English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmæmə/
• Rhymes: -æmə

Noun

mamma ‎(plural mammae or mammas)

1. (anatomy) The milk-secreting organ of female humans and other mammals which includes the mammary gland and the nipple or teat; a breast; an udder. (plural: mammae)
2. (meteorology) an accessory cloud like a mammary in appearance, which can form on the underside of most cloud genera

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 2

Alternative spelling of mama or momma.

Noun

mamma ‎(plural mammas)

1. Alternative spelling of mama: mother.
   • 1856, Gustave Flaubert, Madame Bovary, Part III Chapter XI, translated by Eleanor Marx-Aveling

     The next day Charles had the child brought back. She asked for her mamma. They told her she was away; that she would bring her back some playthings.

Dutch

Pronunciation

Noun

mamma f ‎(plural mamma's or mammae)

1. (anatomy) mamma, breast

Synonyms

• borst

Usage notes

Most people will use this word as an alternative spelling of mama ‎(“mother”).

Faroese

Alternative forms

• momma

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmamːa/
• Rhymes: -amːa

Noun

mamma f (genitive singular mammu, plural mammur)

1. mom, mum (colloquial word for mother)

   Hvar er mamma mín?‎

   Where is my mommy?

Declension

Synonyms

• (mother): móðir

Finnish

Noun

mamma

1. (dialectal) mama
2. (colloquial) An elder, plump woman.

Declension

Synonyms

• (mama): äiti
• (elder, plump woman): tantta

Gilbertese

Noun

mamma ‎(plural mamma)

1. mammary gland
2. mummy; mom; mum

Verb

mamma

1. to suck the breast

Icelandic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmamːa/
• Rhymes: -amːa

Noun

mamma f ‎(genitive singular mömmu, nominative plural mömmur)

1. mom, mum (colloquial word for mother)

   Hvar er mamma mín?‎

   Where is my mommy?

Declension

Synonyms

• (mother): móðir

Italian

Etymology

From Latin mamma.

Noun

mamma f ‎(plural mamme)

1. mom (US), mommy (US), mum (UK), mummy (UK)
2. mother

Derived terms

• mamma mia

Latin

Etymology

From Ancient Greek μάμμη ‎(mámmē).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈmam.ma/

Noun

mamma f ‎(genitive mammae); first declension

1. (anatomy) a breast

   Puero isti da mammam.

   Give that boy of yours your breast.

2. (anatomy) an udder; a pap
3. (anatomy, of animals) a teat, a dug

   Mammam sugere.

   To suck on a breast.

4. (family) mama (a childish name for a mother in the language of children)

   Cum cibum ac potionem buas ac papas vocent, matrem mammam, patrem tatam.

   Since children call food and drink bua and papa, mother mamma and father tata.

5. (transferred meaning) a protuberance on tree bark

Inflection

First declension.

Usage notes

• This term was used especially of females, but also of males- although rarely:

  Mammas homo solus e maribus habet.

Derived terms

• mammam dare (with the dative; to give someone the breast, to suckle someone)
• mammalis

Descendants

References

• mamma in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• mamma in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• MAMMA in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)
• Félix Gaffiot (1934), “mamma”, in Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Paris: Hachette.
• mamma in William Smith., editor (1854, 1857) A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography, volume 1 & 2, London: Walton and Maberly

Latvian

Noun

mamma f (4th declension)

1. mum
2. mother

Declension

Norwegian Bokmål

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mama/, [ˈmɑmːa]

Noun

mamma m ‎(definite singular mammaen, indefinite plural mammaer, definite plural mammaene)

1. mother

Synonyms

• mor

References

“mamma” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

See also

• far, pappa
• bror, søster, søsken
• sønn, datter

Norwegian Nynorsk

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mama/, [ˈmɑmːa]

Noun

mamma f ‎(definite singular mammaa, indefinite plural mammaer, definite plural mammaene)

1. mother

Synonyms

• mor

References

“mamma” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

See also

• far, pappa
• bror, syster, sysken
• son, dotter

Pali

Alternative forms

Noun

mamma n

1. a vital spot of the body
2. nerve center

Declension

Romansch

Alternative forms

• mama
• mumma
• moma

Etymology

From Latin mamma.

Noun

mamma f (plural mammas)

1. mother

Coordinate terms

• (with regards to gender): bab
• (with regards to ancestry): figl, figlia

Swedish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈmamː.a]

Noun

mamma c

1. mom (US), mommy (US), mum (UK), mummy (UK)

Declension

Antonyms

• pappa

Synonyms

• mor
• moder
• morsa (slang)