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Re: Common words for man & husband, woman & wife

From:Herman Miller <hmiller@...>
Date:Sunday, May 7, 2006, 3:32
Yahya Abdal-Aziz wrote:

> And BritE "Mum", as well as, AFAIK, USE "Mom", also > derive from "Ma'am". As the better-behaved children > of earlier times called their father "Sir", so too did > they call their mother "Ma'am". > > But where did "Dad" come from? It certainly seems > a bit remote from "father" / "pater" &c.
The same source as Welsh "tad"? Could be a coincidence, but note that Welsh for mother is "mam"....

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Michael Adams <michael.adams1@...>