Mothers in different languages...?

Question

Okay, I have observed this over the years and now I want a broader opinion. Why does the word for "mother" in different languages all begin with the letter/sound m? That is certainly not the case with father. Is this true? Is this the case for all languages? If it is, can anyone offer a theory as to why it is true?

Answer 1

There are two theories:
#1 "m" is one of the first sounds babies make and mothers the world over like to think the babies are talking to them.

#2 All languages have a common ancestor and the word for mother was already in place when that language was being spoken.
It is possible that languages had already started to diverge before the concept of fatherhood was developed.

Answer 2

Not all start with" M" but mostly,

Spanish-Madre
French - Mere
German - Mutter
Hindi - Maji
Urdu - Ammee
English - Mom, Mummy, Mother
Italian - Madre
Portuguese - Mãe
Albanian - Mëmë; Nënë; Burim; Kryemurgeshë
Belarusan - Matka
Cebuano - Inahan; Nanay
Serbian - Majka
Czech - Abatyse
Dutch - Moeder; Moer
Estonian - Ema
Frisian - Emo, Emä, Kantaäiti, Äiti
Greek - Màna
Hawaiian - Makuahine
Hungarian - Anya, Fu
Ilongo - Iloy; Nanay; Nay
Indonesian - Induk, Ibu, Biang, Nyokap

Answer 3

M for mother is true for almost all Indo-European languages, coz all of them originated from one ancient tongue – Lithuanian. That means mother is a very ancient word – some 5 to 7000 years old, when we were one ppl. The word father is younger, but not very much. See fater (German), pater (Latin), pitar (Hindustan). There is another word for father in our tongues: Daddy, tetis (Latvian), tata (Polish). By common words for relatives you may judge how far ago we are living apart from each other. See: brother, bruder, brat, frater, frer; Sister, shvester, soer, siostra, swesor. But most amazing is Georgian-Caucasian – not Indo-European language. There is MAMMA for daddy, DADDA for mummy. That can’t be a sheer coincidence too!

Answer 4

In most of the Indo-European languages, it starts with /m/. In Turkish it's "anne". So, you're making a generalization only from your observation on languages that belong to the same language family.

Answer 5

Afrikaans Moeder, Ma Albanian Nënë, Mëmë Arabic Ahm Aragones Mai Asturian Ma Aymara Taica Azeri (Latin Script) Ana Basque Ama Belarusan Matka Bergamasco Màder Bolognese Mèder Bosnian Majka Brazilian Portuguese Mãe Bresciano Madèr Breton Mamm Bulgarian Majka Byelorussian Macii Calabrese Matre, Mamma Caló Bata, Dai Catalan Mare Cebuano Inahan, Nanay Chechen Nana Croatian Mati, Majka Czech Abatyse Danish Mor Dutch Moeder, Moer Dzoratâi Mére English mom, Mama, mom Esperanto Patrino, Panjo Estonian Ema Faeroese Móðir Finnish Äiti Flemish Moeder French Mère, Maman Frisian Emo, Emä, Kantaäiti, Äiti Furlan Mari Galician Nai German Mutter Greek Màna Griko Salentino, Mána Hawaiian Makuahine Hindi - Ma, Maji Hungarian Anya, Fu Icelandic Móðir Ilongo Iloy, Nanay, Nay Indonesian Induk, Ibu, Biang, Nyokap Irish Máthair Italian Madre, Mamma eastern Okaasan, Haha Judeo Spanish Madre Kannada Amma Kurdish Kurmanji Daya Ladino Uma Latin Mater Leonese Mai Ligurian Maire Limburgian Moder, Mojer, Mam Lingala Mama Lithuanian Motina Lombardo Occidentale Madar Lunfardo Vieja Macedonian Majka Malagasy Reny Malay Emak Maltese Omm Mantuan Madar Maori Ewe, Haakui Mapunzugun Ñuke, Ñuque Marathi Aayi Mongolian `eh Mudnés Medra, mama Neapolitan Mamma Norwegian Madre Occitan Maire previous Greek Mytyr Parmigiano Mädra Persian Madr, Maman Piemontese Mare Polish Matka, Mama Portuguese Mãe Punjabi Mai, Mataji, Pabo Quechua Mama Rapanui Matu'a Vahine Reggiano Mèdra Romagnolo Mèder Romanian Mama, Maica Romansh Mamma Russian Mat' Saami Eadni Samoan Tina Sardinian (Limba Sarda Unificada) Mama Sardinian Campidanesu mamai Sardinian Logudoresu Madre, Mamma Serbian Majka Shona Amai Sicilian Matri Slovak Mama, Matka Slovenian Máti Spanish Madre, Mamá, Mami Swahili Mama, Mzazi, Mzaa Swedish Mamma, Mor, Morsa Swiss German Mueter Telegu Amma Triestino Mare Turkish Anne, Ana, Valide Turkmen Eje Ukrainian Mati Urdu Ammee Valencian Mare Venetian Mare Viestano Mamm' Wallon Mére Welsh Mam Yiddish Muter Zeneize Moæ

Answer 6

For example it's 'anne' in Turkish..Don't make generalization.

Answer 7

In Finnish the word for 'mother' is 'äiti'. 'Father' is 'isä'.

Answer 8

madre in spanish, mer in french

Answer 9

no here in in israel mother is called -ima and father is called abba.from mikhal in israel.

Answer 10

Japanese
- ka san (or ka chan) , ha ha, ha ha o ya