EssayEtymologyJapanese traditionUncorrected

Mamagoto (ままごと – House)

  • Mamagoto

    ままごと


    Children (especially girl) sometimes play mamagoto (ままごと/飯事).
    幼児(特に女児)の遊びに「ままごと」があります。

    Mamagoto is as a kind of plays that players imitate a family life, such as cooking or inviting guest, and you can see this everywhere in Japan (probably everywhere all over the world).
    「ままごと」は、炊事や家庭生活を模した遊びで、日本各地で(おそらく世界中でも)見られます。

    Mama (まま) is not the English word “mama;” it comes from the children’s word manma/mama (まんま/まま), which means “meal.”
    「まま」は英語の “mama” ではなく、食事を意味する幼児語「まんま」「まま」から来ています。

    In addition, goto/koto (ごと/こと) means “event” or “act.”
    また、「ごと」は「出来事」や「行為」を意味します。

    That is to say, the literal meaning of mamagoto is “meal event/cooking act.”
    すなわち「ままごと」の文字どおりの意味は、「炊飯の出来事/行為」というわけです。

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