Definition
A godmother; a woman who sponsors or guides a child spiritually or acts as a guardian in religious ceremonies.
Etymology
From 'god' + 'mamma' (Italian/Spanish 'mamma,' mother, adopted into English). A more informal or affectionate variant of 'godmother,' with Romance language influence.
Kelly Says
This word shows how English borrowings from Italian and Spanish were higher-status variants—'godmamma' sounds more sophisticated and Continental than 'godmother,' which reflects immigration patterns and class associations.
Translations
AMአማርኛ
እናት አባት
ʾənat ʾabat
CACatalà
padrina
/pəˈdɾinə/
CSČeština
kmotra
/kmo.tɾa/
DADansk
gudmor
/ɡoːˈmoːˀɐ/
ESEspañol
madrina
ma.dɾi.na
FAفارسی
مادر عروس
mādar ʿarūs
FRFrançais
marraine
/ma.ʁɛn/
HUMagyar
keresztanya
/kɛrɛstɒɲɒ/
IDBahasa Indonesia
ibu baptis
ibu baptis
ITItaliano
madrina
/maˈdriːna/
JA日本語
名付け親
namae tsuke oya
KKKK
крестная мать
krestnaya mat'
KMKM
ម្ដាយជំទង់
mdāy chŏngdŏng
KO한국어
명명자
myeong-myeong-ja
MSBahasa Melayu
ibu baptis
ibu baptis
NLNederlands
doopmoeder
/doːpˈmuːdər/
PLPolski
chrzestna matka
/ˈxʂɛstna ˈmatka/
PTPortuguês
madrinha
ma.dɾi.ɲa
RUРусский
крестная мать
krestnaya mat'
SVSvenska
gudmor
/ɡʉːdmɔr/
SWKiswahili
mama wa kubaptiza
mama wa kubaptiza
TAதமிழ்
குமார்த்தி
kumārtti
TEతెలుగు
స్నేహితురాలు
snēhiturālu
THไทย
แม่พี่เลี้ยง
māe phīi līeng
TRTürkçe
vaftiz anne
vaftiz anne
UKУкраїнська
хрещена мати
khreshchena maty
VITiếng Việt
mẹ đỡ đầu
mẹ đỡ đầu
Ethical Language Guidance
Gender History
Diminutive form of godmother, using 'mamma' to infantilize or sentimentalize women's caregiving roles. Reflects 19th-century convention of reducing women to nurturing archetypes.
Inclusive Usage
Use 'godmother' or 'godparent' for clarity and respect; 'godmamma' diminishes adult women's formal roles.
Inclusive Alternatives
["godmother","godparent"]