Where does “momma” come from?
Momma is an informal variant of mama, which derives from imitative words for mother found across multiple languages, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *meh₂- meaning to measure or extend, reinterpreted as a term for the nurturing parent.
momma (English): mother; A voluptuous woman; One's wife or...
Definitions
- mother; A voluptuous woman; One's wife or...
Ancestry of “momma”, step by step
momma traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English mama
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | mama | Mother, female parent |
| 2 | Xhosa | umama | mom, mother |
| 3 | Proto-Bantu | *mààmá | — |
via Ilocano mama
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ilocano | mama | momma |