cummari

Sicilian

FWOTD – 20 September 2016

Etymology

Possibly derived from an Occitan/Norman stratum (compare Old French mere), ultimately from Late Latin commāter, from com- (“together”) + māter (“mother”). Cognate with Catalan and Italian comare, Neapolitan cummà, Galician, Spanish, and Portuguese comadre, French commère, Norman conméthe, Romanian cumătră.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈkʊmˈma.ɾɪ], /ˈkumˈma.ɾi/

Noun

cummari f (plural cummari)

1. female baptismal sponsor of one's child, cummer, godmother
   • "Aciḍḍuzzu di me cummari", traditional song (as given in 2012, Nicolò La Perna, Rosa Balistreri - Rusidda... a licatisi, p. 292):

     Aciḍḍuzzu di me cummari / senza pinni e senza ali / si pusau supra a scagghiola / a testa di intra e l’ali di fora.

     Little bird of my child's godmother / Without feathers and without wings / Alighted on the canary-grass / Head inside and wings outside.

2. female witness at one's wedding; maid of honor
3. girlfriend (close female friend) (usually between women)

Coordinate terms

• cumpari

Related terms

• comare
• cummà
• cumpà

See also

• comparatico
• madrina