraltansa Maroiltaan Maroiltansa allative Maralleen Marallensa Maroilleen Maroillensa essive Maranaan Maranansa Maroinaan Maroinansa translative Marakseen Maraksensa Maroikseen Maroiksensa abessive Marattaan Marattansa Maroittaan Maroittansa instructive — — comitative — Maroineen Maroinensa

Statistics

• The given name Mara belongs to 10 male individuals (and as a middle name to 5 more), and also belongs to 25 female individuals (and as a middle name to 13 more), according to August 2025 data from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency of Finland.

Etymology 2

From a Karelian diminutive of some Eastern Orthodox name (in Karelia) and possibly from Swedish mar as a geographical term in Western Finland.

Proper noun

Mara

1. a Finnish surname

Declension

Inflection of Mara (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)
nominative		Mara	Marat
genitive		Maran	Marojen
partitive		Maraa	Maroja
illative		Maraan	Maroihin
		singular	plural
nominative		Mara	Marat
accusative	nom.	Mara	Marat
	gen.	Maran
genitive		Maran	Marojen Marain rare
partitive		Maraa	Maroja
inessive		Marassa	Maroissa
elative		Marasta	Maroista
illative		Maraan	Maroihin
adessive		Maralla	Maroilla
ablative		Maralta	Maroilta
allative		Maralle	Maroille
essive		Marana	Maroina
translative		Maraksi	Maroiksi
abessive		Maratta	Maroitta
instructive		—	Maroin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of Mara (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Marani Marani accusative nom. Marani Marani gen. Marani genitive Marani Marojeni Maraini rare partitive Maraani Marojani inessive Marassani Maroissani elative Marastani Maroistani illative Maraani Maroihini adessive Marallani Maroillani ablative Maraltani Maroiltani allative Maralleni Maroilleni essive Maranani Maroinani translative Marakseni Maroikseni abessive Marattani Maroittani instructive — — comitative — Maroineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Marasi Marasi accusative nom. Marasi Marasi gen. Marasi genitive Marasi Marojesi Maraisi rare partitive Maraasi Marojasi inessive Marassasi Maroissasi elative Marastasi Maroistasi illative Maraasi Maroihisi adessive Marallasi Maroillasi ablative Maraltasi Maroiltasi allative Marallesi Maroillesi essive Maranasi Maroinasi translative Maraksesi Maroiksesi abessive Marattasi Maroittasi instructive — — comitative — Maroinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Maramme Maramme accusative nom. Maramme Maramme gen. Maramme genitive Maramme Marojemme Maraimme rare partitive Maraamme Marojamme inessive Marassamme Maroissamme elative Marastamme Maroistamme illative Maraamme Maroihimme adessive Marallamme Maroillamme ablative Maraltamme Maroiltamme allative Marallemme Maroillemme essive Maranamme Maroinamme translative Maraksemme Maroiksemme abessive Marattamme Maroittamme instructive — — comitative — Maroinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Maranne Maranne accusative nom. Maranne Maranne gen. Maranne genitive Maranne Marojenne Marainne rare partitive Maraanne Marojanne inessive Marassanne Maroissanne elative Marastanne Maroistanne illative Maraanne Maroihinne adessive Marallanne Maroillanne ablative Maraltanne Maroiltanne allative Marallenne Maroillenne essive Marananne Maroinanne translative Maraksenne Maroiksenne abessive Marattanne Maroittanne instructive — — comitative — Maroinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative Maransa Maransa accusative nom. Maransa Maransa gen. Maransa genitive Maransa Marojensa Marainsa rare partitive Maraansa Marojaan Marojansa inessive Marassaan Marassansa Maroissaan Maroissansa elative Marastaan Marastansa Maroistaan Maroistansa illative Maraansa Maroihinsa adessive Marallaan Marallansa Maroillaan Maroillansa ablative Maraltaan Maraltansa Maroiltaan Maroiltansa allative Maralleen Marallensa Maroilleen Maroillensa essive Maranaan Maranansa Maroinaan Maroinansa translative Marakseen Maraksensa Maroikseen Maroiksensa abessive Marattaan Marattansa Maroittaan Maroittansa instructive — — comitative — Maroineen Maroinensa

Statistics

• The surname Mara belongs to 123 individuals, according to August 2025 data from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency of Finland.

Anagrams

• maar

Portuguese

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈma.ɾɐ/

• Hyphenation: Ma‧ra

Proper noun

Mara f (plural Maras)

1. a female given name

Prasuni

Alternative forms

• Mārë (Pashki)
• Marë (Pronz)
• Maro (Zumu)

Etymology

Borrowed from Indo-Aryan. Compare Sanskrit महाराजन् (mahārā́jan).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmaɾa/

Proper noun

Mara (Shtive)

1. Mara

References

• Jakob Halfmann (2023) Nuristani Theonyms in Light of Historical Phonology, in Roots of Peristan, Rome, Italy, pages 321, 324

Romanian

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Proper noun

Mara f (genitive/dative Marei)

1. a female given name

Swahili

Pronunciation

• Audio (Kenya):

  (file)

Proper noun

Mara

1. (astronomy) Andromeda