From Portuguese ama, from Medieval Latin amma, perhaps an alteration of mamma, of imitative origin, or from Ancient Greek.
amah (plural amahs)
- A woman employed to look after children in India; a wet nurse.
- A maid in China and other parts of Asia.
- 1977, John Le Carré, The Honourable Schoolboy, Folio Society 2010, p. 20:
- Then one day he disappeared and when Luke called apprehensively at his apartment the old amah told him that ‘Whisky Papa runrun London fastee.’