Where does “嘛嘛” come from?

嘛嘛 (Chinese) comes from Malay mamak, from Tamil மாமா, from Proto-Dravidian *māma — maternal or specific paternal (father's sister's husband) uncle.

嘛嘛 (Chinese): Tamil Muslim

Definitions

  1. Tamil Muslim

Ancestry of “嘛嘛”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Malaymamaka maternal uncle or elder brother; the male head of a household
2Tamilமாமாa term of address for any elder male acquaintance
3Proto-Dravidian*māmamaternal or specific paternal (father's sister's husband) uncle
Every word from Proto-Dravidian *māma →Every word from Tamil மாமா →Every word from Malay mamak →