English word origin

Etymology of mum

Alternative form of mam, or an abbreviation of mummy. Compare mom, mama.

5 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 5 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

mother

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

Alternative form of mam, or an abbreviation of mummy. Compare mom, mama.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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    ],
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    ]
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        "Canada",
        "India",
        "Ireland",
        "New-England",
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

A chrysanthemum. · A decoration traditionally made of chrysanthemums and ribbons, worn by girls at high school homecoming celebrations, marked with indicators such as the wearer's name, school, the year, and so on.

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

Abbreviation of chrysanthemum.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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      "pos": "noun",
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

intj

stop speaking!, stop talking!, hush!

verb

To act in a pantomime or dumb show. · To silence.

noun

Silence.

adj

Silent. · Secret.

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

From Middle English mum or mom (“silent”), reminiscent of the sound made when gagged or with a hand over one's mouth. Perhaps related to dated German Mumme (“mask”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Inherited-form mentionmumenm
Cognate mentionMummede

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 type of strong beer, originally made in Brunswick, Germany.

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

From German Mumme.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Borrowed-form mentionMummede

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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Source etymology 5

Original entry ↗

noun

Alternative spelling of ma'am.

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

A variant of ma'am.

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

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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-bXVt