Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/mama

This Proto-Slavic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Slavic

Etymology

A nursery word. Inherited from Proto-Balto-Slavic *mā́ˀmāˀ, from Proto-Indo-European *méh₂-meh₂, a reduplication of *méh₂- < *méh₂tēr (“mother”). Cognate with Lithuanian mamà, dialectal momà, Latvian mama.

Noun

*màma f

1. (childish) mama, mummy, mommy, mum, mom (mother)

See also

Proto-Slavic family terms

*sěmьja, *rodina (“family”)	Male	Female
parent	*otъ, *otьcь (“father”) nursery: *tata	*mati (“mother”) nursery: *mama
sibling	*bratrъ (“brother”)	*sestra (“sister”)
child	*synъ (“son”)	*dъťi (“daughter”)
grandparent	– (“grandfather”) nursery: *dědъ; *nana	*ova (“grandmother”) nursery: *baba; *nena
grandchild	*vъnukъ (“grandson”)	*vъnuka (“granddaughter”)
stepparent	*otьčimъ (“stepfather”)	*maťexa (“stepmother”)
stepchild	*pastorъkъ (“stepson”)	*pastorъka (“stepdaughter”)
father's sibling	*strъjь (“paternal uncle”) nursery: *dada; *lola	– (“paternal aunt”) nursery: *teta; *lelja
mother's sibling	*ujь (“maternal uncle”) nursery: *dada; *lola	– (“maternal aunt”) nursery: *teta; *lelja
sibling's child	*netьjь (“nephew”)	*nestera (“niece”)
spouse	*mǫžь (“husband”)	*žena (“wife”)
parent of wife	*tьstь (“father-in-law (wife's father)”)	*tьšča (“mother-in-law (wife's mother)”)
parent of husband	*svekrъ (“father-in-law (husband's father)”)	*svekry (“mother-in-law (husband's father)”)
sibling of wife	*šurь (“brother-in-law (wife's brother)”)	*svěstь, *svьstь (“sister-in-law (wife's sister)”)
sibling of husband	*děverь (“brother-in-law (husband's brother)”)	*zъly (“sister-in-law (husband's sister)”)
spouse of child	*zętь (“son-in-law (daughter's husband)”)	*snъxa (“daughter-in-law (son's wife)”)
spouse of husband's brother	–	*ętry (“sister-in-law (husband's brother's wife)”)

Descendants

• East Slavic:
  • Old East Slavic: *ма́ма (*máma)
    • Old Ruthenian: ма́ма (máma)
      • Belarusian: ма́ма (máma)
      • Carpathian Rusyn: ма́ма (máma)
      • Ukrainian: ма́ма (máma)
    • Middle Russian: ма́ма (máma)
      • Russian: ма́ма (máma)
        • → Ingrian: mama
• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic:
    • Church Slavonic: мама (mama)
    • Bulgarian: ма́ма (máma); ма́мъ (mámǎ) (dialectal)
    • Macedonian: мама (mama)
  • Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: ма̏ма, ма́ма; ма̃ма (dialectal)

    Latin script: mȁma, máma; mãma (dialectal)

  • Slovene: máma (tonal orthography)
• West Slavic:
  • Old Czech: máma, mama
    • Czech: máma
  • Old Polish: mama
    • Polish: mama
    • Silesian: mama
  • Old Slovak: mama
    • Slovak: mama
  • Polabian: mama, mamă
  • Pomeranian:
    • Kashubian: mëma
    • Slovincian: mëma
  • Sorbian:
    • Lower Sorbian: mama
    • Upper Sorbian: mama

Further reading

• Shansky, N. M., Zhuravlyov, A. F., editors (2007), “ма́ма”, in Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), number 10 (М), Moscow: Moscow University Press, →ISBN, page 46
• Vasmer, Max (1967) “ма́ма”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), volumes 2 (Е – Муж), Moscow: Progress, page 565
• Chernykh, P. Ja. (1993) “ма́ма”, in Историко-этимологический словарь русского языка [Historical-Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), 3rd edition, volumes 1 (а – пантомима), Moscow: Russian Lang., →ISBN, page 506
• Melnychuk, O. S., editor (1989), “мама”, in Етимологічний словник української мови [Etymological Dictionary of the Ukrainian Language] (in Ukrainian), volumes 3 (Кора – М), Kyiv: Naukova Dumka, →ISBN, page 375
• Martynaŭ, V. U., editor (1990), “ма́ма”, in Этымалагічны слоўнік беларускай мовы [Etymological Dictionary of the Belarusian Language] (in Belarusian), volumes 6 (лі́ра – мая́чыць), Minsk: Navuka i technika, page 208