Origin: 1545–55; nursery word, with parallels in other European languages, prob. in part inherited or borrowed, in part newly formed; cf. L mamma, Gk mámmē breast, mama (see mamma2), F maman mama, Welsh mam mother (< *mammā)
early 19c. spelling variant of mamma (q.v.). Meaning "sexually attractive woman" first recorded 1925 in black slang; mama's boy "soft, effeminate male" is from 1896.