The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-17
MECHANICS FOR PARENTS
Ancient Origin Of the Words Papa
and Mamma.
Dante Uses the Latter In the s'Pur-
Observation-Disclosures of the Desfg-
and Mether-Appeiiation Treated
IrreverentIy by Later Generations

In our own country papa" and mann
ma have been in familiar use for some
800 years at least They probably reached
US from Italy, where their use was OF
much older date. Dante uses mamma"
In the "Purgatorio." Words OF this kind
are often in common and familiar use
long before they find their way into the
written language of books. SO that it
would not be easy to say when pap
and mamma were first heard among Is.
but one of the earliest literary traces OF
their use is to be found in Lyiys "Eu-
phues" ti57s), an Italian story crammed
with curious verbal absurdities. for the
most part copied or initiated from the
Italian fasnions and affec.ericrsE or the
day. From that time instances o. the
use Of one or the other OF the words. or
of both. are fairly common.
Another familiar and childish variant 10
dad or daddy" Dad or tad as the
earlier form is. is pure Welsh word. and
is of great antiquity. The Lords Prayer
begins in Welsh with the words Elm
Tad or Elm Dad the first word OF the
phrase meaning Our" Dad with de-
rivaties daddy and dada has long
been familiar in the mouths OF English
children. Like pap" it was doubtless in
use many years before literature took note
of 1t; still it is found more than two GEN.
turtles ago in a burlesque poem. attacking
James III. The doggerel contains both
dad and dada Dryden. too. in trans
lation Of the twenty Idyl OF The
ocritus has the line:
But Man and Dad pretty names to hear.
There are curious differences in the
present day pronunciation of both dada"
and papa In the country and country
town districts, for instance, Of northeast
Ireland children of the Toorer and less
educated classes all say dada with the
accent on the second syllable. This 10
true also. of some of the eastern Irish
counties, Kilkenny and others. and the
same pronunciation is common in South
Lancashire and South Wales. and in Dur
nam. Papa, again, becomes ''pappa" n
Cheshire where mamma is alsos accent
ed on the first syllable. II we go to the
United States, variations in the pronun-
citation of papa" may be found In almost
every State. Perhaps the coinmonest forms
are 'popa' and ''momma. In Indiana.
the "Hooser" State the most familiar is
the very absurd 'popsy." The maternal
correlative. however. is not ''mopsy.
Though it is hard to say why this has not
as a matter Of course.
The social yicissitudes of papa" and
mamma among ourselves have been GU
rious. Their use was formerly entirely
restricted to the upper classes, bue Z
they gradually filtered down till peo-
pie of class which, sixty or sew
enty years ago. had probably never
heard the words, or, at all events
had never dreamed of using them.
taught their children to say papa" and
mamma" as being more 'genteef than
father and mother. or daddy and nanny.
When the change was effected. the upper
classes reverted to father and mother, ana
left their imitators to the enjoyment OK
the ancient baby words. George III,
hundred and forty years ago. addressed
mis- mother as mamma; but royalty
Ices not affect that mode of speech today.
Children OF larger growth have other
equivalents for father and mother Boys
Who think that they are too big to use tins
understanding names which were famil-
ar in their infancy talk of the "pater
md the mater" Governor is another
.olloouiai variant which has little to COM
mend IL.
sam Weller addressed his father by that
name. but Sam had quite varied seiec-
lion Of epithets for his reyered parent:
He addresses him as "old fellow and
old codger, anu announces I'LL " -hi-
pickwick as the ''old 'un-" When the
I'D gentleman. muified in ample shawls.
makes his appearance. Sam is taken by
urprise why, | wouldn't ha believed
I sir" he cries. Its the old 'un. "oid
me" said Mr. Pickwiek. What old
me-" MY father. sir" replied Mr.. Well
er. How are you. my ancient with
yhich beautiful ebuliition of flial affec-
ion Mr. Weller made room on the seat
,eside him for the stout man. who ad-
anced. pipe in mouth and pot in hand,
O greet him
A few shades worse than governor IS
relieving officer''-a phrase affected by
ons who look upon their fathers ehieny
5 the source of financial supply. Theirs
re other similar epithets in use, but they
re neither attractive nor digniied- When
addy and nanny or papa and mamma
re put aside as too childish or are dis
a rded for any reason, there are no pa
entail names which can for moment
ompare with the simple but dignihed,
lain but beautiful, Anglo-Saxon words,
,ther and mother.-LondOn Globe.