Some languages apparently do not possess a single specialized word for "mother." The Hawaiian, for example, calls "mother and the sisters of the mother" _makua wahine,_ "female parent," that being the nearest equivalent of our "mother," while in Tonga, as indeed with us to-day, sometimes the same term is applied to a real mother and to an adopted one (100. 389). In Japan, the paternal aunt and the maternal aunt are called "little mother." Similar terms and appellations are found in other primitive tongues. A somewhat extended discussion of names for "mother," and the questions connected with the subject, will be found in Westermarck (166. 85). Here also will be found notices of the names among various peoples for the nearest relatives of the mother and father. Incidentally it is worth noting that Westermarck controverts Professor Vambéry's opinion that the Turko-Tartar words for "mother," _ana_, _ene_, originally meant "nurse" or "woman" (from the root _an_, _en_), holding that exactly the reverse is the fact, "the terms for _mother_ being the primitive words." He is also inclined to think that the Aryan roots _pa_, "to protect, to nourish," and _ma_, "to fashion," came from _pa_, "father," and _ma_, "mother," and not _vice versâ_. Mr. Bridges, the missionary who has studied so well the Yahgans of Tierra del Fuego, states that "the names _imu_ and _dabi_--father and mother--have no meaning apart from their application, neither have any of their other very definite and ample list of terms for relatives, except the terms _macu_ [cf. _magu_, "parturition"] and _macipa_ [cf. _cipa_, "female"], son and daughter." This statement is, however, too sweeping perhaps (166. 88).
According to Colonel Mallery, the Ute Indians indicate "mother" by placing the index finger in the mouth (497a. 479). Clark describes the common Indian sign as follows: "Bring partially curved and compressed right hand, and strike with two or three gentle taps right or left breast, and make sign for _female_; though in conversation the latter is seldom necessary. Deaf mutes make sign for _female_, and cross hands as in their sign for _baby_, and move them to front and upwards" (420. 262). Somewhat similar is the sign for "father": "Bring the compressed right hand, back nearly outwards, in front of right or left breast, tips of fingers few inches from it; move the hand, mostly by wrist action, and gently tap the breast with tips of fingers two or three times, then make sign for _male_. Some Indians tap right breast for 'father,' and left for 'mother.' Deaf-mutes make sign for _male_, and then holding hands fixed as in their sign for _baby_, but a little higher, move the hands to front and upwards" (420. 167).