Irish Slang For Mother (Explained!)

Our mother is very commonly the first person we learn to recognize.

Not only that, but they then often go on to play one of the most important roles throughout our whole lives.

This is as true in Ireland as it is anywhere else, so what slang terms do the Irish use to refer to their mothers?

Let’s find out.

The most common Irish slang terms for mother is mam. This is shared with large parts of Britain. The Irish might otherwise refer to their mother as mammy. If not, then they are likely to use a more widespread term, such as the British “mum”, or the American “mom”. “Ma,” finally, is also an option.

One of the simplest principles of the evolution of languages, particularly in European languages, is the way that vowels will change and alter over the course of time.

Mother slang is a great example of this, because just about every variation of the vowel is used in slang for mother, and this is also true in Ireland.

Let’s find out more.

In This Article

What do the Irish call their mothers?

There are a few choices for what the Irish might call their mothers.

The most common, and perhaps the most widely associated with Ireland, is “mam”.

This is a clear variation of other English-speaking slang terms for mothers.

The term “mammy” is far less widely used than mam but nonetheless is used more commonly by Irish English speakers than it is by any other English-speaking country.

This is also universal for both children and adults.

Almost a third of all Irish adults refer to their mother as mam, while only around 12 percent use mammy.

It is far more common for children to use the term mammy.

But these are not the only words used for mother in Irish English.

The others are used elsewhere. Just under a quarter of adults refer to their mother as “mum”, which is the most common term used in Britain.

Finally, you might be surprised to learn that a small percentage use the term “mom”, around 12%.

Though you might think this is more of a North American thing, it’s also widely used in Ireland, too.

Mam and mammy are certainly the most heavily associated with Ireland, and they are plainly in use, collectively, to a far greater extent than any other.

So, where does this word come from?

Why do the Irish say mam?

Mam ultimately comes from the term “mamma,” which is still today universally understood as a child’s term for mother.

This word has its origins as far back as the 1570s, though the original root is much, much older.

The original term would have been simply ma, and this is an example of what’s called reduplication, when the word itself is simply repeated to form a longer word.

Ma is in fact Proto-Indo-European, which is the original language from which virtually all modern European languages were derived.

It’s most likely simply a natural sound that a baby makes.

Sometime after the 1570s, then, when English was also being forcibly taught in Ireland, “mam” and “mammy” became the common terms for mother.

As I said, depending on how vowel sounds are formed, the vowel in any given word can change over time.

In Britain it ultimately became “mum”, whereas it appears to have remained “mam” in Ireland.

Why do the Irish say mammy?

So, as we’ve seen above, mammy is probably just more likely to be how a child would refer to their mother.

The root is the same, and perhaps even far older than the modern “mam” since it is more clearly derived from “mamma”.

But, again, the origin is the same.

Why do the Irish say mum?

It’s worth noting that mum is more commonly thought of as the British way to refer to your mother.

But even in Britain, you can find all versions of this word—mum in all parts of the country, mam particularly in the north, and even mom in some places in the midlands.

Mum is also used, as I said, by just under a quarter of Irish adults to refer to their mother.

There’s not so clear a regional divide in Ireland, though mam is more commonly used in the Republic, broadly speaking.

Again, this one is simply a vowel change originating from “mamma,” probably coming into use in the early 17^th Century.

What about the Irish Gaelic?

What is the Irish Gaelic word for mother?

Though Irish Gaelic was sadly stamped out to the greatest extent it could be, it’s had a huge revival in recent years.

So, in many places, you may hear the Irish refer to their mothers using the Irish Gaelic máthair.

This simply means mother. It may also be shortened to math.

With a large drive to reclaim the language that was taken from them, many feel strongly about using everyday terms like this, whether they are speaking full Gaelic or mingling it in with their English.

Interestingly, then, just about every variation of “mam” or “mom” is used in some part of Ireland by some number of people.

The most common is “mam”, and though thanks to film and television we might think “mammy” is next, the Irish are more likely to refer to their mother simply as mum or mom.

Máthair might still be used by English speakers here and there, and certainly could become more common as the language is revived to a greater extent.

More in Irish Slang

Founder - @PollyWebster

Polly Webster is the founder of Foreign Lingo and a seasoned traveler with a decade of exploration under her belt.

Over the past 10 years, she has journeyed to numerous countries around the globe, immersing herself in diverse cultures, traditions, and languages.

Drawing from her rich experiences, Polly now writes insightful articles about travel, languages, traditions, and cultures, sharing her unique perspectives and invaluable tips with her readers.

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