What's in a name? Where are the Mammies?

MarchDub

I have a question for new parents and those to be. I grew up in Ireland - many years ago - and always called my mother "Mammy" to the day she died just a few years ago. It has a warm affectionate ring to me and even though I live overseas my own daughter calls me this. I notice in the Irish newspapers a reluctance to use this and the word "Mum" [which I always have hated as a sound and imagery] is being substituted. See today's Irish Independent for example.

As I don't live in Ireland now I have no idea if this terrible English appellation has crept into the language. Has it? Mothers, what do your children call you?

Nevyn

Mam and occasionally Mammy, but never Ma.

MarchDub

Thaedydal wrote: »

Mam and occasionally Mammy, but never Ma.

Thanks - good to know that! I wonder why the media are reluctant to use this?

stovelid

Moved here from England when I was 11 so I call(ed) her Mum which I always think of as more of an English phrase.

When we moved here, I tried Ma a couple of times, but she hated it.

littlebug

I'm mammy, just mammy

There seems to be an awful lot of "Moms" around these days too.

Raytown Rocks

Mammy all the way for my Kids.

noby

littlebug wrote: »

There seems to be an awful lot of "Moms" around these days too.

My wife is called Mamaí. When it's shortened it might sound like Mom, but most defenitely isn't.

Lizzykins

Mam or Mammy. If the word Mum or Mom comes into my house the perpetrator leaves! I CANNOT stand the word Mum. We're not living in London/Manchester/Birmingham so cut it out.

beth-lou

Mam or Mammy. Same as I called mine.

the glass woman

Well i'm actually called Mm-nana, which is adorable as he's only 13 months old! But i hope to be called mama for as long as possible.. I would've called my mother 'mam' or 'mom' growing up but now its mainly 'mam'. Wouldn't dream of calling her 'mammy'!

deisemum

Mam, I cannot remember calling my mother mammy and I'm 44. I don't call her anything thing now. I cringe when I hear adults call their mother mammy.

Mine call me mam.

Mom seems to be taking over though, not in my house.

shoelaceface

i call mine mam and mammy..... depending what i want :rolleyes:

barbiegirl

Mammy when talking about her, probably Ma when talking to her. :-) I'm 33. She called Nanny Mammy up until the day she passed.

MarchDub

deisemum wrote: »

Mam, I cannot remember calling my mother mammy and I'm 44. I don't call her anything thing now. I cringe when I hear adults call their mother mammy.

Mine call me mam.

Mom seems to be taking over though, not in my house.

Actually "Mom" is American. Hope that doesn't take over - as for me I loved to hear my own mother call my Granny "Mammy". I personally think it is wonderful to hear adults use this. As a child it reminded me that my Mammy had a Mammy and was once someone's child - and I loved it. Continuity.

littlebitdull

Mine call me ... Mum, Mam, and sometimes Mother. Never Ma. I think they may have called me Mammy when they were toddlers, but it didn't stick. Probably cause I dont like it.

I called my own mother Mammy till I was into my teens - she is Mum now. She called her parents Mammy and Daddy till they died ..

Beth

If i'm talking to her I'll call her Mam
If i'm talking about her to my sister I'll call her Mammy - something "were you texting Mammy today" or something.
My neighbour (over 65) always calls her Mammy, like "Is your Mammy there?" I find it hilarious when he asks me.

I asked a child one day where her Mammy was.
good grief, I got the ear roared off me from the mother in public. "Its MUMMY, not Mammy." I stood there with :eek: on my face. As she walked off with the child, she muttered "f**king commoners". I wouldnt mind like... but she grew up a few houses away from me!!

themadchef

beth-lou wrote: »

Mam or Mammy. Same as I called mine.

Same here.

simu

I am supposed to be Mamaí but my son calls me Baba!

nesf

I always called my mother Mom, and she does the same with hers, I've no idea when or from where it started though. It just seems to be the done thing in our family for quite a while now. My wife is called Baba, as noted above.

lostinnappies

i called my mine "mom". My kids call me "Mommie". I dont know what it is but I personally hate the sound of Ma, Mam, or Mammie. But thats just me i guess.:o

luckat

Mom is American, but may have gone to America from Ireland, where Mam in Irish sounds more like Mom.

We always called our parents by their first names, ditto with the next generation.

MrsA

I am calling myself Mummy to a son who is 8 months, and he has just started to say it.

I hate the sound of Mammy personally, I think it sounds very hard or something.

I hope he calls me Mum or Mummy.

M

simu

Personally, Mammy reminds me of the cliché of the "Irish Mammy" - not something to be aspired to.

LadyE

My ds calls me mommy, mom or mama (when he is being loving like "I love you mama").

I dont mind what my son calls me at all.

Sleepy

Tis funny how everyone has a different opinion on things...

Growing up myself it was Mammy before becoming Mum when I was a teenager and now I'd call her Mam (I'm 28). Never Ma or Mom, the first because she thought it sounded 'knackery' and the second because she hated the sound of 'mom'. Either would have you in the bad books for days...

My partner is 'mammy'...

hazeler

My little girl (is she still little at 7??) calls me Momma, made me a sign for my door that says Momma on it, she even calls me Momma at the school gate when all the kids around us say "Mam" or "Mom".

She calls her dad by his first name, I love it!:D

I myself say "Mom", but when Im talking to my sisters, we all say "Mammy".

Sesame

I call mine Mum. I remember from school days that all the country kids called there's Mam and the town kids called theirs Mum. No idea why or where this started.

When I was little I would have called my mam Mammy, now it's mam, unless I'm joking and saying 'ah me oul mammy'. If I'm talking to someone else baout her I refer to her as Mum, don't know why, think it's just because that's what other people seem to say.
I always called myself Mammy to my daughter when she was a baby, as did my husband (and still does) but the way she says it is Mommy, even though she is saying mammy, it's just the way she prenounces it, I quite prefer it to Mammy now.

Scoobydoobydoo

My son calls me Mom, but it sounds like Mawhm, not like the American Mom or the English Mum, and I don't know where he got it! When he was small he called me Momma.

I think Mammy/Mommy/Mummy is very babyish and sounds weird when used by adult offspring! That's just me!
As a child I called my mother Mammy, later I used Mum, as that is what she prefers.
Same with Daddy/Dad.
My mother called her mother Mamma.

stovelid

simu wrote: »

I am supposed to be Mamaí

simu wrote: »

Personally, Mammy reminds me of the cliché of the "Irish Mammy" - not something to be aspired to.

Don't these just sound the same.....or is my Irish as shite as I think...?

LivingDeadGirl

Mom, Momma when I was little.