MA

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• /mɑː/
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• US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• rhymes with -ɑː
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• CMU ARPABET: M AA1 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
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From my.

Transcription of 馬/马 (mǎ).

The sound, which parents interpret as a reference to themselves, is very commonly made by infants. For more on the linguistic process whereby infants' monosyllables are tied to ancient word roots for parents, see mama, papa, mātēr, and patēr.

Abbreviation.

Borrowed from Japanese 間.

From Cantonese 嘛 (maa3, “of course!”).

From Mandarin 嗎/吗 (ma).

25 source translations are retained for this English entry.

• Arabic: مَا (mā) — Chinese surname
• Chinese Mandarin: 馬 /马 (Mǎ) — Chinese surname
• Japanese: 馬 — Chinese surname
• Japanese: マー (Mā) — Chinese surname
• Korean: 마 — Chinese surname
• Russian: Ма — Chinese surname
• Vietnamese: Mã — Chinese surname
• Vietnamese: Ma — Chinese surname
• Finnish: äiskä — colloquial form of mother
• Finnish: äiti — colloquial form of mother
• French: maman — colloquial form of mother
• Georgian: დე (de) — colloquial form of mother
• German: Mamma — colloquial form of mother
• German: Mutter — colloquial form of mother
• Hindi: मा (mā) — colloquial form of mother
• Italian: mamma — colloquial form of mother
• Macedonian: мама (mama) — colloquial form of mother
• Persian: مامان — colloquial form of mother
• Polish: mamuś — colloquial form of mother
• Portuguese: mamãe — colloquial form of mother
• Portuguese: mamã — colloquial form of mother
• Russian: ма́ма (máma) — colloquial form of mother
• Spanish: mamá — colloquial form of mother
• Tamil: மா (mā) — colloquial form of mother
• Ukrainian: ма́ма (máma) — colloquial form of mother