Putting this "Mom" thing to bed.

Blush_01

I don't have a problem with the word Mom. It's come up here repeatedly over the past few months that other people do though. I'm not sure how accurate this is... but I'd like to make a suggestion, considering the use of Mom in parts of the country for generations before this whole "urgh, you're so americanised" argument became an issue. (You'll have to excuse my appalling spelling as gaeilge for this though bit though!)

My Mother = Mo Mhathair

My Mammy = Mo Mhamaí

My Mom/Mam = Mo Mham

I know mothers in America are generally called Mom - could that not (even possibly) come from Irish immigrant children calling their mothers mamaí (mommy) or mam (mom) in irish, as the pronunciation of mam (as part of mamaí) mirrors the pronunciation of mom? The modern irish Mam has a vastly broadened a sound, unless Irish pronunciation has changed completely in the past two centuries.

I just think it might be interesting to find out if that suggestion holds any weight, before more people berate others for calling their mothers mom, if it's something that's been in their families for generations.

Oh, and before anyone else thinks they're getting in there... Yore Ma.

Earthhorse

Are you suggesting that the Gaelic word mamaí is pronounced mommy? Because I'm pretty sure it's not.

stepbar

What's your point?

Blush_01

Earthhorse, if Mamaí isn't pronounced mamaí, then how is it pronounced?

Stepbar, the point it maybe Mom isn't the huge hyper-Americanised evil it's repeatedly made out to be.

Terry

Blush_01 wrote:

Earthhorse, if Mamaí isn't pronounced mamaí, then how is it pronounced?

Stepbar, the point it maybe Mom isn't the huge hyper-Americanised evil it's repeatedly made out to be.

You have to take regional Irish dialects into account.

estebancambias

So your telling me the word mom is directly associated with the tiny amount of Irish immigrants into America? Americans also say Mama and ma.

Time Magazine

Blush_01 wrote:

Putting this "Mom" thing to bed

I'm putting yore ma to bed right now.

I can't believe nobody has done it anyway.

Creamy Goodness

a thread about mothers and six posts in and no one has said


YORE MA


must be a record.

*EDIT* damnit beaten to it.

I've used "mom" for as long as I can remember. Nobody's ever given me grief for it. I can't see what the fuss over this is about. Its trivial.

Earthhorse

I think it's more like the a from "what" than the o from "mommy".

So mhamaí would be "whamy" (not whammy) where the "wha" is pronounced the same as in "what". That's probably not a good example; I'm way too tired to be posting on boards.

For the record I always say mom and use plenty of other so called Americanisms too. When it comes to language I say takes what you like an leave the rest behind. Good luck with your theory though.

Terry

I see people are still reading the entire thread before posting.

stepbar

Does anyone bleeden care????? This thread is retarded.....

Zhane

Can people not call their own mother what they want now before someone gets all "you're irish you cant call ur ma that!"

Earthhorse

Not on boards.

Wertz

If the fada was on the first "A" like this: mámaí it might sound like mommy, but it's not; it comes out like mammy.

Who get's annoyed over these things? Americanisms can be irksome in the context of Irish accents, but taking issue with a term of affection is a bit petty...

Terry

Blush_01 wrote:

I don't have a problem with the word Mom. It's come up here repeatedly over the past few months that other people do though. I'm not sure how accurate this is... but I'd like to make a suggestion, considering the use of Mom in parts of the country for generations before this whole "urgh, you're so americanised" argument became an issue. (You'll have to excuse my appalling spelling as gaeilge for this though bit though!)

My Mother = Mo Mhathair

My Mammy = Mo Mhamaí

My Mom/Mam = Mo Mham

I know mothers in America are generally called Mom - could that not (even possibly) come from Irish immigrant children calling their mothers mamaí (mommy) or mam (mom) in irish, as the pronunciation of mam (as part of mamaí) mirrors the pronunciation of mom? The modern irish Mam has a vastly broadened a sound, unless Irish pronunciation has changed completely in the past two centuries.

I just think it might be interesting to find out if that suggestion holds any weight, before more people berate others for calling their mothers mom, if it's something that's been in their families for generations.

Oh, and before anyone else thinks they're getting in there... Yore Ma.

Just a thought, but perhaps it has something to do with how some americans elongate the "A" in every word.

Karl Hungus

I'll put YORE MOM to bed!


Shocked the thread went this far without someone saying it...

shay_562

00:40

Ibid wrote:

I'm putting yore ma to bed right now.

I can't believe nobody has done it anyway.

1:28

Karl_Hungus wrote:

I'll put YORE MOM to bed!


Shocked the thread went this far without someone saying it...

Karl, meet 45 Minutes Ago. 45 Minutes Ago, Karl...

Karl Hungus

I don't know how I missed that...

I really should go to bed now.

Karoma

Karl Hungus wrote:

I don't know how I missed that...

I really should go to bed now.

I'm embarrassed for you. You could probably salvage some dignity with "Do Mh..."

simu

Mam (in Irish) sounds very close to mom.

On the other hand, I've never heard anyone in Ireland call their mother mum, apart from on TV. It sounds as English as cucumber sandwiches to me. Mam and Mom sound normal, though.

Let us draw up the lines for linguistic waaaaaar!

JC 2K3

Surely "Mamaí" is just a modern Irish word that came in to usage due to children calling their mothers mommy/mammy in English(?)

BKtje

I have and always will use mom.

cucumber sandwiches

Now whats wrong with cucumber sandwiches!? Don't tell me your going to give out about them too!

People on AH are so intollerant!

Steez

Irish shouldn't be used as a basis for anything, it's a silly language that doesn't make sense.
Albeit being cool when abroad. Anyway, me ma's always been me ma. Don't think i've heard people in this country using Mom. Sheesh, did the atlantic disappear already?

Rob_l

Karl Hungus wrote:

I'll put YORE MOM to bed!


Shocked the thread went this far without someone saying it...

thast exactly what i came here to say just too late

pretty*monster

She's my mum, I'll call her what I want.

Pherekydes

00:26

Blush_01 wrote:

Oh, and before anyone else thinks they're getting in there... Yore Ma.

0:40

Ibid wrote:

I'm putting yore ma to bed right now.

Ibid, you're 14 minutes too late.

Sofaspud

Rob_l wrote:

thast exactly what i came here to say just too late

Me too, damn AH mindset

SingingCherry

simu wrote:

On the other hand, I've never heard anyone in Ireland call their mother mum, apart from on TV. It sounds as English as cucumber sandwiches to me. Mam and Mom sound normal, though.

My husband calls his mother "mum" and I call mine "mom". Our kids will call me "The Screaming Lady".

The_B_Man

i call mine "Jugs".

phasers

but surely most Irish immgirants would have spoken English anyay?

800 years etc.

so they'd have been saying mammy back then, and that doesn't sound like mom at all

Wacker

Wertz wrote:

If the fada was on the first "A" like this: mámaí it might sound like mommy, but it's not; it comes out like mammy.

I think it would sound more 'mawmee' myself.

I have said 'Mom' for as long as I can remember, and also sometimes say 'mum'. Before about a week ago I never knew this was an issue for some people.

The_B_Man

"mawmee"? wit a big smelly mulcher accent? not a chance!! it'd be mammy! its nothin to do with the OPs guess. Its a word evolved internally through US culture! nobody elses. Anybody who reckons otherwise is watchin too much Friends or something coz they've obviously blurred the lines between paddy speak and tv speak!

Tha Gopher

Ibid wrote:

I'm putting yore ma to bed right now.

I can't believe nobody has done it anyway.

Im shocked. That thread title was more open to abuse than a naked altar boy chained to a church door, and yet it took six posts?

Its a good point but is Mamai even a gaelic word? Is it not just an Gael-isation of an English word, like an charr, an bus, an phairc, and a few others.

Steez

Steez wrote:

Irish shouldn't be used as a basis for anything, it's a silly language that doesn't make sense.
Albeit being cool when abroad. Anyway, me ma's always been me ma. Don't think i've heard people in this country using Mom. Sheesh, did the atlantic disappear already?

That's a fantastic attitude towards your native language there. "It's useless, unless you're abroad and trying t impress foreigners". Also, I'm almost certain you're using "albeit" in the completely wrong context here. Maybe you should try perfecting your English before pis$ing all over your 'real' language.

Anto McC

F*ck the lot you, it's Ma and thats it.

Ruen

Steez wrote:

Irish shouldn't be used as a basis for anything, it's a silly language that doesn't make sense.

That's a really stupid thing to say, it makes perfect sense if you know it, just like any language.
Anyway I just say Ma because that's her name.

johnnyskeleton

Do Americans say "check out those mommeries"?