*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of ama

From Portuguese ama (“female nurse”), from Medieval Latin amma (“wet nurse, amma”), perhaps an alteration of mamma, of imitative origin, or from Ancient Greek.

7 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 7 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
noun

Alternative spelling of amah.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Portuguese ama (“female nurse”), from Medieval Latin amma (“wet nurse, amma”), perhaps an alteration of mamma, of imitative origin, or from Ancient Greek.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Borrowed-form mentionamapt
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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        "1": "en",
        "2": "pt",
        "3": "ama",
        "4": "",
        "5": "female nurse"
      },
      "expansion": "Portuguese ama (“female nurse”)"
    },
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        "2": "la-med",
        "3": "amma",
        "4": "",
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    },
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      "name": "onomatopoeic",
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        "title": "imitative"
      },
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    },
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      "args": {
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        "2": "grc",
        "3": "-"
      },
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    }
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    [
      "ama",
      "ama#Portuguese"
    ],
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      "amma",
      "amma#Latin"
    ],
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      "mamma",
      "mamma#Latin"
    ]
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      "glosses": [
        "Alternative spelling of amah."
      ],
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

A traditional Japanese pearl diver, usually female, who mainly dives for seafood, typically without any tool for breathing.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Japanese あま.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      "expansion": "Japanese あま"
    }
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    [
      "あま",
      "海女#Japanese"
    ]
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        "A traditional Japanese pearl diver, usually female, who mainly dives for seafood, typically without any tool for breathing."
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗
noun

The float on the outrigger of a proa or trimaran.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Polynesian.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 4

Original entry ↗
noun

A toxic byproduct of improper or incomplete digestion.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Sanskrit अम (ama, “disease”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Borrowed-form mentionअमsa · disease
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      "expansion": "Sanskrit अम (ama, “disease”)"
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    [
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Source etymology 5

Original entry ↗
noun

Fabric made from the hair of a camel or goat.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Unknown.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 6

Original entry ↗
noun

paternal grandmother; paternal grandma · term of address for one's paternal grandmother

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Hokkien 阿媽 /阿妈 (a-má, “paternal grandmother”). See also Hokkien 俺媽 /俺妈 (án-má), Portuguese Templo de A-Má.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Borrowed-form mention阿媽nan-hbl · paternal grandmother
  • Non-cognate comparison俺媽nan-hbl
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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        "1": "en",
        "2": "nan-hbl",
        "3": "阿媽",
        "tr": "a-má",
        "t": "paternal grandmother"
      },
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    },
    {
      "name": "ncog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nan-hbl",
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      },
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    },
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      "name": "ncog",
      "args": {
        "1": "pt",
        "2": "w:Templo de A-Má"
      },
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    }
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    ],
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      "阿妈#Hokkien"
    ],
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      "俺媽#Hokkien"
    ],
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      "俺妈",
      "俺妈#Hokkien"
    ],
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      "Templo de A-Má",
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    ]
  ],
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Source etymology 7

Original entry ↗
prep phrase

Alternative form of AMA (“against medical advice”).

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Initialism.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for ama →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-YW1h