mamma

See also: Mamma, mammà, and måmma

English

Etymology 1

Learned borrowing from Latin mamma.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmæmə/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æmə

Noun

mamma (plural mammae or mammas)

1. (anatomy, plural mammae) The milk-secreting organ of female humans and other mammals which includes the mammary gland and the nipple or teat; a breast; an udder.
   • 1880, Herbert Spencer, The Study of Sociology, page 434:

     Either sex under special stimulations is capable of manifesting powers ordinarily shown only by the other […] Thus, to take an extreme case, the mammæ of men will, under special excitation, yield milk: there are various cases of gynecomasty on record, and in famines infants whose mothers have died have been thus saved.

2. (meteorology) An accessory cloud like a mammary in appearance, which can form on the underside of most cloud genera.

Derived terms

• mammal
• mammalgia
• mammaplasty
• mammary
• mammate
• mammatroph
• mammectomy
• mammiferous
• mammiform
• mammilla
• mammiplasia
• mammitis
• mammogen
• mammogenesis
• mammogram
• mammography
• mammoplasia
• mammose
• mammosomatotrope
• mammosomatotroph
• mammotomy
• mammotroph
• mammotrophic
• mammotropic
• mammotropin
• pseudomamma

Translations

milk-secreting organ

• Catalan: mama (ca) f, mamella (ca) f
• Finnish: nisä (fi)
• Galician: mama (gl) f
• Indonesian: mama (id), payudara (id), susu (id), tetek (id)
• Irish: mama m, faireog mhamach f
• Italian: mammella (it)
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: گوان (gwan) (animals only)

  Northern Kurdish: guhan (ku) m

• Macedonian: до́јка f (dójka)
• Portuguese: mama (pt) f
• Russian: моло́чная железа́ (ru) f (molóčnaja železá)
• Spanish: mama (es) f

mum — see mum

mother — see mother

Etymology 2

Alternative spelling of mama; see further etymology there.

Noun

mamma (plural mammas)

1. Alternative spelling of mama: mother.
   • 1856, Gustave Flaubert, Madame Bovary, Part III Chapter XI, translated by Eleanor Marx-Aveling

     The next day Charles had the child brought back. She asked for her mamma. They told her she was away; that she would bring her back some playthings.

Derived terms

• grandmamma
• stepmamma

Further reading

• “mamma”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Alemannic German

Noun

mamma f

1. (Gressoney) mom, mama

References

• Patuzzi, Umberto, ed., (2013) Luserna / Lusérn: Le nostre parole / Ünsarne börtar / Unsere Wörter [Our Words], Luserna, Italy: Comitato unitario delle isole linguistiche storiche germaniche in Italia / Einheitskomitee der historischen deutschen Sprachinseln in Italien

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɑ.maː/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: mam‧ma
• Rhymes: -ɑmaː

Etymology 1

Noun

mamma f (plural mamma's, diminutive mammaatje n)

1. alternative form of mama

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Latin mamma.

Noun

mamma f (plural mamma's or mammae, no diminutive)

1. mamma, breast

   Synonym: borst

Usage notes

Most people will use this word as an alternative spelling of mama (“mother”).

Faroese

Alternative forms

• momma

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmamːa/
• Rhymes: -amːa

Noun

mamma f (genitive singular mammu, plural mammur)

1. mom, mum (colloquial word for mother)

   Synonym: móðir

   Hvar er mamma mín?

   Where is my mommy?

Declension

f1	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	mamma	mamman	mammur	mammurnar
accusative	mammu	mammuna	mammur	mammurnar
dative	mammu	mammuni	mammum	mammunum
genitive	mammu	mammunnar	mamma	mammanna

Finnish

Etymology

From Swedish mamma.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɑmːɑ/, [ˈmɑ̝mːɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -ɑmːɑ
• Syllabification^(key): mam‧ma
• Hyphenation^(key): mam‧ma

Noun

mamma

1. (dialectal, childish) mama, mother (chiefly Southwest Finnish, Satakunta, Uusimaa, Kymenlaakso, South Karelia)

   Synonym: äiti

2. (dialectal, childish) grandma, grandmother (chiefly Southwest Finnish, Satakunta, Uusimaa, Kymenlaakso, South Karelia)

   Synonym: isoäiti

3. (colloquial) An elder, plump woman.

   Synonym: tantta

Declension

Inflection of mamma (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)
nominative		mamma	mammat
genitive		mamman	mammojen
partitive		mammaa	mammoja
illative		mammaan	mammoihin
		singular	plural
nominative		mamma	mammat
accusative	nom.	mamma	mammat
	gen.	mamman
genitive		mamman	mammojen mammain rare
partitive		mammaa	mammoja
inessive		mammassa	mammoissa
elative		mammasta	mammoista
illative		mammaan	mammoihin
adessive		mammalla	mammoilla
ablative		mammalta	mammoilta
allative		mammalle	mammoille
essive		mammana	mammoina
translative		mammaksi	mammoiksi
abessive		mammatta	mammoitta
instructive		—	mammoin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

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

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative mammani mammani accusative nom. mammani mammani gen. mammani genitive mammani mammojeni mammaini rare partitive mammaani mammojani inessive mammassani mammoissani elative mammastani mammoistani illative mammaani mammoihini adessive mammallani mammoillani ablative mammaltani mammoiltani allative mammalleni mammoilleni essive mammanani mammoinani translative mammakseni mammoikseni abessive mammattani mammoittani instructive — — comitative — mammoineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative mammasi mammasi accusative nom. mammasi mammasi gen. mammasi genitive mammasi mammojesi mammaisi rare partitive mammaasi mammojasi inessive mammassasi mammoissasi elative mammastasi mammoistasi illative mammaasi mammoihisi adessive mammallasi mammoillasi ablative mammaltasi mammoiltasi allative mammallesi mammoillesi essive mammanasi mammoinasi translative mammaksesi mammoiksesi abessive mammattasi mammoittasi instructive — — comitative — mammoinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative mammamme mammamme accusative nom. mammamme mammamme gen. mammamme genitive mammamme mammojemme mammaimme rare partitive mammaamme mammojamme inessive mammassamme mammoissamme elative mammastamme mammoistamme illative mammaamme mammoihimme adessive mammallamme mammoillamme ablative mammaltamme mammoiltamme allative mammallemme mammoillemme essive mammanamme mammoinamme translative mammaksemme mammoiksemme abessive mammattamme mammoittamme instructive — — comitative — mammoinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative mammanne mammanne accusative nom. mammanne mammanne gen. mammanne genitive mammanne mammojenne mammainne rare partitive mammaanne mammojanne inessive mammassanne mammoissanne elative mammastanne mammoistanne illative mammaanne mammoihinne adessive mammallanne mammoillanne ablative mammaltanne mammoiltanne allative mammallenne mammoillenne essive mammananne mammoinanne translative mammaksenne mammoiksenne abessive mammattanne mammoittanne instructive — — comitative — mammoinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative mammansa mammansa accusative nom. mammansa mammansa gen. mammansa genitive mammansa mammojensa mammainsa rare partitive mammaansa mammojaan mammojansa inessive mammassaan mammassansa mammoissaan mammoissansa elative mammastaan mammastansa mammoistaan mammoistansa illative mammaansa mammoihinsa adessive mammallaan mammallansa mammoillaan mammoillansa ablative mammaltaan mammaltansa mammoiltaan mammoiltansa allative mammalleen mammallensa mammoilleen mammoillensa essive mammanaan mammanansa mammoinaan mammoinansa translative mammakseen mammaksensa mammoikseen mammoiksensa abessive mammattaan mammattansa mammoittaan mammoittansa instructive — — comitative — mammoineen mammoinensa

Derived terms

compounds

• mammaloma
• mammamekko
• mammanpoika
• sokerimamma

Further reading

• “mamma”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[1] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 1 July 2023

Gilbertese

Noun

mamma (plural mamma)

1. mammary gland
2. mummy; mom; mum

Verb

mamma

1. to suck the breast

Icelandic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmamːa/
• Rhymes: -amːa

Noun

mamma f (genitive singular mömmu, nominative plural mömmur)

1. mom, mum (colloquial word for mother)

   Synonym: móðir

   Hvar er mamma mín?

   Where is my mommy?

Declension

Declension of mamma (feminine)

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	mamma	mamman	mömmur	mömmurnar
accusative	mömmu	mömmuna	mömmur	mömmurnar
dative	mömmu	mömmunni	mömmum	mömmunum
genitive	mömmu	mömmunnar	mamma	mammanna

Further reading

• mamma in Hólmarsson et al.: Íslensk-ensk orðabók. 1989.
• “mamma” in the Dictionary of Modern Icelandic (in Icelandic) and ISLEX (in the Nordic languages)

Interlingua

Noun

mamma (plural mammas)

1. mamma

Related terms

• mammari

Italian

Etymology

From Latin mamma.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmam.ma/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -amma
• Hyphenation: màm‧ma

Noun

mamma f (plural mamme)

1. mom (US), mommy (US), mum (UK), mummy (UK)
2. mother
3. type of artichoke

Synonyms

• madre
• cimarolo

Derived terms

• mamma mia

Further reading

• mamma in Dizionario Italiano Olivetti, Olivetti Media Communication

Latin

Etymology

Uncertain. Either a native childish term of onomatopoeic origin, or borrowed from Ancient Greek μάμμη (mámmē).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈmam.ma]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈmam.ma]

Noun

mamma f (genitive mammae); first declension

1. (anatomy) breast

   Puero isti da mammam.

   Give that boy of yours your breast [i.e. suckle him].

2. (anatomy) udder; pap
3. (anatomy, of animals) teat, dug

   mammam sugere ― to suck on a breast

4. (childish) mama (mother)

   Cum cibum ac potionem buas ac papas vocent, matrem mammam, patrem tatam.

   Since children call food and drink bua and papa, mother mamma and father tata.

5. (by extension) a protuberance on tree bark

Usage notes

• This term was used especially of females, but also of males – although rarely:

  Mammas homo solus e maribus habet.

  Among male animals, man alone has breasts.

Declension

First-declension noun.

	singular	plural
nominative	mamma	mammae
genitive	mammae	mammārum
dative	mammae	mammīs
accusative	mammam	mammās
ablative	mammā	mammīs
vocative	mamma	mammae

Derived terms

• mammālis
• mammam dare (“to give someone the breast, to suckle someone”)
• mammātus
• mammeātus
• mammicula
• mammilla
• mammō
• mammōsus
• mammula

Descendants

• Aromanian: mamã
• → English: mamma
• French: maman, m'man
  • Haitian Creole: manman
  • → Portuguese: mamã
  • → Spanish: mamá
    • → Bikol Central: mama
    • → Cebuano: mama
    • → Tagalog: mama
  • → Persian: مامان (mâmân)
• Ido: mama
• → Irish: mama
• Istriot: mama
• Italian: mamma
• Megleno-Romanian: mamă
• Mozarabic: ממה (mmh)
• Neapolitan: mamma
• Old Galician-Portuguese: mama
  • Galician: mama
  • Portuguese: mama
• Old Galician-Portuguese: mamoa (from mammula)
  • Galician: mámoa
  • Portuguese: mamoa
• Romanian: mamă
• Romansch: mamma, mama, mumma, moma
• Sardinian: mama, mamma, immamma
• Spanish: mama

References

• “mamma”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “mamma”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• "mamma", in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• “mamma”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• “mamma”, in William Smith, editor (1854, 1857), A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography, volume 1 & 2, London: Walton and Maberly

Latvian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈmamːa]

Noun

mamma f (4th declension)

1. mum
2. mother

Declension

Declension of mamma (4th)

	singular (vienskaitlis)	plural (daudzskaitlis)
nominative	mamma	mammas
genitive	mammas	mammu
dative	mammai	mammām
accusative	mammu	mammas
instrumental	mammu	mammām
locative	mammā	mammās
vocative	mamma	mammas

Further reading

• mamma at tezaurs.lv

Maltese

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian mamma.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmam.ma/
• Rhymes: -amma

Noun

mamma f (plural mammiet or mammi)

1. (childish) mom, mummy/mommy

   Synonyms: ma, mamà, omm

   il-mamma u t-tata ― mommy and daddy

2. original
3. (grammar) basic form of a verb (the basic form of a verb used as a dictionary entry)

   Coordinate term: għerq

Derived terms

• mamma tal-għajn
• mammina

Norwegian Bokmål

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mama/, [ˈmɑ̂mːa]

Noun

mamma m (definite singular mammaen, indefinite plural mammaer, definite plural mammaene)

1. mother

   Synonym: mor

See also

• far, pappa
• bror, søster, søsken
• sønn, datter

References

• “mamma” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mama/, [ˈmɑmːa]

Noun

mamma f (definite singular mammaa, indefinite plural mammaer, definite plural mammaene)

1. mother

   Synonym: mor

See also

• far, pappa
• bror, syster, sysken
• son, dotter

References

• “mamma” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Pali

Alternative forms

Alternative scripts

• 𑀫𑀫𑁆𑀫 (Brahmi script)
• मम्म (Devanagari script)
• মম্ম (Bengali script)
• මම‍්ම (Sinhalese script)
• မမ္မ or မမ်မ (Burmese script)
• มมฺม or มัมมะ (Thai script)
• ᨾᨾ᩠ᨾ (Tai Tham script)
• ມມ຺ມ or ມັມມະ (Lao script)
• មម្ម (Khmer script)
• 𑄟𑄟𑄴𑄟 (Chakma script)

Noun

mamma n

1. a vital spot of the body
2. nerve center

Declension

Declension table of "mamma" (neuter)

Case \ Number	Singular	Plural
Nominative (first)	mammaṃ	mammāni
Accusative (second)	mammaṃ	mammāni
Instrumental (third)	mammena	mammehi or mammebhi
Dative (fourth)	mammassa or mammāya or mammatthaṃ	mammānaṃ
Ablative (fifth)	mammasmā or mammamhā or mammā	mammehi or mammebhi
Genitive (sixth)	mammassa	mammānaṃ
Locative (seventh)	mammasmiṃ or mammamhi or mamme	mammesu
Vocative (calling)	mamma	mammāni

Portuguese

Etymology 1

Noun

mamma f (plural mammas)

1. pre-reform spelling (used until 1943 in Brazil and 1911 in Portugal) of mama

Etymology 2

Verb

mamma

1. inflection of mammar:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Romansch

Alternative forms

• mama, mumma, moma

Etymology

From Latin mamma.

Noun

mamma f (plural mammas)

1. mother

Coordinate terms

• (with regards to gender): bab
• (with regards to ancestry): figl, figlia

Swedish

Etymology

Uncertain. Either a native childish term of onomatopoeic origin, or borrowed from Ancient Greek μάμμη (mámmē).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [²mamːa]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

mamma c

1. mom (US), mommy (US), mama (US), mum (UK), mummy (UK)

   Synonyms: mor, moder, (slang) morsa, (definite, colloquial) mamsen

   Antonym: pappa

   Han älskar sin mamma.

   He loves his mom.

Usage notes

The most common and neutral word for mother.

Declension

Declension of mamma

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	mamma	mammas
	definite	mamman	mammans
plural	indefinite	mammor	mammors
	definite	mammorna	mammornas

Derived terms

• din mamma
• mammas död

References

• mamma in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• mamma in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)