Why do English / Australians say Mum and Americans say Mom?

Just interested, how this common, simple word changed dialect from the same country of origin?

Does anyone know how the Canadians / New Zealanders pronounce it?

 

Canada- Mom, eh?
Usa-Mommy

 

MUm and Mom sound the same basically, its just that they're spelt differently. Try it out.

 

Simple:

Americans and Australians have different accents.

 

let's see:

Australia was the land of English criminals.

America was the land of Freed British Tyranny. We wanted to get away from a lot of English things.


Just a thought. Just an opinion. Not saying it is right or wrong.

 

"Australia was the land of English criminals. America was the land of Freed British Tyranny. We wanted to get away from a lot of English things. Just a thought. Just an opinion. Not saying it is right or wrong. "

So the changing of "Mum" to "Mom" was the Freedom Fries of its day?

I'm guessing you're wrong, though.

 

Whoah criminals. Satimber, you're playing with fire, homey

 

Whoah criminals. Satimber, you're playing with fire, homey

Dagsy, is this not true? History class taught me that?

 

The English version is almost always incorrect.

In this case the origin is the word "mother", which in turn originated from the word "modor" or "moder" (both English).

The English should really be more careful with all these u's they throw around.

 

and like replacing "s" with "c".

 

Canadians say it both ways.

 

Well, Satimber's explanation (The Freedom Fries of its Day one) isn't so far-fetched. Why do Brits drive on the left side of the road, but Americans drive on the right?

 

thank you STH.


And maybe that explains Soccer & Football too.

 

american english in many ways is like a time capsule of british english. at the time the colonies formed the language was the same in both places but as time went on and the two populations were seperated the language evolved differently. american english retains uses/spellings of word that british english used back during the time the colonies were formed that british english does not use today. my guess is that mom was used in both places back then but as the language evolved differently americans kept mom while the british started using mum.

 

I say Mommy

 

And maybe that explains Soccer & Football too.

No, that's just stupidity

 

Its true, Satimber. Its just that Aussies get annoyed when people use the criminal term. Such a small proportion of our population came from them, yet people use that notion all the time.

So Aussies get annoyed...hence playing with fire.

No biggie though

 

Everyone where I live always says "Moms" not Mom.

 

Its true, Satimber. Its just that Aussies get annoyed when people use the criminal term. Such a small proportion of our population came from them, yet people use that notion all the time.

So Aussies get annoyed...hence playing with fire.

No biggie though

Dagsy, I was only referencing history.

I have no ill will against Australia.

I mean for crying out loud...you guys gave me Elle MacPherson...[image=http://www.starpulse.com/images/ads/allposters/ellemacpherson1.jpg]


my most cherished woman in the world.

And of course several JCers too.

 

Are sure its just the English and Australians who say 'mum', and just the American's who say 'mom' ?

 

Sometimes I say mum.

 

Are sure its just the English and Australians who say 'mum', and just the American's who say 'mom'

Depends, I say mum because I'm taught that way, I'm guessing it's the same for most non-English speaking countries...

 

I'm Canadian, and I use both.

 

Americans > 'mum'-sayers.