What nationality calls grandpa opa?
Opa and oma originated in Germany, but they're cute enough to use just about anywhere. Nonna or Nona is Italian for grandmother (did you ever read Strega Nona to your kids?), and the masculine version of that is simply Nonno.
Germany: Oma is one of the most popular international names for grandmothers and is often used to address grandmothers with no German heritage.
Africa. The African continent also gives us some of the sweetest names for our grandparents. Afrikaans call their grandmothers Ouma and their grandfathers Oupa. Moroccan Arabic uses Jiddah and Jadd respectively.
Kwazulu-Natal Province in South Africa
Grandmas are lovingly known as “gogo” or “ugogo” in the Zulu dialect. Gogo groups, dedicated to helping children, can be found all over the country. Grandpas of the Zulu tribe are called “umkhulu.”
Names for Hispanic Grandparents
Grandfathers are called the formal Abuelo or the informal Abuelito. Grandmothers are called Abuela or Abuelita. Shortened forms such as Lito and Lita or Tito and Tita are common.
Papaw is the most commonly used name for Grandpa in Alabama, West Virginia, Louisiana, and Mississippi. As for the slightly less Southern alternative to Papaw (Pawpaw), it's most popular in Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
Ireland (Gaelic)
While maimeó anddaideó are the words used to address a grandmother or grandfather, there are a few different words for grandparents in Irish. For example, there are máthair chríona, which translates to “wise mother,” and athair críonna which translates to “wise father.”
Some of the names cited for grandmothers include Boo, Mimi and Nanan. For grandfathers such terms of endearment include Pa, Papa and Captain. People living in Cardiff and Plymouth are more likely to use a unique name for their grandfather and those in Nottingham, London and Leicester likewise for their grandmother.
Since most Ukrainians speak Russian, it's “babushka” (grandma) and “dedushka” (grandpa). Other alternatives (which are considered more gentle and loving) are “babulya”/”dedulya”. In the country (villages and the like) grandkids also use “baba”/”deda” (or “ded”).
Grandparents, or besteforeldre in Norwegian, can be called bestemor (grandmother) or bestefar (grandfather).
What do you call Russian grandparents?
Russia: Babushka is the name children in Russia call their grandmother, and, yes, the Russian nesting dolls are sometimes called babushka dolls.
In Italy, grandma and grandpa are known as nonna and nonno. Many Italian-Americans also use these names or the variation, nonni.

And if you live in the south, there's a good chance you call your grandmother Mamaw or Mawmaw—the most popular nickname in 7 states mostly in the south and along the Appalachians. Texas is the lone holdout for Mimi while folks in the Northeast prefer Grammie or Nana. But let's not forget the grandpas!
-Creole: The Haitian Creole name for grandfather is “Gran-papa.”
Grandma: Nani (maternal), Nana (paternal) Grandpa: Dadi (maternal), Dada (paternal) "In our Indian culture, 'nani' is maternal grandmother, and 'dadi' is maternal grandfather.
The most commonly used Filipino word for grandfather is lolo. (lola means grandmother.) Sa tuhod is added to indicate a great-grandparent: lolo sa tuhod and lola sa tuhod. Lolo and lola are sometimes used as grandparent nicknames by those not of Filipino heritage, because of their ease of pronunciation and spelling.
Grandparents and ancestors are referred to with the same word in Hawaiian: kupuna. The words wahine (woman) or kāne (man) are added after it to distinguish between one's grandmother, kupuna wahine, or grandfather, kupuna kāne. The word tūtū is also used to refer to a grandparent, specifically a grandma.
grootvader, de ~ (m) Noun.
MawMaw. With its French Cajun roots, "MawMaw" is widely used throughout Louisiana.
Memere & Pepere
These are very popular French Cajun nicknames for grandma and grandpa !
What is the Appalachian word for grandfather?
Papaw is probably the most common term for grandfathers in my area of Appalachia.
In Wales there are a whole host of names we use to refer to our grandparents – from nain and taid or mamgu and tadcu to nanny and bampi or gran and grampa.
-Scottish: In Scottish Gaelic, the word for grandma is “Seanmhair,” which means good mother. But other commonly used Scottish grandmother names include “Nana,” “Nanna,” “Mhamó” and “Mamó.”
Polish For Grandmother
Babcia, Busha, Busia, Grandma, Nana, or Babushka.
Your grandparents are called … NONNI….. your grandmother would be Nonna and your grandfather would be Nonno.
All forms can be used in plural, but Gramps (plural Gramps) is rare. In writing, Grandfather and Grandmother are most common, but very rare as a form of address. In speech, Grandpa and Grandma are commonly used in the United States, Canada, and Australia.
In the Swedish language, the maternal grandparents are “mormor” for grandmother and “morfar” for grandfather. Paternal grandparents are “farmor” for grandmother, and “farfar,” for grandfather.
The Russian name for grandfather is dedushka, a term used to address one's own grandfather as well as any man of grandfatherly age. It is a somewhat informal but not impolite term. Dedushka is sometimes shortened to deda. A related endearment for a grandfather is dedulya.
The Arabic word for grandfather is pronounced jadd and written ﺟَﺪّ.
In the Swedish language, the maternal grandparents are "mormor" for grandmother and "morfar" for grandfather. Paternal grandparents are "farmor" for grandmother, and "farfar," for grandfather.
What are grandparents called in Denmark?
Grandparents, or bedsteforældre in Danish, can be called bedstemor (grandmother) or bedstefar (grandfather), but it's probably more common to hear the slightly shorter, but more specific, combination of mor (mother) and far (father) used in four different variations, a unique one for each grandparent.
Paternal grandparents are “farmor” for grandmother, and “farfar,” for grandfather.
In short, you would say Opa. (Der) Opa, the grandpa, is a masculine singular noun. The plural would be (die) Opas.
Greek | |
---|---|
niece | ανηψιά (anipsiá) |
grandparents | παππούς και γιαγιά (pappoús kai giagiá) |
grandfather | παππούς (pappoús) |
grandfather (paternal) | Ο πατρικός παππούς (O patrikós pappoús) |
The most common way to say grandpa or grandfather in Italian is nonno (plural: nonni which can mean either grandpas or grandparents). Your paternal grandfather is your nonno paterno whereas your maternal grandfather is your nonno materno.
What do the Dutch call their grandparents? - oma & opa: the most common Dutch words for 'grandma' and 'grandpa' respectively.
Native American grandmothers hold a near and dear place in our hearts, here are 8 ways my Tota is the best. In Mohawk, it's Tota, In Diné it's amá sání or análí asdz???? and in Cherokee it's Elisi or Enisi. The special word we are referring to is one we all love, Grandmother.
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Study the words and phrases below.
ENGLISH | TSALAGI (CHEROKEE) | Phonetic Pronunciation |
---|---|---|
Grandfather | Agiduda | Ah-gey-doo-dah |
Grandmother | Agilisi | Ah-gey-lee-see |
It is far more common, however, for African-Americans to use the English terms and their variants, such as Grandmother, Grandma, Granny and MawMaw for grandmothers.
Opa: The German grandfather name is super cute, and it is also a fun word in Greek used to express enthusiasm, giving this grandfather name extra credit.
Is opa Dutch for grandfather?
opa: grandfather; grandpa; granddad.
-German: The formal German grandfather name is “Grossvater” (or “Großvater”), but the informal version is “Opa.”
Opa is also used in many Balkan countries such as Italy, Bulgaria, Romania, Albania, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and North Macedonia as an expression of shock and surprise, or in their traditional folk dances. In Jewish culture, it is used for mazel tov.
Some of the names cited for grandmothers include Boo, Mimi and Nanan. For grandfathers such terms of endearment include Pa, Papa and Captain. People living in Cardiff and Plymouth are more likely to use a unique name for their grandfather and those in Nottingham, London and Leicester likewise for their grandmother.
Grandfather, grandpa; informally, any elderly man (but particularly an elderly Afrikaans man). A respectful form of address or reference.
Russia: Babushka is the name children in Russia call their grandmother, and, yes, the Russian nesting dolls are sometimes called babushka dolls.
The most common way to say grandpa or grandfather in Italian is nonno (plural: nonni which can mean either grandpas or grandparents). Your paternal grandfather is your nonno paterno whereas your maternal grandfather is your nonno materno.
The word is commonly used with a definite article in most parts of central Germany, southern Germany, and Austria: Wo ist der Opa? – "Where is Grandpa?" In northern Germany—and generally in writing—no article tends to be used: Wo ist Opa?
Grandparents, or besteforeldre in Norwegian, can be called bestemor (grandmother) or bestefar (grandfather).
opa; grootvader; grootpapa.
What is the Swiss word for grandpa?
It's quite formal, so the most used word for grandpa in Germany is Opa. The equivalent of the diminutive Omama is, unsurprisingly, Opapa. In Low German, it is Grootvader for grandfather. In Switzerland, they say Grosspapa or Grosspapi.
Translation of grandfather – English–French dictionary
grand-père, grand-mère, grands-parents (pl.)