Dictionary Definition
grandfather n : the father of your father or
mother [syn: gramps,
granddad, grandad, granddaddy, grandpa]
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Pronunciation
- a UK /ˈgɹændˌfɑː(ɹ)ðə(ɹ)/, /"gr
Extensive Definition
Grandparents are the father or mother of a person's own father or mother, being respectively a
grandfather (also colloquially grandpa, grandad, or gramps, among
other less common titles) and grandmother (also grandma, grandam,
granny, among other less common titles). By virtue of being a
grandparent, one is also a parent. Everyone has a maximum of four
genetic grandparents, eight
genetic great-grandparents, sixteen genetic
great-great-grandparents, etc. Sometimes these numbers are
lower and in the case of having only two or three grandparents
sibling or half-sibling incest would be
involved.
In cases where the parents are
unwilling or unable to provide adequate care for their children,
grandparents often take on the role of primary
caregivers.
In traditional cultures,
grandparents often had a direct and clear role in relation to the
care and nurture of
children.
One can also be a
step-grandparent. A step-grandparent can be your parent's
stepparent or your stepparent's parent. A stepparent's stepparent
is called a step-step-grandparent, etc.
The various words for
grandparents can also be used to refer to any elderly person,
especially the terms gramps, granny, grandfather, and
grandmother.
Titles
Great-grandparents
When used as a noun (i.e., "…a grandparent walked by"), grandfather and grandmother are usually used, although grandpa/grandma and granny are often used. When preceded by "my…" (i.e., "…my grandpa walked by"), all forms are common (anywhere from "…my grandfather…" to "…my gramps…"). All forms can be used in plural, but gramps (plural gramps) is rare.In writing, grandfather and
grandmother are most common. In speech, grandpa and grandma are
most common in the US, where grandfather/-mother is very rare when
referring to a grandparent in person.
Numerous other variants exist,
such as gramp and grandpap for grandfather and grandmom, grandmama
and grammy for grandmother, etc. Because of the terms' unavoidable
familiarity, there are many simplified versions as well, including
grampy, granddaddy, grandpappy, etc.
Given that people may have two
living sets of grandparents, some confusion arises from calling two
people "grandpa" or "grandma", so often two of the other terms
listed above are used for one set of grandparents. Another common
solution is to call grandparents by their first names ("Grandpa
George", "Grandma Anne", etc.) or by their family names ("Grandpa
Jones", "Grandma Smith"). In America (where most families are of
mixed ethnicity), many families call one set of grandparents by
their ethnic names (i.e., Hispanic
grandparents might be called "Abuelo" and "Abuela", French
grandparents might be called "Pépère" and "Mémère", or Dutch
grandparents might be called "Opa" and "Oma").
The parents of a grandparent
are called all the same names (grandfather/-mother, grandpa/-ma,
granddad/-am, etc.) with the prefix "great-" added. Thus, one's
father's father's father is a great-grandfather. The same applies
to one's great-grandparent's parents
(great-great-grandparents).
History of the term
The use of the prefix "grand-" dates from the early 13th century, from Anglo-French graund. The term was used as a translation of Latin magnus. The prefix "great-" represents a direct translation of magnus to English. In Old English, the prefixes ealde- (old) and ieldra- (elder) were used (ealdefæder/-mōdor and ieldrafæder/-mōdor). A great-grandfather was called a þridda fæder (third father), a great-great-grandfather a fēowerða fæder (fourth father), etc.Grandparents in non-Western culture
In traditional East Asian cultures influenced by Confucianism, filial piety is one of the highest moral values. Grandparents usually exercise their authority on family matters, and their descendants should obey them. This kind of structure has eased with the increasing influence of Western culture and the increasing number of nuclear families.External links
References
grandfather in Bosnian:
Majka
grandfather in German:
Großeltern
grandfather in Spanish:
Abuelo
grandfather in Esperanto:
Avo
grandfather in French:
Grand-parent
grandfather in Indonesian:
Kakek
grandfather in Italian:
Nonno
grandfather in Hebrew:
סב
grandfather in Latin:
Avus
grandfather in Dutch:
Opa
grandfather in Japanese:
おじいさん
grandfather in Norwegian
Nynorsk: Bestemor
grandfather in Occitan (post
1500): Grand
grandfather in Portuguese:
Avós
grandfather in Russian:
Дед
grandfather in Simple
English: Grandparent
grandfather in Finnish:
Isovanhempi
grandfather in Yiddish:
זיידע
grandfather in Chinese:
祖父母
Synonyms, Antonyms and Related Words
Father Time, Methuselah, Nestor, Old Paar, centenarian, dotard, elder, gaffer, geezer, golden-ager, grampa, gramps, grandpa, grandsire, graybeard, great-grandfather,
nonagenarian,
octogenarian, old
chap, old codger, old dog, old duffer, old geezer, old gent, old
gentleman, old man, old party, old-timer, older, oldster, pantaloon, patriarch, presbyter, senior citizen,
septuagenarian,
sexagenarian, the
quiet-voiced elders, venerable sir, veteran