Mata
/ˈmɑː.tə/noun
A respectful title for a Hindu mother or female religious teacher.
Did you know?In Hindu religious usage, Mata can honor a goddess or female saint, as in Mata Amritanandamayi, whose title means “Mother.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*méh₂tēr
“Mother”
Vedic Sanskrit
Sanskrit
mātṛ́ / mātā
“Mother; the feminine parent”
Classical Sanskrit
Sanskrit
mātā
“Mother, revered female ancestor, or respected woman”
Medieval Indo-Aryan
Prakrit
māyā / māta
“Mother; an honorific form developing from Sanskrit”
Modern Hindi
Hindi
mātā
“Mother; revered female religious figure or goddess”
Modern English
English
mata
“A borrowed honorific for a Hindu mother or female religious teacher”