Exploring different ways to say 'mum'

What do you call yours? What does your little one call you?

We’ve heard lots of variations on the English word for mum – from mimi to mammy to mumma.

And as our little ones progress into the teenage years, terms like ‘The Rents’ and perhaps even a little cockney rhyming slang, “Finger and thumb”= mum!

But, did you know the words for “mum” are arguably the closest we’ve got to a linguistic universal? All around the world in different languages, many names for mothers begin with or include the ‘m’ sound.

This is because the sound ‘m’ (along with ‘b’ and ‘p’) are the easiest for babies to make. And in the case of the ‘m’ sound, this may even have something to do with the shape of the baby’s mouth as he or she feeds from their mother.

Fascinating, hey? Seems like mums are not only the matriarchs of our families, but also of languages!