mofo

See also: mofó and môfo

English

Alternative forms

• mo-fo, mo fo, mo' fo

Etymology

Abbreviation of motherfucker or motherfucking.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈməʊfəʊ/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈmoʊfoʊ/

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -əʊfəʊ

Noun

mofo (plural mofos)

1. (vulgar, slang) Abbreviation of motherfucker.

   Man, he's a big mofo.

Adjective

mofo (not comparable)

1. (vulgar, slang) Abbreviation of motherfucking.

   Man, he's got a big mofo truck.

Adverb

mofo (not comparable)

1. (vulgar, slang) Abbreviation of motherfucking.

Anagrams

• FOMO, FoMO, foom, moof

Galician

Etymology

Unknown. Perhaps onomatopoeic or either of Germanic origin: compare Portuguese mofo, Spanish moho, Italian muffa (“mould”), German Muff (“mouldy smell”), Dutch muf (“musty”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmofo/ [ˈmo.fʊ]
• Rhymes: -ofo
• Hyphenation: mo‧fo

Noun

mofo m (plural mofos)

1. mold
2. moss

   Synonym: musgo

References

• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “mofo”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “mofo”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “mofo”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

Portuguese

Etymology 1

Unknown. Either deverbal from mofar or perhaps borrowed from Italian muffa (“mould, mildew”).

Alternative forms

• môfo (superseded)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmo.fu/

• Hyphenation: mo‧fo

Noun

mofo m (plural mofos)

1. mold
2. the smell of mold
3. must (the property of being stale or musty)
4. (phytopathology) mildew (growth of minute powdery or webby fungi on a plant)

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɔ.fu/

• Hyphenation: mo‧fo

Verb

mofo

1. first-person singular present indicative of mofar

Spanish

Verb

mofo

1. first-person singular present indicative of mofar

Sranan Tongo

Picture dictionary

mofo

dede-ede

edetonton

ai

noso

mofo

kakumbe

yesi

neki

mofobuba

Click on labels in the image

skin

skin

Etymology

From English mouth.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmo.fo/

Noun

mofo

1. mouth
2. (archaic) word
   • 1783, C. L. Schumann, Neger-Englisches Worterbuch [Negro English Dictionary]‎^[1], archived from the original on 8 February 2023, s.v. bringi:

     na fotto dem no habi da muffe so menni; da Djutongo: ma nuffe plantasi habi hem.

     [Na foto, den no abi a mofo someni; na Dyutongo. Ma nofo pranasi abi en.]

     In the city, they don't have [use] this word so much; it's Saramaccan. But enough plantations have [use] it.

   • 1855, Hendrik Charles Focke, Neger-Engelsch woordenboek [Negro English Dictionary]‎^[2], Leiden: P.H. van den Heuvell, page 83:

     Mi wan tákki wan mófo nánga joe

     [Mi wani taki wan mofo nanga yu]

     I want to have a word with you.

Derived terms

• bobimofo (“nipple”)
• mofobuba (“lips”)
• mofodoro (“front yard”)
• mofokoranti (“rumor”)
• mofoneti (“early evening”)
• mofopisi
• moforadio
• mofosei
• mofowowoyo
• mofoyari (“the last few weeks of the year”)
• nyan mofo
• Paramofo
• puru mofo
• switimofo
• tumofogon
• watramofo

 

Descendants

• Aukan: mofu

References

• Wilner, John, editor (2003-2007), “mofo”, in Languages of Suriname, 5th edition, SIL International, Sranan-English Dictionary