mamma Italian · revision 37635

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=12th century, Ritmo di Sant'Alessio|origins=ine-pro *mama}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈmam.ma/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''mamma''' ''f'' (plural mamme)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old forms include ''mama'' and ''manma''; the forms ''màmmata'' and ''mammata'' mean “your mother”.^(TLIO)

+ Southern Italian has ''mammà'', used mostly without the article.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020) Lombard has ''mama'' and ''muma''.^(REW 1935)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|mamma|t=mother; breast]], a word of children's speech that meant both “breast” and “mother”.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) DELI points to the universal equation of the two meanings that Roman Jakobson described.^(DELI 1999) The word is panromance: [[fr|maman]], [[oc|mamo]], [[ca|mamà]], [[es|mama]], [[pt|mamã]], [[sc|mama]] and [[ro|mamă]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935)

+

+ De Vaan derives the Latin word from [[itc-pro|*mamma]] and [[ine-pro|*mama]], a nursery word made by repeating a nasal consonant with the vowel /a/; it has cognates such as [[grc|μάμμη|tr=mámmē|t=mother]], [[lt|mama]] and [[ru|мама|tr=mama]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012) Nocentini adds that the comparison reaches far beyond the Indo-European languages, since “ma-ma” imitates a baby's first sounds.^(Nocentini 2010) Wiktionary leaves open whether the Latin word is native or taken from the Greek one.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record is in the ''Ritmo di Sant'Alessio'', a poem from the Marche of the 12th century, in the sense “mother”.^(DELI 1999)^(TLIO) Dante, in ''De vulgari eloquentia'', counts ''mamma'' and ''babbo'' among the words of children's speech.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old Italian also used the word for a wet nurse, for a rootstock on which a plant is grafted, for the dregs of wine and, figuratively, for what gives origin and nourishment.^(TLIO) Dante calls the ''Aeneid'' ''la qual mamma / fummi, e fummi nutrice, poetando'' (which was mother and nurse to me in poetry).^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(GRADIT 2003) The Latin sense “breast” lived on in poetry: Petrarch uses it in 1374, and Foscolo and Tasso later.^(DELI 1999)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) The sense “a kind woman who looks after someone like a mother” is dated before 1424.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ''Mammismo'', an excessive attachment of grown men to their mothers, is recorded in 1952 in Corrado Alvaro;^(DELI 1999) DELI suggests it may have been prompted by American English ''momism'' (1942).^(DELI 1999) ''Mammone'' “mummy's boy” followed in 1967, and ''mammasantissima'', a top boss of the mafia, camorra or 'ndrangheta, in 1951.^(Nocentini 2010) The form ''mammà'' is recorded in 1877;^(Prati 1951|623) Prati derives it from French ''maman'', noting Sicilian ''mamà'' in 1789.^(Prati 1951|623)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 12th century – The ''Ritmo di Sant'Alessio'' uses ''mamma'' for “mother”.^(DELI 1999)^(TLIO)

+ * 1374 – Petrarch uses it for “breast”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1424 – It is used for a woman who cares for others like a mother.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 16th century – ''Mammana'' “midwife” is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1877 – ''Mammà'' is recorded.^(Prati 1951|623)

+ * 1951 – ''Mammasantissima'' is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1952 – Corrado Alvaro writes of ''mammismo''.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(familiar)'' [[m|en|mum]], [[m|en|mom]]: mother: ''la mamma è in cucina''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # The mother of an animal's young: ''mamma gatta''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(figurative)'' A woman who cares for others like a mother: ''la mamma dei senzatetto''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(literary)'' [[m|en|breast]]; also a taste papilla.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(winemaking)'' ''mamma del vino'', the dregs of wine.^(GRADIT 2003)^(DEI|2338)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ===Interjection===

+ # Expressing fear, surprise, impatience or joy: ''mamma, che spavento!''; also ''mamma mia!''^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[mammina]]

+ * [[mammismo]]

+ * [[mammone]]

+ * [[mammana]]

+ * [[mammasantissima]]

+ * [[mammola]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[mammella]]

+ * [[babbo]]

+ * [[papà]]

+ * [[madre]]

+ * [[la|mamma]]

+ * [[fr|maman]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Unlike ''madre'', ''mamma'' takes the article after a possessive (''la mia mamma''); after a preposition the article is usually left out in the north and centre and used in the south (''vado da mamma'', ''dalla mamma'').^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011) Set phrases include ''come mamma l'ha fatto'' (stark naked) and ''essere attaccato alle gonnelle della mamma'' (to be tied to one's mother's apron strings).^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}