mạ

See also: Appendix:Variations of "ma"

Vietnamese

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [maː˧˨ʔ]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [maː˨˩ʔ]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [maː˨˩˨]

• Audio (Saigon):

  (file)

Etymology 1

From Proto-Vietic *s-maːʔ, from Proto-Mon-Khmer *maʔ (“seed”); cognate with Old Mon ma (modern Mon မ (mɛ̀ˀ, “seed, kernel”), Proto-Katuic *hamaa (“seed; breed”) (whence Pacoh mma) and possibly Semelai smaʔ ("person").

Compare also the má element in giống má, lúa má, thuế má.

Noun

mạ • (𣟭, 𥡗, 𥢂)

1. rice seedlings

Etymology 2

Ultimately a nursery word.

Noun

mạ

1. (Central Vietnam) mother; mom

   Synonyms: bầm, u, đẻ, mợ, mẹ, má, mệ

Etymology 3

Verb

mạ • (鎷)

1. to plate (with a metal)

   mạ vàng ― to gild