BS: Mma Precious Ramatswe

Subject: BS: Mma Precious Ramatswe
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 15 Dec 14 - 02:03 PM

The founder and head of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency of Botswana in Alexander McCall Smith's stories of that organisation is called Mma Precious Ramotswe, and her chief assistant Mma Grace Makutsi. Some other female characters also have Mma prefixed to their names.

How is "Mma" pronounced, and what is it an abbreviation for?

≈M≈

Subject: RE: BS: Mma Precious Ramatswe
From: GUEST,#
Date: 15 Dec 14 - 02:57 PM

"How do you pronounce Mma and Ra and what is the English translation for these terms?

Mma and Rra are the formal terms of greeting and respect in Botswana. Mma is pronounced 'Ma', with a gentle m sound and a shortish a. Rra is exactly as it is spelt, with a rolling R."

from

http://www.alexandermccallsmith.co.uk/about-the-author/faq/

Subject: RE: BS: Mma Precious Ramatswe
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 15 Dec 14 - 04:00 PM

Thank you, Mr Sharp.

Subject: RE: BS: Mma Precious Ramatswe
From: GUEST,#
Date: 15 Dec 14 - 07:52 PM

Most welcome :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Mma Precious Ramatswe
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 15 Dec 14 - 08:48 PM

Mma would be a less abrupt M than it often is in Ma or Mister. Sort of um sound for the first M.

Maybe my favourite lady in all fiction.

Subject: RE: BS: Mma Precious Ramatswe
From: Ross Campbell
Date: 15 Dec 14 - 11:27 PM

Sound clip here which mentions Mma Ramotswe several times:-

http://www.wholestoryaudiobooks.co.uk/catalogue/audiobooks/genres/humorous/rtl2398-the-cleverness-of-ladies

Ross

Subject: RE: BS: Mma Precious Ramatswe
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 16 Dec 14 - 01:34 AM

Thank you, Ross. Great help. I couldn't actually hear much difference there from "Ma", as in "My Ma's a millionaire" or "Ma, I miss your apple-pie" &c.

≈M≈

Subject: RE: BS: Mma Precious Ramatswe
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 16 Dec 14 - 11:33 AM

Thanks, all. I've read these books and I've wondered the same thing.

Subject: RE: BS: Mma Precious Ramatswe
From: Ross Campbell
Date: 16 Dec 14 - 11:43 AM

"Ma" or "Maw" spends longer on the vowel than on the consonant. "Mma" seems to do the opposite.

Ross

Subject: RE: BS: Mma Precious Ramatswe
From: GUEST, topsie
Date: 16 Dec 14 - 12:35 PM

I just assumed it was pronounced like the M in names such as 'Thabo Mbeki'.

Subject: RE: BS: Mma Precious Ramatswe
From: GUEST,Mrr
Date: 16 Dec 14 - 10:28 PM

me too. In the part of West Africa where I grew up there were a lot of M and N names, spelled M'something or N'something in French, with the m or n kind of pronounced like a closed-mouth vowel. My dad's middle initial was N and they were always calling him N'(last name), we found it sweet.