أُمَّهَةٌ

i. q. أُمٌّ [A mother of a human being and of any animal]: (M, K:) the former is [said by some to be] the original of the latter: (S:) Aboo-Bekr says that the ه in the former is a radical letter: (TA:) or the former applies to a rational creature; and the latter, to [a rational and] an irrational: (K:) or, according to Az, the plural of the former applies to the rational; and that of the latter, to the irrational: (TA:) the former singular sometimes applies to an irrational creature: (IJ, TA:) [for some further remarks on both of these words and their pls., see the latter of them:] the plural [of the former] is أُمَّهَاتٌ and [that of the latter is] أُمَّاتٌ: (T, S:) Az says that the امو is added in the former for the purpose of distinguishing between the daughters of Adam [to whom it is generally applied] and other animate beings. (TA.)