I've just started reading March by Geraldine Brooks. I brought it to read over lunch. Well, I just read something that pushed me right out of the book. The book is written from the POV of Mr. March -- the father of the Marches from Little Women. It's set during the Civil War and many of the chapters start with a letter that he has written to his family back in Massachusetts. In the section where Mr. March is talking about the first time that he met his future wife. The author writes:

After the service, her brother presented Miss Margaret Marie Day, whom everyone in the family called by the affectionate childhood name of Marmee.

(p. 60)

Didn't we have a discussion elsewhere at b.org about " Marmee and what that nickname actually is? I remember that it was here or possibly in Readerville that it was pointed out that Marmee is a phonetic spelling by a New Englander of "Mommy". Doesn't it seem like somebody writing a book about this topic should have figured that out?

I'm rereading Little Men right now, and Jo's five-year-old son calls her "Marmar," which lends a lot more weight to the "Marmee" is "Mommy" theory. Having her daughters call her by a familiar nickname like that doesn't seem to make much sense.

What is the Marmee is Mommy theory? I always thought Marmee was the word the family used for "mother person", sort of like some people call their grandmas 'nanny'.

That it's actually "Mommy" spelled with a Massachusetts accent.

What is the Marmee is Mommy theory? I always thought Marmee was the word the family used for "mother person", sort of like some people call their grandmas 'nanny'.

I'd always figured that, too, until someone pointed out that "Marmee," said with a New England accent, sounds almost the same as "Mommy."

I think I just made that up, but it makes so much sense to me!

That it's actually "Mommy" spelled with a Massachusetts accent.

OH! Although, I sort of feel that Meg and Jo were much too old to call their mother "mommy". Of course, my mother hated ALL the nicknames and actually insisted, from the time I was a small child, that I call her "Mother".

I sort of feel that Meg and Jo were much too old to call their mother "mommy"

I still call my mother Mummy -- and it's not strange, culturally. It may just be a time and place thing.

I switched from Mommy and Daddy to Mom and Dad when I was about 6. However, my brothers (who were all teenagers when I was born, so it's not strange we use different terminology) all still say Mother and Daddy. Which sounds weird, but AFAIK isn't that uncommon in the South.

I always thought "Marmee" was just a "mother name". Although the phonetic spelling of "mommy" makes sense, even though *I* don't think I pronounce "mommy" that way, and I'm from Massachusetts. Heh.

Actually, I think the more typical New England name for mother was "mummy."