Where does “mammy” come from?

Mammy comes from Middle English -y, Middle French -ie, Latin -ia, Latin -ivus, Latin -ia, Proto-Indo-European -kos, and Proto-Indo-European -kos, tracing back through successive suffix formations across these languages.

mammy (English): mamma; mother; In the southern United States, a...

Definitions

  1. mamma; mother; In the southern United States, a...

Ancestry of “mammy”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishmammaThe milk-secreting organ of female humans and...
2Latinmammaa breast; an udder; a pap; a teat, a dug
3Latinferōto bear; to carry
4Proto-Italicferōcarry, bear
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰéretito be carrying
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰēr-shiny, light brown

Words derived from “mammy”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰēr- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰéreti →Every word from Proto-Italic ferō →