umama

Northern Ndebele

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *mààmá.

Noun

úmáma class 1a (plural ómáma class 2a)

1. mother

Inflection

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

Swahili

Etymology

From u- +‎ mama.

Pronunciation

• Audio (Kenya):

  (file)

Noun

umama (u class, no plural)

1. motherhood, maternity

Coordinate terms

• ubaba

Xhosa

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *mààmá.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [úmaːmá]

Noun

úmamá class 1a (plural óomamá class 2a)

1. mom, mother

Inflection

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

Zulu

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *mààmá.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /úmʱáːma/

Noun

úm̤áma class 1a (plural omama class 2a)

1. my mother

Inflection

Class 1a/2a
	Singular	Plural
Full form	umama	omama
Locative	kumama	komama
	Singular		Plural
Full form	umama		omama
Simple form	mama		bomama
Locative	kumama		komama
Copulative	ngumama		ngomama
Possessive forms
	Singular		Plural
	Modifier	Substantive	Modifier	Substantive
Class 1	kamama	okamama	womama	owomama
Class 2	bakamama	abakamama	bomama	abomama
Class 3	kamama	okamama	womama	owomama
Class 4	kamama	ekamama	yomama	eyomama
Class 5	likamama	elikamama	lomama	elomama
Class 6	kamama	akamama	omama	awomama
Class 7	sikamama	esikamama	somama	esomama
Class 8	zikamama	ezikamama	zomama	ezomama
Class 9	kamama	ekamama	yomama	eyomama
Class 10	zikamama	ezikamama	zomama	ezomama
Class 11	lukamama	olukamama	lomama	olomama
Class 14	bukamama	obukamama	bomama	obomama
Class 15	kukamama	okukamama	komama	okomama
Class 17	kukamama	okukamama	komama	okomama

See also

• unyoko (“your mother”)
• unina (“his/her mother”)
• ubaba (“my father”)

References

• C. M. Doke, B. W. Vilakazi (1972) “-mama”, in Zulu-English Dictionary, →ISBN: “-mama (2.8-3.9)”