|
|
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,891
Carpal Tunnel
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,891 |
Since I didn't want to ambuse Father Steve's oompah thread I thought I should start an other one...
In French we call our grandparents, Grand-père et Grand-mère (Grandfather and Grandmother) when you are a bit older and when being a bit formal. Grand-papa et Grand-maman (Granddaddy and Grandmommy) is used by kiddies and when speaking to kiddies.
We tack on the family name, i.e. Grand-maman Beaupré, if a situation arises where there can be a confusion about which grandparent you are talking about.
In some circumstances, some grandparents get a nickname (my grandmothers were called Mamie and Granny) but generally, most are called by the terms listed above.
I know that the Québec Italians call their grandparents Nono* (grandfather) and Nona (grandmother).
I know we've discussed something like this in the past, but since we have a wider variety of posters now, I'd like to know what terms are used to describe grandparents in your neck of the woods.
* unfortunately Nono in French means idiot.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 322
enthusiast
|
|
enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 322 |
In German: Oma and Opa, or sometimes Omi and Opi.
I wonder why grandmere isn't grande-mere, since she is feminine. Probably for ease of pronunciation.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 508
addict
|
|
addict
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 508 |
Just a family thing - to avoid confusion, paternal grandparents were Grammy and Papa; maternal were Busia (Polish) and Grandpa. No matter how old the grandchildren got.  Wish they (the grandparents) were all still around!
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,891
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,891 |
Allo Baronia,
If you said Grande-mère you'd be saying that your Mother is tall (grande = tall). The grand in this circumstance is not an adjective but a prefix which denotes one generation up.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400 |
my granddaughter calls her mother and father poppa and momma, I am Nana Helen, (to my granddaughter, and to my d-i-l's 12 year old son.)
EDIT: Dr bill, in the kindest way, made me into a slouch for not taking the effort to look things up... Thank you..
my D-I-L's mother is known my a tagalog word for grandmother, lola (ok, i was too lazy to look it up, Dr Bill provided it to me!) --i don't know what by what name the children call her father.(since he is australian, (born in Scotland), i suspect its is one of the common grandfather/pa variations. )
My honorary grandson calls his grandparents (fathers side) as grandma, and grandpa(with their name's attached...(as does my granddaughter (who is, of course, no blood relation to them!)
My ex is also grandpa, Grandpa Jimmy. (and his wife, is grandma Irene!)
(the kid's make out like bandits: D-I-L has 2 parents, her son has 4 (blood relative) grandparents, and 3 'honorary' ones. My granddaughter has 4 (blood relative grandparents) and 3 honorary ones. (and there are 3 great parents alive, unfortunately, my parents have no relationship with me, my kids, or their great granddauther, and my ex's mother is infirm, and semi senile.)
like the 'coming demographic change', there are more older generation members of the family than younger! (and grandparents are spread out. one currently lives in Singapore, one SF,CA, 2 north of SF, 3 in NYC.)
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
In German: Oma and Opa They could get together and start an oompaa band.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,204
Pooh-Bah
|
|
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,204 |
My Father's parents were know as "Granny surname" and "Gramp surname"
My Mother's Mama was also "Granny surname" but I have no idea what her father would have been known as, because he died about four/five years before I was born.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,526
veteran
|
|
veteran
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,526 |
I have a german sister-in-law and her kids refer to my parents as oma and opa.
In mandarin, grandma is nai nai (nye-nye) and grandpa is ye ye.
k
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065 |
In Indonesian grandfather is kakek and grandmother is nenek (generalised to mean old man and old woman respectively). Great-grandfather/mother is buyut or moyang. Kakek moyang = ancestors.
Bingley
Bingley
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692
Pooh-Bah
|
|
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692 |
Used to call one of my grandmothers Nenah, but I don't know where that came from.
|
|
|
|
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,350
Members9,182
| |
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
|
|
|
0 members (),
773
guests, and
1
robot. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|
