Kafin amfani da shi na yanzu, alma mater ya kasance lakabi ne na girmamawa ga wasu alloli mata na Latin, musamman Ceres ko Cybele, kuma daga baya a cikin Katolika ga Budurwa Maryamu. Ya shiga amfani da ilimi lokacin da Jami'ar Bologna ta karbi taken Alma Mater Studiorum ("mahaifiyar kulawa da karatu"), wanda ya bayyana al'adunsu a matsayin jami'a mafi tsufa a duniya. Yana da alaƙa da alumnus, kalmar da aka yi amfani da ita ga wanda ya kammala karatun jami'a wanda a zahiri yana nufin "nursling" ko "wanda aka ciyar da shi". Tambaya: menene taken alloli mata na Latin daban-daban?
alma mater