0562_em__imma page

E 0559 MAMA, MOTHER

The words "mama " and " mother " are of Germanic and Indo European origin

H 0562 א מ א , ם א

Concept of root : mother

Hebrew word		pronunciation				English meanings
א מ א ,ם א		em; imma				mama, mother

Related English words				mama

Comparison between European words and Hebrew
Languages	Words		Pronunciation		English meanings		Similarity in roots
Hebrew	א מ א ,ם א		em; imma		mama, mother		. m ; . m (a)
Greek	αμμα		amma		mama, mother		. m (a)
Latin	amma		amma		mama, mother		. m (a)
European	mama; mamma		mama; mamma		mama		m . m (a)
Old Icelandic	amma		amma		grand-mother		. m (a)
Old Norse	amma		amma		foster- mother		. m (a)
Norwegian	amme		amme		foster- mother		. m .
Old High German	amma		amma		foster-mother		. m (a)
High German	Amme		amme		foster-mother		. m .
Middle Dutch	amme		amme		foster- mother		. m .
Dutch	am, amme		am, amme		foster-mother		. m ; . m .
Frisian	mem		mem		mama, mother		m . m

Proto-Semitic UM --- AMMA Indo-European

We are committing an alphabetic irregularity in placing this entry under the letter Mem instead of under the Aleph. We justify this, be it only partially, by pointing out that the letter M is anyhow the basic sound of so many words for "mother".

We ask the reader to look at our chapter and table "The Mother and the People" (Hebrew 0001_aa19), in which we have exposed a number of reflections on this specific matter. Also the chapter and tabel "Fathers and Sons" is to be considered important in this respect.

Here we limit ourselves to a few remarks. The similarity as such is no surprise of course. What we see as a difference between Hebrew and European is that Hebrew in " em " and " imma " places a vowel before the M, where European languages double the M and , perhaps consequently, use two vowels. But when we look at the older Greek and Latin words of this entry, we see that also Europeans in the past began these words for "mother" with a vowel: "amma". The difference has mostly disappeared.

The same happens with a number of older or traditional Germanic words, that today are not or no more used to say "mother", but may have been used to that end in the past. Their known meanings indicate other caring women, as foster mothers and grandmothers .

A second difference we may see in the use of vowels that are not A. This should not be considered essential, as the consonants, in the Hebrew scientific concept, shape the roots and the vowel may refine and specify meanings. As a proof we refer to the Greek word "mètèr" as compared to Latin "mater". This Greek word uses an E. And we added on purpose the Frisian word "mem" that is up till today of full daily use in the province Friesland of The Netherlands. Frisian is a separate language with official status and it has many similarities with English.

Note:

European. The words "mama" and "mamma" may well have developed from the older form "amma" that was found in Greek and Latin.

Note:

English has the word "mother" with its sisters in many languages. These words and those for "father" have been shaped already very early, in all probability in Indo-European, by adding a suffix "tèr" to the roots "ma" and "pa". This word part "tèr" is present in the Greek word "τηρεω , tèreo", which means "to give attention to, protect, look after".

Note:

Proto-Germanic in all probability had the form "*A MM -", besides "*M A M(M) A".

Note:

Indo-European as well and in all probability had the form "*A MM -", besides "*M A M(M) A".

Note:

Proto-Semitic. The Hebrew words, pronounced "'em" and "*imma ( indicated as Post Biblical , but probably older) " are also found in Aramaic and Syriac. Ethiopian has "'em". Arabic has "imm" and "umm" and some other Semitic languages have "um" (Ugaritic) or "umm-" (Akkadian), Tigre and Ge'ez Ethiopian do not have the "U". It must be noted that the Hebrew word "em" in the plurals immot, immahot and construct forms ( like immi = my mother ) has the "I"-vowel. Consequently the original vowel, chosen for the word "mother" in Proto-Semitic was "W", pronounced "U". In a number of cases this developed into "Y" ( pronounced "I") and in some it was substituted by E or A. Basic Proto-Semitic probably was "*א ם , Aleph M, um".

Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 05/11/2012 at 16.45.07