Why do British say mum?

It's just what you grow up hearing around you. The two areeffectivey spellings of the same word. The typical (USZ) pronunciation of mom uses a long “o” sound which makes the word a little like “m-ah-m”. This sounds is actually fairly close to the British pronunciation of mum.

Do UK English say mom or mum?

But 'mum' is the correct spelling in the UK, and 'mom' is recognised as an American word. This wasn't always the case however. In Middle English Circa 1400s words were spoken as they were pronounced, the word 'mome' was used to mean mother, and was likely pronounced /moːm/.

Why do some people say moms instead of mom?

Originally Answered: Why have some people started saying “moms” when they mean the singular “mom” e.g. “I gotta go home or my moms will go mad”? Probably a local idiom or a dialect peculiar to a specific group of people, either that or the person speaking has two mothers.

What countries say mum?

England, Australia, New Zealand, probably India when they're speaking English of course same with South Africa and probably more African countries. Also some but not all Europeans say mum when speaking English but I know there are some who say mom probably from picking it up from Americans.

Where did the word mum come from?

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".

Mother, Mom, or Mum? What Americans call their mothers.

What does mums mean in UK slang?

noun. mainly British an informal word for mother1.

What do Brits call their parents?

More commonly people refer to their parents as their mum in UK English, or mom in US English, and their dad in both UK and US English. These words are more informal than mother and father. UK My mum and dad go there every year.

Do people in the UK say mom?

There are parts of the West Midlands where people do actually say Mom, which becomes more like Moom in others, and in parts of Northern England and pretty well all of Wales, they say Mam. But the standard thing, and definitely the RP, polite, middle-class and upper-class version, is Mum, or Mummy.

What do Scots call their mother?

Mam(m)ie, n. Also: mamye, -ay, -é, mawmy, mannie. [e.m.E. mammy (1523) a child's word for mother, the chief use also in mod. Sc.

Why is dad short for father?

The label "dad," first appeared in English in the 1500s. It was likely a shortened form of a baby's "dada" and was primarily only used by children.

Why do British call superiors mum?

What you are hearing is not mum as in mother, but ma'am, contraction of madam, with a strongly reduced vowel. In British English, it is mostly used as a sign of repect for a woman of superior rank, say, in the military or police.

Why do British people say Zed?

Originally Answered: Why do the British say "zed" instead of "zee"? Because the letter 'Z' comes from the ancient Greek alphabet and its name in that alphabet is Zeta. This became Zede in old French, and, as many French words passed into the English language, became Zed in English.

Why do British people say love?

Why do British people call people “love”? The word love means to feel deep affection for someone or something. To address someone as “love” is a friendly gesture that indicates openness and acceptance.

Do Brummies say mum or mom?

OUP looked at short stories written by children across the country and found that 'Mom' was the top word used more in the West Midlands than any other area. This suggests that most other regions plump for calling their mothers 'Mum'.

Why do British people say mum and not mom?

The typical (USZ) pronunciation of mom uses a long “o” sound which makes the word a little like “m-ah-m”. This sounds is actually fairly close to the British pronunciation of mum. By comparison, were the spelling mom used in BE, it would imply a very short “o” sound, actually far from the AE pronunciation.

How do the British say daddy?

Below is the UK transcription for 'daddy': Modern IPA: dádɪj. Traditional IPA: ˈdædiː 2 syllables: "DAD" + "ee"

Why do Brits say governor?

Often spelt guvnor or guv'nor it is a slang term for “boss", rather old-fashioned now but still understood. Used especially in the context of the person in charge of a pub. Sometimes used to recognise a well regarded member of a community or profession.

Do Brits say papa?

Mum & Dad is probably the most usual, or Mummy & Daddy from younger children. Mama & Papa is not common here in the UK, but may occasionally be heard.

Why do people call dad pops?

Pop and Pops

Pop is the most recent way to say father originating in the 1830's. It is short and has a more grown up feel than papa or dada, although still affectionate. We tend to use shortened versions of dad to show affection and uniqueness and pops has a very informal tone.

Does Pops mean dad?

father. (also pops) [singular] (old-fashioned) (informal) used as a word for “father,” especially as a form of address Hi, Pop!

What do Americans call their father?

In the US we have many names we can call our fathers: dad, daddy, papa, pa, poppy, father.

What do the Scottish call a girl?

A lass is a girl. Your Scottish folk dance teacher might announce, "Lads line up on that side, lasses on this side!"

What do Scottish call a baby?

Bairn is a Northern England English, Scottish English and Scots term for a child. It originated in Old English as "bearn", becoming restricted to Scotland and the North of England c.