Why the Words for ‘Mom’ and ‘Dad’ Sound So Similar in So Many Languages

John McWhorter, writing for The Atlantic:

Is there anything inherently “doggy” about the word “dog”? Obviously not — to the French, a dog is a chien, to Russians a sobaka, to Mandarin Chinese-speakers a gǒu. These words have nothing in common, and none seem any more connected to the canine essence than any other. One runs up against that wall with pretty much any word.

Except some. The word for “mother” seems often either to be mama or have a nasal sound similar to m, like nana. The word for “father” seems often either to be papa or have a sound similar to p, like b, in it — such that you get something like baba. The word for “dad” may also have either d or t, which is a variation on saying d, just as p is on b. People say mama or nana, and then papa, baba, dada, or tata, worldwide.

Update: T-Rex explains.

★ Tuesday, 13 October 2015