amá
/ʔɑ̀mɑ́/
amá is the Navajo word for mom.
amá is used as an informal way to address your mother.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʔɑ̀mɑ́/
Did you know?
- In Navajo culture, the word amá often extends to include maternal aunts, as the kinship system treats them as co-mothers.
- Navajo is part of the Athabaskan language family, which means the word amá is a distant relative of languages spoken by Indigenous peoples in Alaska and Canada.
- In Navajo culture, the term for 'mother' is deeply connected to the concept of the 'First Woman', a foundational figure in the Diné creation stories.
Example conversation
Michelle and Tyler are talking about their family.
- MichelleAmá tʼééʼ yááłtį́į́ʼ.Mom is standing over there.
- TylerTʼaaí amá yíltʼį́?Did mom really come?
- MichelleÁáí, amá yíltʼį́.Yes, mom came.
- TylerTʼáá ání, amá tʼééʼ yááłtį́į́ʼ.That's right, mom is standing over there.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry amá, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
