mama
Part of speech: noun
intj
Morphological type: simple
Etymology: The origin of the noun is uncertain; it is probably a reduplication of ma, thought to be a sound made by babies when breastfeeding. The word is possibly influenced by Middle French maman (“mother”) (modern French maman), mamme (both probably from Latin mamma (“breast; nurse; (childish) mother, mama; grandmother”), probably cognate with Ancient Greek μᾰ́μμη (mắmmē, “breast; (childish) mother, mama; (Koine) grandmother”), both possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *meh₂- (“to nurse; mama, mother”)), but this is also uncertain as all the words could have developed independently as onomatopoeias.
Etymology 1, noun sense 3 (“(Caribbean) used as a term of address for a woman”) is possibly partly from a West African language; compare Akan mmá, mmaa (“woman”).
The interjection and verb are derived from the noun.
Inflected forms:
form: mamas
pos: noun
tags: plural
form: mamma
pos: noun
tags: alternative
form: momma
pos: noun
tags: alternative
form: mumma
pos: noun
tags: alternative
Senses:
gloss: Synonym of mother (“a female parent”).
pos: noun
tags: Canada
US
childish
often
examples: I love the cookies which mama bakes me every week.
[S]hée is admoniſhed of nature, yea commaunded of dutie, to cheriſhe hir owne childe, with hir owne teates, otherwiſe when the babe ſhall nowe beginne to tattle and call hir Mamma, with what force canne ſhe heare it of his mouth vnto whome ſhée hath denyed Mamma?
The Ideas of the Nurſe, and the Mother, are vvell framed in their Minds; and, like Pictures of them there, repreſent only thoſe Individuals. The Names they firſt give to them, are confined to theſe Individuals; and the names of Nurſe, and Mamma, the Child uſes, determine themſelves to thoſe Perſons.
This begets Scorn, hovv can one stand in avve, / Of a vain Tavvdry, Amorous Mamma.
If he keep out of the vvay, my Papa and Mama may in time relent, and vve may be happy.—If he ſtays, he is hang'd, and then he is loſt for ever!
Alack, mama, it vvas all your ovvn fault. You vvould be for running avvay by night, vvithout knovving one inch of the vvay.
I can't but say that his mamma was right, / If such an education was the true one.
"Mama!" cried the child sobbing aloud. "Oh dear Mama! oh dear Mama!"
Charles […] respected his mother, and he loved his wife infinitely; he considered the judgment of the one infallible, and yet he thought the conduct of the other irreproachable. When Madame Bovary had gone, he tried timidly and in the same terms to hazard one or two of the more anodyne observations he had heard from his mamma. Emma proved to him with a word that he was mistaken, and sent him off to his patients.
[T]he cameo cutters were also skilful in mortal portraiture, and papa and mamma, still expectant of my future greatness, resolved to have me carved in cameo.
Silly Mamma, of course you should have your hair done like other Mammas.
All the flowers that you planted, mama, in the backyard / All died when you went away
gloss: Synonym of mother (“a female parent”).
pos: noun
tags: Canada
US
childish
figuratively
often
examples: The exhibition of the New Society of Water-Colour Painters has grown to be quite as handsome and agreeable as that of its mamma, the old Society in Pall Mall East.
gloss: Synonym of mother (“a female parent”).
pos: noun
tags: Canada
US
childish
obsolete
often
examples: That they should spend their Christmas at Merle Park was an acknowledged thing;—to mamma Tringle an acknowledged benefit, because she liked to have her daughter with her; to papa Tringle an acknowledged evil, because he could not endure to be made to give more than he intended to give.
gloss: A lesbian partner.
pos: noun
gloss: Used as a (respectful) term of address for a woman, especially an older one.
pos: noun
tags: Caribbean
informal
examples: About a.d. 1150 Mango Capac and Mama Oella, his sister-wife [Manco Cápac and Mama Ocllo], appeared by the Lake Titicaca.
gloss: A girlfriend.
pos: noun
tags: slang
examples: [W]hat would I do supposing the Jane on whom I had always looked as a steady mamma had handed me the old skimmer and told me to take all the air I needed because she had gotten another sweetie?
gloss: A wife.
pos: noun
tags: slang
examples: I need to talk to mama before I buy the car.
gloss: A woman regarded as sexually attractive or (derogatory) promiscuous.
pos: noun
tags: slang
examples: Whoa, that chick in the bikini is a real mama!
gloss: Often preceded by oh: used to express approval, joy, surprise, etc.
pos: intj
tags: Caribbean
US
examples: He do n't do a thing in the world except travel around with some more o' them handy boys and lay for jack-pots. And the talk he gives you! Mamma! He 's better 'n any o' them shell-workers that used to graft out at the gover'ment pier.
He scribbled a name and address on the back of his business card and handed it to Betty. "Only one show, kid, but it draws real good. Sunday vaudeville is the best showcase in town." Betty could scarcely breathe. It was like seven spotlights converging deep inside her into a searing hot nucleus. The Winter Garden! Oh, Mama!
Related words: mamasan
mom
mommy
mother
mum
mummy
study mama
Derived words: baby-mama
baby mama
big mama
crunchy mama
godmama
grandmama
hoochie mama
ma
mama-bear
mama bear
mama grizzly
mamahood
mama-in-law
mamaji
mama pad
mama-pian
mama put
mamarazzi
mama's baby, papa's maybe
mama's boy
mama's girl
mamiji
mamma-yaw
mammy
mauma
motorcycle mama
save the drama for your mama
scrunchy mama
silky mama
stepmama
sugar mama
sweet mama
yo mama
Translations: