mama

Etymology

Originally from baby talk. Possibly influenced by Middle English mome (“mother, aunt”), from Old English *mōme, from Proto-West Germanic *mōmā, from Proto-Germanic *mōmǭ (“mother, aunt”), from Proto-Indo-European *méh₂-méh₂, reduplication of *méh₂- (“mother”), related to German Muhme (“aunt”), Latin mamma (“mother, nurse”), Irish mam (“mother”), Lithuanian mama, moma (“mother”).

noun

1. (hypocoristic, usually childish, Canada, US) Mother, female parent.
   All the flowers that you planted, mama, in the backyard / All died when you went away 1990, Prince (lyrics and music), “Nothing Compares 2 U”, performed by Sinéad O’Connor