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Splinter asked in Society & CultureLanguages · 1 decade ago

Mum and Dad or Ma and Pa?

What names do you use in your family?

Do you think Mum and Dad are becoming more common than Ma and Pa. Can you suggest why there are different names and why there seems to be a change underway.

(Americans may say Mom and Dad.)

Update:

So far:

Mum and Dad are the favourites in Australia and US except for Africaans and Hicksville.

Maybe US movie and TV scriptwriters have been misleading the world by throwing in too many anachronistic Mas and Pas.

11 Answers

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  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    I use mum and dad, I don't know about the US but it's definately getting rarer in Canada, I don't think I've ever heard a person use ma or pa anywhere but on T.V.

  • ?
    Lv 4
    5 years ago

    easily, the 'pa' or 'ba' sound is between the 1st sounds that little ones can articulate. by utilising certainty optimum societies attempt to make little ones have a lots greater advantageous connection and accountability to their fathers, they have words that ought to foster that bond. The 'ma' sound is a greater robust now no longer elementary sound for little ones to make, yet little ones are of direction fascinated of their mothers, so the preliminary ability isn't a count quantity. 'Ma' is a delightful syllable it relatively is mushy bypass-culturally.

  • 1 decade ago

    Mum & Dad in Australia since Adam was a pup

  • 1 decade ago

    South Africans say mom and dad, and ma and pa (but that's usually the afrikaans speakers)!

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  • 1 decade ago

    Mum and Dad has always been more popular than Ma and Pa... of course, I am assuming you don't live in hicksville

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    When we were little it was mommy and daddy. As we got older it was mom and dad. Now its momma and pawpaw. The grandkids call them that.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    Im using ma n pa...u?

  • 1 decade ago

    in america,we go by mom and dad.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    i call my mom either : maaaaaaaaaaaaa , mama, mamee or umi

    i call my dad either : paaaaaaaaaaaaa or papa

  • 1 decade ago

    im spanish and we use mamá,papá or madre, padre but i always say ma.

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