Translation
breast, mammary gland
Word origin
From Latin mamma, the breast, one of those nursery syllables that survives almost unchanged across languages. Linnaeus built the class name Mammalia on it, which is why Esperanto's mamulo, a mammal, is literally a breast-one.
- Origin
- Latin
- Root
- mamma
- English cognates
- mammal, mammary, mamma
Examples
.
The baby drinks milk from its mother's breast.
.
The cat feeds her young with her teats.
.
The doctor examined the young mother's breast.
is an anatomical word, and it sits in the same register as stomako: a doctor's word, neutral, usable in front of anyone. It names the milk-producing organ specifically, so it applies to a cow and a cat exactly as it does to a woman. The chest as a whole, the front of the body, is brusto, and that is the word you want for most everyday sentences.
The teaching prize here is o, "mammal": plus --, the suffix that makes a person or creature out of a quality, so a mammal is literally "a breast-one". That is not a quirk of Esperanto, it is a straight calque of the Latin Mammalia, and English speakers who have never thought about why mammals are called mammals get the answer for free. Mambesto turns up occasionally for the same idea, but o is the standard.
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mamo: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Esperanto word "mamo" (breast, mammary gland): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 36.