Lexicon:Modern/ma-
| ma- | |
|---|---|
| Stage | Modern CLT |
| Pronunciation | /ˈma/ |
| Part of speech | Prefix |
| Etymology | from Middle mā-, from mamē, from Proto mami |
| Related words | da-, sei- |
ma- — the feminine authority gender prefix. Used for status and authority address words.
Notes
Distinct from casual sei- prefix. Used only for authority/status words. Shortened by constant use like any word said that often, but it kept the open vowel of Middle mā- where most words of its age broke to ae. It began as the word for a dominant partner rather than a parent, which is how it came to mark authority rather than kinship.