# 阿媽



## Isidore Demsky

What does 阿媽 mean in Japanese kanji?

Does it mean "mother," "my mother" (which is what I get from google translate), "grandmother," or something else?

Also, what (if anything) would the two symbols mean if you took them separately? 

(Does anyone know what they originally meant in Chinese?)


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## Isperia

It is not Japanese. It's Chinese.

I think "媽" hasn't been used in Japan (except for referring to Chinese words) for a long time. Maybe for the past centuries.


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## Isidore Demsky

Thank you.

But isn't there a word "ama" in Japanese, and doesn't it refer to a mother, grandmother, sister, or nurse?


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## geokara

"Ama" is a word in Japanese, but it is written 尼 and essentially means "nun." In modern Japanese it can also be used to address women in general, but only pejoratively.

There is also the word 海女, which is also pronounced "ama." This refers to a traditional kind of shellfish and seaweed diver. Male ama are referred to using the word 海士, but the pronunciations are the same.

In what context did you find this word?


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## geokara

I just saw your other thread. Looking it up in a dictionary, I see that the word 阿媽 exists only in Japanese to describe a historical type of maid to foreign residents in China, India, and some other Asian countries. I can guarantee you it's an incredibly obscure word in Japanese and it's better to just think of it as not a Japanese word at all.


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## Isidore Demsky

geokara said:


> "Ama" is a word in Japanese, but it is written 尼 and essentially means "nun." In modern Japanese it can also be used to address women in general, but only pejoratively.
> 
> There is also the word 海女, which is also pronounced "ama." This refers to a traditional kind of shellfish and seaweed diver. Male ama are referred to using the word 海士, but the pronunciations are the same.
> 
> In what context did you find this word?



Why would "nun" (尼) be pejorative?


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## Isperia

尼(num) is not disapproval. We always use it. Maybe ordinary Japanese don't know synonyms such as "尼僧".

 尼(woman) is disapproval. I often hear this usage on Yakuza movies.


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## geokara

Isperia said:


> 尼(num) is not disapproval. We always use it. Maybe ordinary Japanese don't know synonyms such as "尼僧".
> 
> 尼(woman) is disapproval. I often hear this usage on Yakuza movies.



Exactly as Isperia said. "Ama" when talking about nuns is perfectly fine. It's only considered insulting when used to address a woman. It's a bit like how "bitch" is fine when talking about female dogs, but insulting when directed toward a woman.


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## Cowrie

From デジタル大辞泉
あま【尼】
発音は梵ambā（母）からといい、表記は「比丘尼(びくに)」の「尼」を用いたもの》


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## Cowrie

Several other sources (including 大辞林 第三版 and日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)) say that the Japanese pronunciation “ama” of the word “尼 (nun)” is said to be from the word “ammā (mother)” of the Pali language. 

I wonder Chinese 阿媽 is also of the same origin...


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