Mamta:: The transformation of meaning in everyday usage

In every cultural setting, language provides an essential framework within which reality is configured. Cultural ideas acquire form and are sustained through language. The social fields created through chosen words and their connected meanings effectively function as key terms in defining cultural knowledge. Motherhood is an important role in Indian society. The eventuality of becoming a mother is of vital consequence, especially for Indian women, and much cultural content revolves around this issue. Consequently, the language of motherhood is also highlighted in everyday linguistic usage, in particular through the notion of mamta. This article explores the everyday understanding of twenty men and women living in Delhi regarding the term mamta, set against the social role of motherhood in India. The findings of the study indicate a vibrant social space and personal attention dedicated to the notion of motherhood in general and mamta in particular Predominantly, mamta was understood as 'mother's love' for her offspring-generated quite 'naturally' through bearing a child-that is heightened-in situations of vulnerability and need.