The Canadian Oxford Dictionary lists mom as “North American,” not merely American. Mum is classified as “British and Canadian” slang.
Do any Americans say mum?
The British typically use ‘mum’, and the Americans, ‘mom’.
Is mum UK or US?
Since mum and United Kingdom both contain the letter U, you can use that letter as a reminder the mum is the British version of this word.
Why do Americans spell mum differently?
Mom and Mommy are old-English words, words that are stilled used in Birmingham and most parts of the West Midlands. It is said that when people from the West Midlands went to America many years ago they took the spelling with them, hence Americans use Mom and Mommy.
Why do British people say mum?
It is related to an expression used by William Shakespeare, in Henry VI, Part 2. The word “mum” is an alteration of momme, which was used between 1350 and 1400 in Middle English with very close to the same meaning, “be silent; do not reveal”.
What countries use mum?
Certainly if you’re in the US, your mother is your “mom” – short for “mommy” and in the UK, Australia and New Zealand it’s “mum” – shortened from “mummy”.
Is Mum used in Ireland?
‘Mam’ is popular in Munster , ‘Mum’ is top in Ulster, and some Dubliners love their ‘Ma’ “Mam” is the most popular form of address for mothers in Ireland. Some 31 per cent of adults call their mother “Mam” when speaking to her, 23 per cent prefer “Mum”, 12 per cent say “Mom” and a further 12 per cent use “Mammy”.
Why do Americans say zee?
Zee became the standard way to pronounce Z in the United States in the 19th century. It’s said that zee most likely came about because it rhymes with other letter pronunciations in the English alphabet (e.g., e, d, c, b, g, and p).
Do people in New England say mum?
Usage notes
In New England, the word may still be spelt “mom”, but it will have the pronunciation of “mum”.
Why do the British say oy?
“Oi” has been particularly associated with working class and Cockney speech. It is effectively a local pronunciation of “hoy” (see H-dropping), an older expression. A study of the Cockney dialect in the 1950s found that whether it was being used to call attention or as a challenge depended on its tone and abruptness.
Is it OK to mix American and British spelling?
You must choose all US spelling or all UK spelling. You can’t write some words with American spelling and other words with British spelling. Choose your language and stick to it.
What is mum slang for?
What does mum mean? Mum is an adjective that means keeping quiet. It can also be used by itself to mean Be quiet!
What does mum mean in Scotland?
Etymology. Alteration or clipping of mama. Compare Scots mam, Early Scots mame (“mother”), mamye (“wet nurse”), Saterland Frisian Määme (“mother”), West Frisian mem (“mother”).
Is it pronounced zee or zed?
As zed is the British pronunciation and zee is chiefly American, zed represents one of the rare occasions in which most Canadians prefer the British to the American pronunciation.
Are mums only a thing in Texas?
Mums, it turns out, are a very specific tradition, popular only in Texas (and parts of Oklahoma) and are huge, ginormous corsages.
Why do other countries say mum instead of mom?
“Mum” is is short for “mummy”, which derives from “mamma”. Some accents of American English pronounce the letter “o” like the British pronounce “a”, so British “mamma” was respelled as “momma” in American English. “Mommy” is a variant of this, which was (probably) then shortened to “mom”.
Do they say mum in Scotland?
Forget Mum or Mom, in northern England they usually like calling their mothers Mam. The pronunciation, of course, will vary for Mam whether you’re a Northumbrian or Geordie. This term of endearment for mother is also very common in Scotland and Northern Ireland. In Ireland Ma is also frequently used instead of Mam.
WHO calls mum mam?
The three terms we’ve picked out here, for instance, are all associated with different places: Mum is common throughout Britain, but particularly in the south. Mam is used in Ireland, Wales, Scotland and parts of northern England. Mom is most associated with American English.
Do Welsh people say mam?
The highest number of respondents who answered ‘mam’ were from the north east of England, while the second highest concentration of ‘mams’ was in Wales with 13% of the respondents using the term of endearment.
What do British call their parents?
There are many nicknames for parents. Young children sometimes call their mother mommy in US English or mummy in UK English, and they call their father daddy. Mama and papa are also used. These words are informal in US English, but old-fashioned in UK English.
Who says mom in the UK?
Like Birmingham, ‘Mom’ is what is generally used in the US, with ‘Mum’ more popular in most of England. But it’s popularity in the West Midlands shows it may be a regional pronunciation, maybe influenced by the Brummie accent.