Mamma
/ˈmæmə/noun
A child’s word for mother; also used as an affectionate term for a mother.
Did you know?Mamma is a nursery word built from one of the most universal early speech sounds, and its deep history shows how “mother” words often grow from baby babble rather than formal invention.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*méh₂tēr
“mother”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ma-
“a nursery syllable used in baby speech”
Latin
Latin
mamma
“mother; breast”
Late Latin
Latin
mamma
“mother, nurse”
Old French
Old French
mame
“mother”
Middle English
English
mame, mamme
“mother, mama”
Modern English
English
mamma
“mother; mama”