mem

See also: Appendix:Variations of "mem"

Translingual

Symbol

mem

1. (international standards) ISO 639-3 language code for Mangala.

See also

• Wiktionary’s coverage of Mangala terms

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mɛm/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛm

Etymology 1

From Phoenician 𐤌𐤌 (mm /⁠mem⁠/, “water”), from Proto-Semitic *maʾ- (“*maʾ-/*may-”). Doublet of mu.

Alternative forms

• meem, mim

Noun

mem (plural mems)

1. The thirteenth letter of many Semitic alphabets/abjads (Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew, Syriac, Arabic and others).

Translations

Semitic letter

• Aramaic:

  Classical Syriac: ܡܝܡ f (mīm), ܡܡ f

• Catalan: mem (ca) f
• Finnish: mem (fi)
• French: mém (fr) m, mem (fr) m
• Hebrew: מֵם (he)
• Italian: mem (it) m or f
• Malay: mim
• Yiddish: מם (mem)

See also

• Appendix:Hebrew alphabet

Etymology 2

Clipping of memory.

Noun

mem (plural mems)

1. (slang) Clipping of memory.
   • 2020 August 19, @BRITs, Twitter‎^[1]:

     We can't BELIEVE it's been #9YearsofLittleMix?! Aside from the girls slaying every #BRITs look they've had, what's your fave mem? (we know it's a hard q!) 👀💖

   • 2023 October 23, Rachel Varina, “How to Get Over a Breakup So You Can *Actually* Move On and Heal”, in Cosmopolitan‎^[2]:

     6. Throw Away the Mems [section title] ¶ Now that you’ve got some theme music, it’s time to take that old teddy bear and V-Day card and toss ‘em in the dumpster.

   • 2026 April 28, Carson Blackwelder, “How unlikely couple Dr. Dre and ‘The Valley’ star Michelle Saniei crossed paths”, in Page Six‎^[3]:

     [Ashley] Palmer-Gilkey responded in the comments, “love you 🤍 cheers to more laughs, more trips, more skinny margs, more mems 💕.”

2. (computing theory) A memory access as part of processing.

Derived terms

• memcomputer
• memcomputing

See also

• mim-mem

Etymology 3

From Hindi मेम (mem, “wife of a colonial official; a white woman”), originally from English ma'am.

Noun

mem (plural mems)

1. (South Asia, now historical) A white European woman, especially the wife of an official; a memsahib.
   • 2009, Selina Hastings, The Secret Lives of Somerset Maugham, John Murray, published 2010, page 277:

     With their husbands out all day, the mems had almost nothing to do, unless they were among the few prepared to interest themselves in local charities or community work.

2. (chiefly India) Alternative form of ma'am.

Derived terms

• gori mem

Etymology 4

Noun

mem (plural mems)

1. (slang) Clipping of member.
   • 1999 November 17, Jfaspen, “JOE HAMILTON FOR HEISMAN(nDMBc)”, in alt.music.dave-matthews‎^[4] (Usenet), archived from the original on 14 December 2025:

     Make him footrace Dayne and then block Dayne. Wait, then we would get 1/2 the amt of quality recording and lose a mem of the community!

   • 2000 December 22, Matt, “OT: going to be away....”, in rec.models.rc.land‎^[5] (Usenet), archived from the original on 14 December 2025:

     And that its^[sic] not his cousin or grandma laying^[sic] next to him (he said it was a family outing, I assume he meant other mems of his family and not just his imidiate^[sic] family).

   • 2003 April 10, Greg D, “Press Kits”, in rec.music.makers.guitar.jazz‎^[6] (Usenet), archived from the original on 14 December 2025:

     Great resource! It's going out to all mems of my band today.

Anagrams

• EMM, Emm

Azerbaijani

Etymology

Borrowed from Russian мем (mem), ultimately from English meme.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [mem], [mɛm]

Noun

mem (definite accusative memi, plural memlər)

1. meme (unit of cultural information)
2. internet meme

Further reading

• mem on the Azerbaijani Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^az
• İnternet memi on the Azerbaijani Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^az

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from English meme.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Northern) [ˈme̞m]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic, Valencia, Northwestern) [ˈmem]
• IPA^(key): (Central) [ˈmɛm]

• Audio (Barcelona):

  (file)

Noun

mem m (plural mems)

1. meme (unit of cultural information)
2. internet meme

Derived terms

• memètic
• memètica
• memitzar

Further reading

• “mem” in termcat, Centre de Terminologia, 2026.
• mem on the Catalan Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^ca
• mem d'Internet on the Catalan Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^ca

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈmɛm]

Noun

mem m inan

1. meme

Declension

Declension of mem (hard masculine inanimate)

	singular	plural
nominative	mem	memy
genitive	memu	memů
dative	memu	memům
accusative	mem	memy
vocative	meme	memy
locative	memu	memech
instrumental	memem	memy

Related terms

• memetika f

Dutch

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Hebrew מֵ״ם (mem).

Noun

mem m (plural memmen, diminutive memmetje n)

1. mem (letter of the Hebrew alphabet)

Etymology 2

Borrowed from West Frisian mem.

Noun

mem m (plural memmen, diminutive memmetje n)

1. (informal) mom, mother

   Coordinate term: heit

2. (colloquial, chiefly in the plural) breast

   Synonyms: tiet, tet, borst, jetser

Usage notes

• In the sense of mom, mostly encountered as code-switching by West Frisian speakers speaking Dutch, or by Dutch speakers of Frisian descent (who do not otherwise speak West Frisian).

Esperanto

Etymology

Borrowed from French même.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mem/

• Audio 1:

  (file)

• Audio 2:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -em
• Syllabification: mem

Particle

mem

1. -self, -selves
   • 1998, Henrik Ibsen, translated by Odd Tangerud, Puphejmo : Dramo en tri aktoj‎^[7]:

     KROGSTAD. Vere ne? Ŝajnas al mi, ke vi mem ĵus diris —

     KROGSTAD. Truly not? It seems to me, that you yourself just said —

Derived terms

• memkontenta
• memportreto
• memmortigo

Pronoun

mem

1. itself

   La koloro de la flago mem estis blanka sen surpreso, ruĝa aŭ nigra, blanka ĝenerale signifis la persekutadon, ĉe kiu la viktimo povis kapitulaci.^VP

   The color of the flag itself was white without foreground image, red or black; white generally denoted persecution, at which the victim could surrender.

Further reading

• “mem”, in Plena Ilustrita Vortaro de Esperanto [Complete Illustrated Dictionary of Esperanto], 2020, →ISBN
• “mem”, in Reta Vortaro [Online Dictionary] (in Esperanto), 1997-2026

Finnish

Etymology

From Phoenician [Term?].

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmem/, [ˈme̞m]
• Rhymes: -em
• Syllabification^(key): mem
• Hyphenation^(key): mem

Noun

mem

1. mem (thirteenth letter of the Hebrew and Phoenician scripts and the Northwest Semitic abjad)

Declension

Inflection of mem (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)
nominative		mem	memit
genitive		memin	memien
partitive		memiä	memejä
illative		memiin	memeihin
		singular	plural
nominative		mem	memit
accusative	nom.	mem	memit
	gen.	memin
genitive		memin	memien
partitive		memiä	memejä
inessive		memissä	memeissä
elative		memistä	memeistä
illative		memiin	memeihin
adessive		memillä	memeillä
ablative		memiltä	memeiltä
allative		memille	memeille
essive		meminä	memeinä
translative		memiksi	memeiksi
abessive		memittä	memeittä
instructive		—	memein
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of mem (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative memini memini accusative nom. memini memini gen. memini genitive memini memieni partitive memiäni memejäni inessive memissäni memeissäni elative memistäni memeistäni illative memiini memeihini adessive memilläni memeilläni ablative memiltäni memeiltäni allative memilleni memeilleni essive meminäni memeinäni translative memikseni memeikseni abessive memittäni memeittäni instructive — — comitative — memeineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative memisi memisi accusative nom. memisi memisi gen. memisi genitive memisi memiesi partitive memiäsi memejäsi inessive memissäsi memeissäsi elative memistäsi memeistäsi illative memiisi memeihisi adessive memilläsi memeilläsi ablative memiltäsi memeiltäsi allative memillesi memeillesi essive meminäsi memeinäsi translative memiksesi memeiksesi abessive memittäsi memeittäsi instructive — — comitative — memeinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative memimme memimme accusative nom. memimme memimme gen. memimme genitive memimme memiemme partitive memiämme memejämme inessive memissämme memeissämme elative memistämme memeistämme illative memiimme memeihimme adessive memillämme memeillämme ablative memiltämme memeiltämme allative memillemme memeillemme essive meminämme memeinämme translative memiksemme memeiksemme abessive memittämme memeittämme instructive — — comitative — memeinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative meminne meminne accusative nom. meminne meminne gen. meminne genitive meminne memienne partitive memiänne memejänne inessive memissänne memeissänne elative memistänne memeistänne illative memiinne memeihinne adessive memillänne memeillänne ablative memiltänne memeiltänne allative memillenne memeillenne essive meminänne memeinänne translative memiksenne memeiksenne abessive memittänne memeittänne instructive — — comitative — memeinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative meminsä meminsä accusative nom. meminsä meminsä gen. meminsä genitive meminsä memiensä partitive memiään memiänsä memejään memejänsä inessive memissään memissänsä memeissään memeissänsä elative memistään memistänsä memeistään memeistänsä illative memiinsä memeihinsä adessive memillään memillänsä memeillään memeillänsä ablative memiltään memiltänsä memeiltään memeiltänsä allative memilleen memillensä memeilleen memeillensä essive meminään meminänsä memeinään memeinänsä translative memikseen memiksensä memeikseen memeiksensä abessive memittään memittänsä memeittään memeittänsä instructive — — comitative — memeineen memeinensä

Anagrams

• -mme

Ido

Etymology

Borrowed from French même, from Old French mesme, from Vulgar Latin *metipsimus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mem/

Adverb

mem

1. even, still (in comparison)

   Ica pano esas bona, ma ita esas mem plu bona

   That bread is good but that is even better.

2. (emphasis) really, indeed

   Yes, me konfesas, ke mea manui esas mem tre sordida.

   Yes, I admit that my hands are really very dirty.

See also

• ya (“indeed”)

Italian

Etymology

From Hebrew מם (mēm), from Phoenician 𐤌𐤌 (mm, “water”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmem/
• Rhymes: -em
• Hyphenation: mém

Noun

mem m or f (invariable)

1. mem, specifically:
   1. the name of the Phoenician-script letter 𐤌
   2. the name of the Hebrew-script letter מ/ם

Mauritian Creole

Etymology

From French même.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mem/

Adjective

mem

1. same

Adverb

mem

1. still (up to a time)

   Synonym: ankor

2. even (used to imply an extreme example in the case mentioned)

   Synonym: ziska

Derived terms

• mem si

References

• Baker, Philip; Hookoomsing, Vinesh Y. (1987), Diksiyoner kreol morisyeṅ [Mauritian Creole Dictionary] (in French and English), Paris: L'Harmattan, →ISBN, page 224
• Carpooran, Arnaud (2011), Diksioner Morisien [Mauritian Dictionary] (in Mauritian Creole), second edition, Éditions Le Printemps, →ISBN, page 695

Polish

Etymology

Etymology tree

English mimemeclip.

English memebor.

Polish mem

Borrowed from English meme.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɛm/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛm
• Syllabification: mem

Noun

mem m inan

1. meme (unit of cultural information)
2. meme (something copied and circulated online)

Declension

Declension of mem

	singular	plural
nominative	mem	memy
genitive	memu	memów
dative	memowi	memom
accusative	mem	memy
instrumental	memem	memami
locative	memie	memach
vocative	memie	memy

Further reading

• “mem”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎^[8] (in Polish)

Swedish

Alternative forms

• meme

Etymology

From English meme coined by Richard Dawkins in The Selfish Gene (1976), similar to gene. The book was translated to Swedish by Roland Adlerbeth, Den själviska genen (1983). The Swedish word mem follows the grammar of gen (“gene”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /meːm/

Noun

mem c

1. a meme (unit of cultural information)
2. (Internet, chiefly in the alternative form "meme") a meme

   Synonym: (slang) mejmej

Declension

Declension of mem

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	mem	mems
	definite	memen	memens
plural	indefinite	memer	memers
	definite	memerna	memernas

Related terms

• memetik

References

• “mem”, in Svensk ordbok [Dictionary of Swedish] (in Swedish)

Tocharian A

Etymology

From Proto-Tocharian *meim, a nominal derivative of *mei- (“to measure”). Possibly linked to Proto-Indo-European *mod-ye/o- or *mēdye/o-, derivatives of *med- (“to measure, give advice, heal”) (whence Latin meditor), or alternatively to *meh₁-ye/o- from *meh₁- (“to measure”) (whence Latin mētior). Compare Tocharian B maim.

Noun

mem

1. thought, thinking

Volapük

Noun

mem (genitive mema, plural mems)

1. memory

Declension

Declension of mem

	Singular	Plural
Nominative	mem	mems
Genitive	mema	memas
Dative	meme	memes
Accusative	memi	memis
Predicative1	memu	memus
Vocative	o mem	o mems

1. Introduced in Volapük Nulik.

West Frisian

Etymology

Probably from Old Frisian *mōme, from Proto-West Germanic *mōmā. Compare English mum.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mɛm/

Noun

mem c (plural memmen, diminutive memke)

1. mother, mom

   Coordinate term: heit

Descendants

• → Dutch: mem

Further reading

• “mem”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011

Yaqay

Noun

mem

1. mouth

References

• Ronald Kriens and Randy Lebold, Report on the Wildeman River Survey in Papua, Indonesia (SIL International, 2010) (all dialects, as either /mem/ or /ˈmem/)