Amma

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈʌmə/

Definitions

1. A term of endearment used to refer to a mother in various South Asian languages; a respectful title for an older woman or female elder in some cultures; a name for specific religious or cultural figures in certain communities
2. Used as a maternal honorific in multiple languages, indicating mother; a polite address for a woman of senior status; identifying particular spiritual or cultural personalities known by this title
3. Commonly employed to denote one's mother in languages such as Tamil and Telugu; a form of respectful address for women elders; associated with revered female leaders or icons in certain traditions

Etymology: Before it meant "mother" in English, the Classical Syriac "ʾemmā" was a title for the head of a religious community of women, so it could mean "mother" and "abbess" at once. Syriac was the language of early Christian communities in Syria and Mesopotamia, and the Church carried the term into Latin. English took it from Ecclesiastical Latin, the Latin of the Church, where the form "amma" kept its sense as a name for a convent's leader. The plain meaning of "mother" came along with it. The same sound, meaning "mother," appears in several languages of South and Sri Lanka, including Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu and Sinhalese. The shared form is striking, but the sources do not establish a link between those languages and the Syriac word.

Synonyms: mother, mom, mama, mum, mommy

Antonyms: father, dad, papa, daddy, paternal figure