Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

mammy

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.62 in modern English

Syllables: mam-my
IPA

14

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

2

Syllables

3

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

noun

In the southern United States, a black nanny employed to look after white children; or in the antebellum South, a female slave who was close to the household and looked after the children.

American usage; Derogatory

Example Sentences

"That's what you for—to help white folks keep niggers down. That's why he sent you to me. They be calling you mammy in a few years. You be running the whole house when the old man dies."

Etymology

Etymology tree English mam Proto-Germanic *-j-, *-ij- Proto-West Germanic *-i, *-ī Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English mamma ▲ English -y English mammy From mam + -y, or from mamma + -y.

Usage

American usage
Derogatory

Inflected Forms

mammies (plural) mamie (alternative) mammie (alternative)

Derived Forms

grandmammy Mammygate

Phrases

mammy market mammy wagon

Frequently Paired Words

mammy market mammy wagon

Synonyms

ma mama mamma mom momma mommy mum mummy mumma

Rhymes With

miami grammy sammy tammy sami whammy double whammy triple whammy hammy damme chamois clammy

Questions

What does mammy mean?: mamma; mother
Where does mammy come from?: Etymology tree English mam Proto-Germanic *-j-, *-ij- Proto-West Germanic *-i, *-ī Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English mamma ▲ English -y English mammy From mam + -y, or from mamma + -y.

How to pronounce mammy

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “mammy”.
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