Etymology

mum

M3U1M3

Today it means: mother Full definition →

Middle English mum
Ask AI about its historyChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

mum · noun1

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

mum · noun2

Abbreviation of chrysanthemum.

mum · adjective, interjection, verb, noun3

  1. Middle English · inherited frommum
  2. English todaymum

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”).

mum · noun4

  1. German · borrowed fromMumme
  2. English todaymum

From German Mumme.

mum · noun5

A variant of ma'am.

Mum · proper noun6

Proprialisation of mum.

Words from the same roots

GermanMumme all →

Mummey

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.