English Grandmother
 

I have read many of the posts here and can tell everyone is so knowledgeable about travel-related issues. However, my question deals with something a little different. I am wondering by what term(s) one refers to one's grandmother in the UK. Is "grandmum" usual? If not, what is? I haven't been able to find an answer to my question in books and thought someone here might be able to help me.

Gran.

No, I've never heard anyone use "grandmum"! "Gran", "Nan", and "Grandma" are all used.

nan, nana, gran are the usuals

What do you say in the US?

Gaga until they can really speak; then switch to "grandmom"; and the others mentioned above.

Granny and Grandma are the norm round here

Granny and Grandma are the norm round here

In Yorkshire its<BR>Gramma! (Long a at the end)

Grandma (sometimes Gran or Granny for short) is normal, Grandmother is affected/stiff, Grandmama (long final A) is acceptable if children spend lots of time on the continent. Nan is rare and only used among the working class - and you'd more say 'my nan' than really address her as Nan. Nana is American. (Generally, the ones starting with N aren't very popular as they are too easily confused by children with Nanny, who is is hired help.) I've never heard Grandmum.

In wales we call our grans Mamgu prononced more like mamgee

Those of you specifying "long a": Do you really mean that? In the US at least, pronouncing a vowel as "long" means pronouncing it as its own name. "Gramma (long a at the end)" would mean pronouncing it "Grammay."

You're right, I think they mean long a as in "are" - grandmar, grandmammar (never spelt like that though).<BR><BR>"Nan" "Nanna" and even "Nanny" are very common round here - it may have been a working class thing, but is very widespread. When my son had a nanny (ie paid help) he addressed her by her first name. He wouldn't have dreamed of calling her "Nanny"! But I expect there are some circles in which this is still the norm. My mother specified that she would object strongly to being called "Nan" - she was hoping for Gumma but has ended up with "Grandma" (and Grandpa, not to leave grandfathers out).

I think there's a lot of regional variation. My parents are from Suffolk, where Nana and Pop (for Grandad) seem to be popular. So my nephews and nieces call them Nana and Pop, even though, in Birmingham where they now live, everyone else is Gran, Granny or Grandma.<BR><BR>I've never heard "Grandmum".

I used to have a grandma & grandpa (my late mothers parents) and a grandpa and nanna (my late fathers parents). I would use the surname to distinguish between the grandpa's.

I used to have a grandma and grandpa (my father's parents from Pennsylvania)and a grandmama and granddaddy (my mother's parents from North Carolina). So even in the U.S. I think the names tend to be different in different parts of the country.

I am American and my mother's mother, Matilda, is from Old Windsor, England. We call her Gran.