Etymologically
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maman

Etymology and origin of the French word maman

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Reduplication
First attested
1256, Aldebrandin de Sienne, Régime du corps

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ma.mɑ̃/[1]

Forms

maman f (plural mamans)[1] Mamme (1560) and mam-ma (1584) are also found in the 16th century; the form was unstable at first.[2][3]

Etymology

It is a word of children's language formed by doubling the syllable “ma”, found in many languages: Latin mamma (“mother; breast”), Ancient Greek μάμμη (mámmē), Italian mamma, Spanish mamá, Russian ма́ма (máma).[4][3][2][5][6] Rey derives it from Latin “mamma”, while the GLLF hesitates between that and a native childish formation.[3][7][8] The initial “m”, a labial, probably evokes sucking, as in māter.[3]

Wiktionary adds that it may have been influenced by Latin “mamma”, through Middle French “memmen”.[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in 1256 in Aldebrandin de Sienne's Régime du corps, a treatise on health.[4][2][5]

Semantic evolution

It is the child's name and form of address for its mother, kept by adults for their own mother.[3][9] With a determiner (sa maman) it is in Madame de Sévigné (1687), and la maman for the mother of a family in Rousseau (1769).[4][7] From 1756 it was also an affectionate name without kinship, a use now old-fashioned in Europe; in sub-Saharan Africa maman is a respectful name for an older married woman.[4][3]

Compounds include belle-maman (1673), grand-maman (1690) and bonne-maman (1821).[3] The popular m'man is recorded in 1835.[10] Italian mamma was taken up about 1950 for the Italian mother as a social type.[3]

Timeline

  • 1256 – Maman in Aldebrandin de Sienne.[4][2]
  • 1584 – The form mam-ma.[2]
  • 1673 – Belle-maman.[3]
  • 1687 – With a determiner, in Madame de Sévigné.[4]
  • 1690 – Grand-maman.[3]
  • 1756 – An affectionate name without kinship.[4]
  • 1821 – Bonne-maman.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. mum, mommy: what a child calls its mother: maman, viens voir ![9][1]
  2. A mother, in the context of childhood: c'est ta maman qui me l'a dit, une future maman.[11][9]
  3. (Africa) A respected older woman.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  5. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  6. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  7. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  8. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 6/1, 134a
  9. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  10. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  11. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
Cite this entry

“Maman.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/maman. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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