# Do words for mothers in other languages have letter " m" in them ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 4, 2008, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-words-for-mothers-in-other-languages-have-letter-m-in-them/475644 "2008-12-04T07:13:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-words-for-mothers-in-other-languages-have-letter-m-in-them/475644/21 "2008-12-04T17:43:03Z")
> [@williambaskerville](#): > > Irish :- > > Mother is máthair. > > Grandmother is sean máthair (literally, old mother) or máthair mhor (literally, big mother) or mathair chriona (literally, mother of the heart). Is it not seanmháthair? ---
**Author:** ![BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-words-for-mothers-in-other-languages-have-letter-m-in-them/475644/22 "2008-12-04T18:23:25Z")
> [@chromaticity](#): > > Japanese - Haha, Okaa-san [母　お母さん] They also use mama for it in Japanese, but I don’t know the history behind it so it could be an imported word. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-words-for-mothers-in-other-languages-have-letter-m-in-them/475644/23 "2008-12-04T18:39:22Z")
> [@Mississippienne](#): > > So far, we’re seeing a lot of m-initial words and a-initial words, aren’t we? Happy fed baby sounds. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-words-for-mothers-in-other-languages-have-letter-m-in-them/475644/24 "2008-12-04T19:23:39Z")
Mandarin Chinese = Mama Interesting note, in that language, “ayee” is “auntie/aunt” ---
**Author:** ![rivulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rivulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rivulus)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-words-for-mothers-in-other-languages-have-letter-m-in-them/475644/25 "2008-12-04T19:39:55Z")
> [@Darth\_Nader](#): > > Happy fed baby sounds. Actually, my baby uses “mama” when he’s hungry and wants his mom (or, more specifically, the boob that is attached to his mama). The hungrier, the more repetitions of the syllable “ma”: “Mamamamama.” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-words-for-mothers-in-other-languages-have-letter-m-in-them/475644/26 "2008-12-04T21:05:18Z")
Swahili: mama ---
**Author:** ![Capcha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Capcha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capcha)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-words-for-mothers-in-other-languages-have-letter-m-in-them/475644/27 "2008-12-04T22:42:16Z")
Polish: Mama, Matko (Mother) Arabic: Mama, Oum (mother in the non possessive. If possessive: Oumi) ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-words-for-mothers-in-other-languages-have-letter-m-in-them/475644/28 "2008-12-04T23:39:51Z")
Filipino: Inay ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2008, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-words-for-mothers-in-other-languages-have-letter-m-in-them/475644/29 "2008-12-05T01:17:59Z")
> [@rivulus](#): > > > [@Darth\_Nader](#): > > > > Happy fed baby sounds. > > Actually, my baby uses “mama” when he’s hungry and wants his mom (or, more specifically, the boob that is attached to his mama). > > The hungrier, the more repetitions of the syllable “ma”: “Mamamamama.” 🙂 Latin: mother = mater. Breast = mamma. So that indicates either not knowing how to count or wishful thinking. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-words-for-mothers-in-other-languages-have-letter-m-in-them/475644.md?page=1)