amá
/ʔɑ̀mɑ́/
The Navajo word for mother is amá.
amá is a noun used to refer to a female human who has given birth to or is parenting a child.
Meaning: female (human) who gives birth to or parents a child (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
/ʔɑ̀mɑ́/
Did you know?
- Because clan identity is so central, a person identifies themselves by their mother's clan before mentioning their own name.
- In Navajo culture, the term for 'mother' is deeply tied to the concept of the 'Mother Earth' or 'Changing Woman', a central figure in many Diné stories.
- The word amá descends from a root in the Proto-Athabaskan language family, linking Navajo to indigenous languages spoken as far north as Alaska and Canada.
Examples in context
- Amá deezʼá.The mother is cooking.
Example conversation
Brandon is introducing his mother to Sarah.
- BrandonHózhó, Sarah. Shí amá yinai.Hello, Sarah. This is my mother.
- SarahYáʼátééh. Amá łáʼíní?Hello. Is she your only mother?
- BrandonÁáʼ.Yes.
- SarahKʼééʼyááh amá.Nice to meet you, mother.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mother” translations and entries amá, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries amá, CC BY-SA 4.0.
