Etymology Explorer › Latin

Where does “mamma” come from?

mamma (Latin) comes from Latin ferō, from Proto-Italic ferō, from Proto-Indo-European bʰéreti, from Proto-Indo-European bʰēr- — shiny, light brown.

mamma (Latin): a breast; an udder; a pap; a teat, a dug

Definitions

  1. a breast; an udder; a pap; a teat, a dug

Ancestry of “mamma”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinferō—
2Proto-Italicferōcarry, bear
3Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰéretito be carrying
4Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰēr-shiny, light brown

Words derived from “mamma”

  • mamma
  • mammary
  • mammography
  • grandmamma
  • mammogram
  • ama
  • mammographic
  • inframammary
  • mammaplasty
  • amah
  • intramammary
  • mammiferous
  • mammoplasty
  • mammographically
  • submammary
  • mamelon
  • extramammary
  • retromammary
  • intermammary
  • mammilla
  • mamilla
  • mammogenesis
  • stepmamma
  • mammilliform
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰēr- →