Grandma in Other Languages You don't have to be Italian to be a Nonna! In most countries, there are several different terms for grandmother. Some are formal, and some are informal. Some are used to refer to a grandmother, and some are used in terms of direct address.
Nonna does not make the list of the most popular grandmother names, but many grandmothers who are not Italian have chosen it because it is short, easy for kids to pronounce and sounds good when combined with a first name.
“Nonna” from Italian
“Nonna” is the popular name for grandmother in the Italian language. “Nonna” may be altered to “Nonnina,” which translates to “little grandmother.” Some people choose to shorten the name to “Nonni,” which is also the plural form of “grandparents.”
In America and Canada, many second and third generation Italians refer to their grandma as nona pronounced with a long 'o' sound. The word nonnina is the diminutive form of nonna. It literally translates as little grandma and is often used in a humorous, loving way.
Letters to Nonna. Nonna means grandmother in Italian. So, Nonna (pronounced Non-nah) is my grandmother. I was fortunate to spend a lot of time with her when I lived in Brisbane, Australia. She would always graciously humour my requests to “PLEASE PLAY WITH ME NONNA!”.
noun. [ feminine ] /'nɔnːa/ grandmother , grandma , granny. nonna materna / paterna maternal/paternal grandmother. (Translation of nonna from the GLOBAL Italian–English Dictionary © 2018 K Dictionaries Ltd)
As previously mentioned, in French the word is grandmère, but in Italian, it's nonna. In Spanish, the term is abuela, or if you want to be cozy and cute about it, you'd call her your abuelita, which means “little grandma.” In Portuguese, the word is avó.
Luigi (Louis) commonly becomes Gigi. Filippo (Phlllip) can become Pippo. Lorenzo (Lawrence) becomes Renzo or Enzo.
Few people know that the Irish or Gaelic word for grandmother is seanmháthair ((shan a WAW her), literally meaning "old mother." Alternate spellings include seanmhair, seanmathair and sean mathair.
29. Nonna and Nonno. In Italy, grandma and grandpa are known as nonna and nonno. Many Italian-Americans also use these names or the variation, nonni.
The word for mom, mommy, mum, mummy, and mama in Italian is mamma. The plural of mamma is mamme (moms). Mamma is often an Italian child's first word. But it's not just for children— Italians use this important word their whole lives.
There are no generational limits on claiming Italian citizenship. Thanks to this rule, Italian citizenship by descent is easier to obtain than many other European countries. In fact, many successful applications are made based on an Italian parent, grandparent or even a great-grandparent.
signorina. / (ˌsiːnjɔːˈriːnə, Italian siɲɲoˈrina) / nounplural -nas or -ne (Italian -ne) an unmarried Italian woman: a title of address equivalent to Miss when placed before a name or madam or miss when used alone.
Expressions of Love for Italian Grandmas
Younger generations connect uniquely with their nonnas, using alternative names to express their love and respect. Italians often attach suffixes to “nonna” and “nonno” when talking about and to their grandparents to create a term of endearment and articulate their love.
Nonni, Italian word meaning grandfathers or grandparents.
An Italian pet form of Maria, the Latin form of Mariam or Miriam, from New Testament Greek, possibly, meaning "rebellious", but probably going even further back to Ancient Egyptian origins: mr, meaning "love" or mry, "beloved".
Figlie means daughters in Italian. Figlie is the plural of figlia.
question: What do you call your grandmother in Australia? I called both of my grandmothers' Nanna. My grandchildren call me Grandma and my son's children call their maternal grandmother Babaa. Her children called their paternal grandmother Nanna and their maternal grandmother Grammy.
We all know Nana and Papa, Grandma and Grandpa, Gramms and Gramps, and so on, but there are cuter still! In Louisiana, grandparents are Mawmaw & Pawpaw respectively. And Australia is a strong contender too, with Nanna for grandmother, and for grandfather, Pop.
Mary Elizabeth Davis. Yaya is the word for grandmother in Greek. 65 of 65.
Bello de Nonna is an affectionate term an Italian grandmother uses for her grandchildren.
We already covered how to say “grandma” (nonna) in a previous article, so now it's time to talk about the other half of the grandparent team!