An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Muhme

by Friedrich Kluge

Muhme, f. (in UpG. almost obsolete), ‘aunt, female relative, nurse,’ from MidHG. muome, OHG. muoma, f., ‘mother's sister,’ also ‘sister-in-law, female relative.’ That the earlier meaning, ‘mother's sister’ (comp. Base), is the orig. one is shown by the connection of the word with Mutter. OHG. muoma points to Goth. *môna, as is indicated by LG. and MidE. mône, ‘aunt’ (for the change of n to m, see Pilgrim). The word is a pet form of or child's term for AS. môdrie, LG. mödder (equiv. to W. modryb, ‘aunt’), which have the same form as Gr. μητρυΐα (comp. Vetter with Vater); likewise Du. moei from MidDu. moeie, ‘aunt.’ An old synonym occurs in AS. faþu, ‘aunt on the fathers side, father's sister,’ allied to Vater. OIc. móna, ‘mother,’ and the equiv. LG. mœme, Lith. momà, OSlov. mama, seem to be pet terms for ‘mother’; so too Du. moei, ‘aunt’ (OHG. muoia, Gr. μαῖα).