grandmamma

American  

[grand-muh-mah, gran-mah-muh, grand-, gram-] / ˈgrænd məˌmɑ, ˈgrænˌmɑ mə, ˈgrænd-, ˈgræm- /

noun

Informal.

1. grandmother.

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Usage

What does grandmamma mean? Grandmamma is an informal word for grandmother—the mother of a person’s parent.Grandmamma can also be spelled grandmama. Both words are much less common than grandma. The words mama and mamma are informal ways of saying mother and are much more commonly used.Grandmamma should be capitalized when it’s used as a proper name, as in Please tell Grandmamma that I miss her. But grandmamma does not need to be capitalized when it’s simply used as a way to refer to her, as in Please tell my grandmamma that I miss her. Example: It doesn’t matter what you call your grandmamma, as long as you call her.

Etymology

Origin of grandmamma

First recorded in 1740–50; grand- + mamma ¹

Example Sentences

With her are Maurice Chevalier, the perennial spirit of the boulevard himself, as Honore Lachaille; Louis Jourdan as his nephew, Gaston; and Isabel Jeans and Hermione Gingold as Gigi’s aunt and grandmamma, respectively.

From Los Angeles Times

“My grandmamma brought us up to read our Bible every day,” she said.

From Washington Times

First, the movie calls her “Grandma” instead of “Grandmamma” and makes her Alabamian rather than Norwegian.

From Slate

While in both versions the grandmother is already aware of the existence of witches, Grandmamma is a self-described seasoned “Witchophile,” a person who “studies witches and knows a lot about them,” whereas in the movie version, her knowledge of witches is part of her being a “country-type healer” or “Voodoo priestess,” demonstrated through the use of burning sage and crystal casting.

From Slate

In the book, Grandmamma is getting on in years and catches pneumonia, which requires she and the boy check into the previously mentioned hotel by the sea, where the air will be good for her.

From Slate