amma

See also: Amma, ammā, and ämmä

Languages (20)

English

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Azerbaijani • Bole • Cornish • Finnish • Hausa • Icelandic • Kirfi • Latin • Northern Ohlone • Norwegian Bokmål • Norwegian Nynorsk • Old High German • Old Norse • Oyda • Pali • Solon • Swedish • Tagabawa • Turkish

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Page categories

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈʌmə/
• Rhymes: -ʌmə

Etymology 1

Related to Tamil அம்மா (ammā, “mother”), Hindi अम्मा (ammā), Malayalam അമ്മ (amma), Kannada ಅಮ್ಮ (amma, “mother”) Telugu అమ్మ (amma, “mother”), Sinhalese අම්මා (ammā, “mother”), or Classical Syriac ܐܡܐ (emma, “mother”). (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

amma (plural ammas)

1. (India) mother

Usage notes

• Widely used in English-speaking expat communities.

Derived terms

• amma canteen

See also

• amah

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Ecclesiastical Latin amma, from Classical Syriac ܐܸܡܵܐ (ʾemmā, “mother, abbess”).

Noun

amma (plural ammas)

1. (Christianity, historical) An abbess or spiritual mother, especially one of the Desert Mothers.

   Coordinate term: abba

   • For quotations using this term, see Citations:amma.

Anagrams

• ma ma, ma'am, mama

Azerbaijani

Other scripts

Cyrillic		амма
Arabic		اما

Etymology

Ultimately from Arabic أَمَّا (ʔammā).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈɑmːɑ]
• (Karabakh) IPA^(key): [ˈɑmbɑ] (as if spelled amba)

• Audio:

  (file)

• Audio:

  (file)

Conjunction

amma

1. but

   Synonyms: ancaq, fəqət

Bole

Etymology

Cognate with Gerka ɣam, Lele (Chad) kama.

Noun

àmma

1. water

References

• Alhaji Maina Gimba, Russell G. Schuh. (2009), "Bole-English-Hausa Dictionary", page 4

Cornish

Alternative forms

• (Revived Late Cornish) abma

Etymology

From amm (“kiss”).

Verb

amma

1. to kiss

Finnish

Etymology

From Swedish amma.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɑmːɑ/, [ˈɑ̝mːɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -ɑmːɑ
• Syllabification^(key): am‧ma
• Hyphenation^(key): am‧ma

Noun

amma

1. wet nurse
2. nanny

Declension

Inflection of amma (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)
nominative		amma	ammat
genitive		amman	ammojen
partitive		ammaa	ammoja
illative		ammaan	ammoihin
		singular	plural
nominative		amma	ammat
accusative	nom.	amma	ammat
	gen.	amman
genitive		amman	ammojen ammain rare
partitive		ammaa	ammoja
inessive		ammassa	ammoissa
elative		ammasta	ammoista
illative		ammaan	ammoihin
adessive		ammalla	ammoilla
ablative		ammalta	ammoilta
allative		ammalle	ammoille
essive		ammana	ammoina
translative		ammaksi	ammoiksi
abessive		ammatta	ammoitta
instructive		—	ammoin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

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

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative ammani ammani accusative nom. ammani ammani gen. ammani genitive ammani ammojeni ammaini rare partitive ammaani ammojani inessive ammassani ammoissani elative ammastani ammoistani illative ammaani ammoihini adessive ammallani ammoillani ablative ammaltani ammoiltani allative ammalleni ammoilleni essive ammanani ammoinani translative ammakseni ammoikseni abessive ammattani ammoittani instructive — — comitative — ammoineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative ammasi ammasi accusative nom. ammasi ammasi gen. ammasi genitive ammasi ammojesi ammaisi rare partitive ammaasi ammojasi inessive ammassasi ammoissasi elative ammastasi ammoistasi illative ammaasi ammoihisi adessive ammallasi ammoillasi ablative ammaltasi ammoiltasi allative ammallesi ammoillesi essive ammanasi ammoinasi translative ammaksesi ammoiksesi abessive ammattasi ammoittasi instructive — — comitative — ammoinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative ammamme ammamme accusative nom. ammamme ammamme gen. ammamme genitive ammamme ammojemme ammaimme rare partitive ammaamme ammojamme inessive ammassamme ammoissamme elative ammastamme ammoistamme illative ammaamme ammoihimme adessive ammallamme ammoillamme ablative ammaltamme ammoiltamme allative ammallemme ammoillemme essive ammanamme ammoinamme translative ammaksemme ammoiksemme abessive ammattamme ammoittamme instructive — — comitative — ammoinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative ammanne ammanne accusative nom. ammanne ammanne gen. ammanne genitive ammanne ammojenne ammainne rare partitive ammaanne ammojanne inessive ammassanne ammoissanne elative ammastanne ammoistanne illative ammaanne ammoihinne adessive ammallanne ammoillanne ablative ammaltanne ammoiltanne allative ammallenne ammoillenne essive ammananne ammoinanne translative ammaksenne ammoiksenne abessive ammattanne ammoittanne instructive — — comitative — ammoinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative ammansa ammansa accusative nom. ammansa ammansa gen. ammansa genitive ammansa ammojensa ammainsa rare partitive ammaansa ammojaan ammojansa inessive ammassaan ammassansa ammoissaan ammoissansa elative ammastaan ammastansa ammoistaan ammoistansa illative ammaansa ammoihinsa adessive ammallaan ammallansa ammoillaan ammoillansa ablative ammaltaan ammaltansa ammoiltaan ammoiltansa allative ammalleen ammallensa ammoilleen ammoillensa essive ammanaan ammanansa ammoinaan ammoinansa translative ammakseen ammaksensa ammoikseen ammoiksensa abessive ammattaan ammattansa ammoittaan ammoittansa instructive — — comitative — ammoineen ammoinensa

Derived terms

• ammata (“tend to a child”)

See also

• amme
• ammentaa
• emo
• emä
• ämmi
• ämmä

Hausa

Etymology

From Arabic أَمَّا (ʔammā).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔàm.máː/
  • (Standard Kano Hausa) IPA^(key): [ʔàm.máː]

Conjunction

àmmā

1. but

Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse amma.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈamːa/
• Rhymes: -amːa

Noun

amma f (genitive singular ömmu, nominative plural ömmur)

1. grandmother, grandma, granny

Declension

Declension of amma (feminine)

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	amma	amman	ömmur	ömmurnar
accusative	ömmu	ömmuna	ömmur	ömmurnar
dative	ömmu	ömmunni	ömmum	ömmunum
genitive	ömmu	ömmunnar	amma	ammanna

Derived terms

• kalla ekki allt ömmu sína
• langamma

Kirfi

Etymology

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

Noun

amma

1. water

References

• Václav Blažek (2000), “Toward the discussion of the Berber-Nubian lexical parallels”, in Salem Chaker, editor, compiled by Salem Chaker and Andrej Zaborski, Etudes berbères et chamito-sémitiques. Mélanges offert à Karl-G. Prasse (in French and English), Peeters, →ISBN, page 38
• Václav Blažek, A Lexicostatistical comparison of Omotic languages, in In Hot Pursuit of Language in Prehistory: Essays in the four fields of anthropology, page 122

Latin

Etymology 1

Pokorny suggests a derivation from Proto-Indo-European *amma-, *ama- (“mother”). Compare Latin amita (“paternal aunt”), Latin anus (“crone”) and Old High German amma (“wet nurse”).

It may also represent an infantile modification of mamma.

Noun

amma f (genitive ammae); first declension (Late Latin)

1. a nocturnal bird, perhaps the screech owl
   • c. 600, Isidore of Seville, Etymologiae, XII.vii.42:

     Haec avis [viz. strix] vulgo amma dicitur, ab amando parvulos; unde et lac praebere fertur nascentibus.

     This bird is commonly called amma [mum (?)], because it loves its young, and it is also said to offer milk to its hatchlings.

Usage notes

• Based on etymological evidence and the reference to milk in the Isidore quote, it is suspected that this word actually meant “mother”, along similar lines to atta (“father”).

Declension

First-declension noun.

	singular	plural
nominative	amma	ammae
genitive	ammae	ammārum
dative	ammae	ammīs
accusative	ammam	ammās
ablative	ammā	ammīs
vocative	amma	ammae

Descendants

• Catalan: ama
• Galician: ama
• Portuguese: ama
• Spanish: ama

Etymology 2

From Classical Syriac ܐܸܡܵܐ (ʾemmā, “mother, abbess”) via Koine Greek ἀμμᾶς (ammâs), ἀμμὰ (ammà), perhaps reinforced by Etymology 1.

Noun

amma f (genitive ammae); first declension (Late Latin)

1. amma; a spiritual mother or abbess in early monasticism, a Desert Mother

   Coordinate term: abba

   Vita Ammae Talidae ― The Life of Amma Talida

Declension

First-declension noun.

	singular	plural
nominative	amma	ammae
genitive	ammae	ammārum
dative	ammae	ammīs
accusative	ammam	ammās
ablative	ammā	ammīs
vocative	amma	ammae

References

• Coromines, Joan; Pascual, José Antonio (1984), “ama”, in Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico [Critical Castilian and Hispanic etymological dictionary]‎^[1] (in Spanish), volume I (A–Ca), Madrid: Gredos, →ISBN, page 226

Further reading

• "amma", in Charles du Fresne du Cange, Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• “amma”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Souter, Alexander (1949), “amma”, in A Glossary of Later Latin to 600 A.D.‎^[2], 1st edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press, published 1957, page 13

Northern Ohlone

Verb

amma

1. to eat
   • 1921, María de los Angeles Colós, José Guzman, and John Peabody Harrington, Chochenyo Field Notes‎^[3]:

     akkwetak hinšušte hinṭoš ek-ammasin

     I don't know what I am going to eat

References

• María de los Angeles Colós, José Guzman, and John Peabody Harrington (1930s), Chochenyo Field Notes (Survey of California and Other Indian Languages)‎^[4], Unpublished

Norwegian Bokmål

Alternative forms

• ammen (of noun)
• ammet (of verb)

Noun

amma m or f

1. definite feminine singular of amme

Verb

amma

1. inflection of amme:
   1. simple past
   2. past participle

Norwegian Nynorsk

Verb

amma (present tense ammar, past tense amma, past participle amma, present participle ammande, imperative am)

1. a-infinitive form of amme

Noun

amma f

1. definite singular of amme
2. (pre-2012) alternative form of amme

Old High German

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *ammā, from Proto-Germanic *ammǭ (“mother”).

Noun

amma f

1. wet nurse

Descendants

• German: Amme

Old Norse

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *ammǭ (“mother”), from Proto-Indo-European *amma (“mother”).

Noun

amma f (genitive ǫmmu, plural ǫmmur)

1. grandmother

Declension

Declension of amma (weak ōn-stem)

feminine	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	amma	amman	ǫmmur	ǫmmurnar
accusative	ǫmmu	ǫmmuna	ǫmmur	ǫmmurnar
dative	ǫmmu	ǫmmunni	ǫmmum	ǫmmunum
genitive	ǫmmu	ǫmmunnar	ammna	ammnanna

Descendants

• Faroese: omma f
• Icelandic: amma f

See also

• afi (“grandfather”)
• edda (“great-grandmother”)
• ái (“great-grandfather”)

Further reading

• Zoëga, Geir T. (1910), “amma”, in A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press; also available at the Internet Archive

Oyda

Etymology

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

Noun

amma

1. breast

Related terms

• apira
• gulʔa
• hasʃe
• haʃe
• s'aʔe
• saza

Pali

Alternative forms

Alternative scripts

• 𑀅𑀫𑁆𑀫 (Brahmi script)
• अम्म (Devanagari script)
• অম্ম (Bengali script)
• අම‍්ම (Sinhalese script)
• အမ္မ or ဢမ္မ or ဢမ်မ (Burmese script)
• อมฺม or อัมมะ (Thai script)
• ᩋᨾ᩠ᨾ (Tai Tham script)
• ອມ຺ມ or ອັມມະ (Lao script)
• អម្ម (Khmer script)
• 𑄃𑄟𑄴𑄟 (Chakma script)

Noun

amma

1. vocative singular of ammā (“mummy”)
2. familiar term of address to a woman

References

Pali Text Society (1921–1925), “amma”, in Pali-English Dictionary‎, London: Chipstead

Solon

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Tungusic *amŋa (“mouth”). Cognate with Manchu ᠠᠩᡤᠠ (angga, “mouth”).

Pronunciation

• (Hui) IPA^(key): /ˈɐmːɐ/

• Hyphenation: am‧ma

Noun

amma

1. (anatomy) mouth

Declension

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

References

• Do·Dɵrji (July 1998), “AMMA”, in Ewengki Nihang Bilehu Biteḡ / 鄂汉词典 [Ewenki–Chinese Dictionary], Hailar: Inner Mongolia Culture Publishing House, →ISBN, pages 27–29

Swedish

Etymology

From Low German amme; compare with German Amme (“wet nurse”). Verb derived from noun.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /²ama/

Noun

amma c

1. a wet nurse

Declension

Declension of amma

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	amma	ammas
	definite	amman	ammans
plural	indefinite	ammor	ammors
	definite	ammorna	ammornas

Derived terms

• amsaga

Verb

amma (present ammar, preterite ammade, supine ammat, imperative amma)

1. to breastfeed

Conjugation

Conjugation of amma (weak)

	active		passive
infinitive	amma		ammas
supine	ammat		ammats
imperative	amma		—
imper. plural1	ammen		—
	present	past	present	past
indicative	ammar	ammade	ammas	ammades
ind. plural1	amma	ammade	ammas	ammades
subjunctive2	amme	ammade	ammes	ammades
present participle		ammande
past participle		ammad

¹ Archaic. ² Dated. See the appendix on Swedish verbs.

Related terms

• amning

See also

• bröstmjölk
• modersmjölk

References

• “amma”, in Svensk ordbok [Dictionary of Swedish] (in Swedish)
• “amma”, in Svenska Akademiens ordlista [Wordlist of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)
• “amma”, in Svenska Akademiens ordbok [Dictionary of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)

Tagabawa

Noun

ámmà

1. father

Turkish

Etymology

From Ottoman Turkish اما (amma) from Arabic أَمَّا (ʔammā). Doublet of ama.

Adverb

amma

1. yet

See also

• ama
• âmâ