Where does “mama” come from?
mama (Tagalog) comes from Spanish mamá, from French maman, from Latin mamma, from Latin ferō, from Proto-Italic ferō, from Proto-Indo-European bʰéreti, from Proto-Indo-European bʰēr- — shiny, light brown.
mama (Tagalog): a term used in referring to, or in addressing, a...
Definitions
- a term used in referring to, or in addressing, a...
Ancestry of “mama”, step by step
mama traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Spanish mamá
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spanish | mamá | mum, mom; a term of affection for a woman |
| 2 | French | maman | mummy, mom, mum |
| 3 | Latin | mamma | a breast; an udder; a pap; a teat, a dug |
| 4 | Latin | ferō | to bear; to carry |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | ferō | carry, bear |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰéreti | to be carrying |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰēr- | shiny, light brown |
via English mama
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | mama | Mother, female parent |
| 2 | Xhosa | umama | mom, mother |
| 3 | Proto-Bantu | *mààmá | — |
via Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *mama
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proto-Malayo-Polynesian | *mama | — |