May theme: Kinship Terms 👨‍👩‍👧‍👧

Teaser

mother, material, Manchester, mammal

Full Text

• Proto-World? *ma

  • Bantu *mààmá mother

    • Swahili mama mother
    • Zulu úm̤áma my mother
  • Basque ama mother, origin
  • Mon-Khmer *meeʔ mother

    • Khmer ម៉ែ mae mother
    • Vietnamese mẹ mother
  • Old Japanese 母 omo mother

    • Japanese あも amo mother (archaic)
  • Nilo-Saharan

    • Luwo mama mother
  • Quechua mama mother
  • Sumerian 𒂼 AMA mother
  • Dené–Yeniseian

    • Yeniseian *ʔama

      • Ket ам am mother
    • Na-Dené

      • Athbaskan

        • Navajo -má mother
  • Dravidian *amma mother

    • Northern Dravidian

      • Brahui امّا ammā mother
    • Southern Dravidian

      • Tamil அம்மா ammā mother
    • South-Central Dravidian

      • Telugu అమ్మ amma mother, lady
  • Afro-Asiatic *ʔam

    • Egyptian 𓅐𓏏𓁐 mwt mother

      • Demotic Egyptian mwt

        • Coptic ⲙⲁⲁⲩ maau mother
    • Chadic

      • Hausa mààmáá breast
    • Semitic *ʾimm- mother

      • East Semitic

        • Akkadian 𒂼 ummu mother
      • Central Semitic

        • Arabic أم ʾumm mother, origin, source

          • Maltese omm mother
        • Northwest Semitic

          • Aramaic 𐡀𐡌𐡀 ʾmʾ mother

            • Koine Greek ἀμμά amma mother (religious), female clergy, female saint

              • Coptic ⲁⲙⲁ ama mother (religious), female clergy, female saint
            • Hebrew אמא ímma mother
          • Canaanite

            • Phoenician 𐤀𐤌 ʾm mother
            • Hebrew אם (ʾ)em mother
          • Ugaritic 𐎜𐎎 ủm mother
      • South Semitic

        • Ethiopic

          • Geʿez እም ʾəmm mother
        • Old South Arabian

          • Sabaean 𐩱𐩣 ʾm mother
    • Tamazight *ʔamm

      • Central Atlas Tamazight ⵎⵎⴰ mma mother
  • Sino-Austronesian

    • Austronesian

      • Malayo-Polynesian *əma mother

        • Chamic

          • Aceh ma mother
        • Malayo-Polynesian *əma-ʔ mother

          • Chamic

            • Aceh mak mother
          • Malayic

            • Malay emak mother
    • Sino-Tibetan *mow mother, woman

      • Sintic

        • Old Chinese *məʔ mother

          • Middle Chinese 母 məuˣ mother

            • Mandarin 母 mǔ mother
            • Vietnamese mẫu mother
            • Middle Chinese 母親 məuˣ tsʰiɪn mother (formal), dear mother

              • Mandarin 母親 mǔqīn mother (formal)
          • Min

            • Hokkien 母 bú mother
        • Old Chinese *maːʔ mom, mama

          • Middle Chinese 媽 muoˣ mom

            • Mandarin 媽 mā mom
      • Tibeto-Burman

        • Bodish

          • Tibetan མོ mo female, she, feminine suffix
        • Lolo-Burmese

          • Burmese အမယ် a.mai woman, mother
          • Burmese အမေ a.me mother, mom
    • Tai *meːᴮ mother

      • Northern Tai

        • Zhuang meh mother, woman
      • Southwestern Tai

        • Thai แม่ mɛ̂ɛ mother
        • Lao ແມ່ mǣ mother
  • Early Proto-Indo-European *méh₂-

    • Early Proto-Indo-European *méh₂ters ^[1]

      • Greco-Armenian

        • Old Armenian մայր mayr mother

          • Armenian մեր mer mother
          • Armenian մայր mayr mother reborrowing
        • Hellenic *mā́tēr

          • Mycenaean Greek 𐀔𐀳𐀩 ma-te-re mother
          • Classical Greek μήτηρ mḗtēr mother, source, origin

            • Greek μητέρα mitéra
        • Greco-Armenian *meh₂truih₂- stepmother

          • Old Armenian մօրու mōru stepmother

            • Armenian մորու moru stepmother
          • Hellenic

            • Classical Greek

              • Greek μητριά mitriá stepmother
      • Proto-Indo-European *méh₂tēr mother ^[1]

        • Balto-Slavic *māˀtē ^[1]

          • East Baltic

            • Lithuanian mótė mother
          • West Baltic

            • Old Prussian mothe mother
          • Slavic *màti

            • East Slavic

              • Russian мать matʹ mother
            • South Slavic

              • Serbo-Croatian ма̏ти mȁti mother
            • West Slavic

              • Polish mać archaic

                • Polish matka mother
        • Celtic *mātīr

          • Brythonic

            • Old Welsh *modri mother

              • Old Welsh *modribydaf queen bee lit. "mother of beehive"

                • Welsh modrydaf queen bee
          • Celtiberian matrubos to (the) mothers ^[2]
          • Gaulish matīr mother
          • Old Irish máthir mother

            • Irish máthair mother
        • Germanic *mōdēr

          • North Germanic

            • Old Norse móðir mother

              • Danish mor mother
              • Icelandic móðir mother
          • West Germanic

            • Old English mōdor mother

              • English mother mother
              • Scots mither mother
            • Frankish mōder mother

              • Dutch moeder mother
            • Old High German muoter mother

              • German Mutter mother
              • Yiddish מוטער muter mother
        • Indo-Iranian *máHtar mother

          • Indo-Aryan

            • Sanskrit 𑀫𑀸𑀢𑀾 mā́tṛ mother

              • Magadhi

                • Bengali মা ma mother
              • Maharashtri

                • Marathi माता mātā mother
              • Sauraseni 𑀫𑀸𑀤𑀸 mādā mother

                • Hindustani

                  • Hindi माँ mā̃ mother
                • Punjabi ਮਾਂ mā̃ mother
              • Pali mātā

                • Thai มารดา maan-daa mother (formal)
              • Telugu మాత māta mother
          • Iranian

            • Avestan 𐬨𐬁𐬙𐬀𐬭 mātar mother
            • Northern Iranian

              • Scythian

                • Ossetian мад mad mother
            • Pashto مور mor mother
            • Western Iranian

              • Northwestern Iranian

                • Kurdish mak mother
              • Old Persian 𐎶𐎠𐎫𐎠 m-a-t-a mother

                • Persian مادر mādar mother
        • Italic *mātēr mother

          • Latin māter mother

            • Central Romance

              • Italian madre mother
            • Western Romance

              • French mère mother
              • Spanish madre mother

                • Tagalog madre nun
            • Latin alma māter mother goddess, Virgin Mary lit. "nourishing mother"

              • Latin Alma Mater Studiorum Nurturing Mother of Studies ^[3]

                • English alma mater
            • Latin māternus maternal

              • Central Romance

                • Italian materno maternal
              • Eastern Romance

                • Romanian matern maternal
              • Western Romance

                • Spanish materno maternal
              • Latin māternālis maternal

                • Western Romance

                  • French maternel maternal

                    • English maternal maternal
            • Latin mātrīx womb, dam, origin, list, register

              • Latin mātrīcālis of or from a womb, newly invented

                • Central Romance

                  • Italian madrigale madrigal

                    • English madrigal
              • Latin mātrīcula register, list

                • Albanian ndrikull godmother
                • French matricule serial number
                • Italian matricola register, freshman
                • Spanish matrícula license plate, matriculation
                • Latin mātrīculāre to register

                  • English matriculate
        • Phrygian ΜΑΤΑΡ matar mother
        • Tocharian *mācer

          • Arshian mācar mother
          • Kushean mācer mother
        • Proto-Indo-European *méh₂treh₂ mother's sister, maternal aunt

          • Albanian motër sister
          • Celtic *mātrikʷā maternal aunt

            • Brythonic *mọdreb

              • Welsh modryb aunt
          • Germanic *mōdrijǭ mother's sister, maternal aunt

            • West Germanic *mōdrijā

              • Old English mōdriġe maternal aunt
              • Old High German muotera maternal aunt
        • Proto-Indo-European *meh₂terieh₁- source, material, timber that is, the "mother" of a finished product

          • Old Armenian մայր mayr cedar, pine, timber

            • Armenian մայր mayr cedar
            • Old Armenian մայրի mayri woods, forest, thicket

              • Armenian մերի meri woods, forest
          • Italic

            • Latin māteria matter, material, component stuff, timber, source

              • Central Romance

                • Italian matera material archaic
              • Western Romance

                • Portuguese madeira wood, timber

                  • Portuguese Madeira

                    • English Madeira

                      • English madeira ^[4]
                • Spanish madera wood, board, makings
              • French matière material, matter, content

                • English matter
              • Italian materia matter, material, substance, subject
              • Spanish materia matter, subject
              • Latin māteriālis material

                • English material
                • Russian материа́л materiál material, stuff, fabric

                  • Russian компрома́т kompromát compromising or discrediting evidence, dirt

                    • English kompromat
    • Early Proto-Indo-European *méh₂-méh₂- mama

      • Proto-Indo-European *méh₂méh₂

        • Albanian mëmë mother
        • Old Armenian

          • Armenian մամա mama mom
        • Balto-Slavic

          • Baltic

            • East Baltic
            • Lithuanian mama mom
          • Slavic

            • East Slavic

              • Russian мама mama mom
            • South Slavic

              • Serbo-Croatian мама mama mom
            • West Slavic

              • Polish mama mom
        • Celtic *mammā

          • Brythonic *mamm mom

            • Welsh mam mom
            • Brythonic *Mamkeos? breast-like (hill)?

              • Brythonic *Mamkenion? place/city of breast-like hill, Manchester

                • Welsh Manceinion Manchester
                • Latin Mamucium (Castrum) Manchester (Fort)

                  • English Manchester
          • Old Irish

            • Irish mam mom
        • Germanic *mōmǭ

          • North Germanic

            • Old Norse

              • Icelandic mamma mom
          • West Germanic *mōmā

            • Old English *mōme

              • English mama
              • English mom
              • English mum
              • Scots mam
            • Old High German

              • German Mama mom
        • Hellenic

          • Classical Greek μᾰ́μμη mámmē mama, mother's breast

            • Greek μαμά máma
            • Greek μάνα mána
            • Latin mamma mama, breast

              • Central Romance

                • Italian mamma mom
              • Eastern Romance

                • Romanian mamă mom
              • Western Romance

                • French maman mom
              • English mammogram
              • Latin mammalis relating to breasts or nursing

                • Translingual Mammalia taxonomic class of the mammals

                  • English mammal
        • Indo-Iranian

          • Indo-Aryan

            • Sanskrit 𑀅𑀫𑁆𑀩𑀸 ambā́

              • Elu

                • Sinhala අම්මා ammā mother
              • Sauraseni 𑀅𑀁𑀫𑀸 aṃmā

                • Hindustani

                  • Hindi अम्मा ammā mom
          • Iranian

            • Northern Iranian

              • Scythian

                • Ossetian мамӕ mamæ
            • Western Iranian

              • Old Persian

                • Persian ممه mame breast
        • Tocharian

          • Kushean ammakki

Visual

Collected English words

mother, alma mater, maternal, madrigal, matriculate, Madeira, madeira, matter, material, kompromat, Manchester, mama, mom, mum, mammogram, Mammalia, mammal

Footnotes

1. ^

   Greek and Armenian forms require a different reconstruction than most other branches, notably a different stress pattern. Since the other form is analogous to the words for "father" and "daughter", the guess is that Greco-Armenian retains the older form, and in other dialects *méh₂ters changed to *méh₂tēr under the influence of *ph₂tḗr ("father"), *dʰugh₂tḗr ("daughter"), and *bʰréh₂tēr ("brother"). *ph₂tḗr and *dʰugh₂tḗr in turn had their inflection paradigm influenced by the paradigm used by *méh₂ters and *bʰréh₂tēr.

   The Balto-Slavic is actually ambiguous and could be derived from either *méh₂ters or *méh₂tēr. But Balto-Slavic has fewer shared derived characteristics with Greek and Armenian than it does with almost any other branch of IE, so I'm defaulting it to *méh₂tēr.

   The Anatolian reflex would be be greatly illuminating. Unfortunately, the only attested Anatolian word for "mother" seems to be *Honno.

2. ^

   The Celtiberian word for "mother" is only attested in the dative plural, because most Celtiberian inscriptions are on objects recording the history of a gift, either to a person, or as a votive offering to a divinity. In this case, matrubos is usually in reference to the Divine Mothers. For example Matribus Termegiste (VSLM) "to the Three Great(est) Mothers (this vow has been willingly and properly fulfilled)" (Latinized Celtiberian in Spain, Celtic Triple Goddess).

   Confer the Gaulish word for "sister" only attested in the dative dual.

3. ^

   The English usage of alma mater to mean the school one graduated from is derived from the motto of the University of Bologna: Alma Mater Studiorum. University of Bologna has been in continuous operation (since 1088), and is the institution for which the word university (or rather ūniversitās) was coined. Alumni of Bologna include Copernicus, Petrarch, and Paracelsus. (alumnus is related to alma, and means "the one who is nourished, foster child, student".)

4. ^

   madeira: "The wine from the island with all the stuff". Compare canary: "The birds from the island with all the dogs", from another archipelago in the vicinity.