Etymograph

English

mammal

Mammal comes from Latin mammālis ‘of or for the breasts’, and goes back to mamma.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmamma‘breast’
  2. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEmammālis‘of or for the breasts’
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEmammal
  4. Englishtodaysame form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmamma‘breast’
  2. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEmammālis‘of or for the breasts’
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEmammal
  4. Englishtodaysame form

The story

Borrowed from Latin mammal, coined 1758 by Linnaeus for the class of mammals, from Late Latin mammalis (‘of the breast’), from Latin mamma (‘breast’), perhaps cognate with mamma (mother).

Every English word from Latin mamma

Today it means

noun A vertebrate animal of the class Mammalia, characterized by being warm-blooded, having fur or hair and producing milk with which to feed their young.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Latin mamma / mammal

Shirt and support for this word