kleeblatt

Switzerland:
Grosi, (yes, only one "s&quot is short for Grossmutter. In my area, this is the most common word. Grossmami and oma is also used but not as much.

laclaire

I call my French host grandmother Mamí and that is what all the grandkids call her.

kerouac

It can also be noted that one of the major dairy dessert brands in France is "Mamie Nova" (www.mamie-nova.com) - Granny Nova.

moonchild

I used to call my grandmother "memere".
My grandchildren call me "gammie and their grandfather "papa".

Paucie

So, for those of you who use or are familiar with "Mamie," the pronunciation is ma-MEE?

Paucie

Or, maybe I should have typed mah-MEE.

lemidi

Yes Paucie, that is how it is pronounced at least in the Souh of France.

PalenqueBob

My French mother-in-law was always called memere from the time i met here, when she was sbout 60 until she died at 93 and it was in no way perjorative. Everybody in her family, all French, called her that.

Well they also called her mamie-bleue in later life because of her disposition and that seems perjorative.

poutine

I'd say it is closest to the mah-MEE version. Maybe Mamie is more popular in the south of France, since that is where my mother-in-law hails from...

kappa

Mémère could be pejorative depending on the context. e.g. when you call a 3rd person/stranger "mémère", maybe you are saying it in pejorative context. But as many said above, you call your grand mother mémère in an affectionate way.

steviegene

my mother in law thinks she is french.
She wants to be grandmere.

lemidi

Just like in English where one might say "you old grandma'" about someone in a negative way but then we can also affectionately say grandma to our own wonderful grandmother. Same idea. Just depends on the context.

Tulips

Paucie, Oma or Omi is what the Dutch call their grandmother. Here in Belgium it's often Bomma, which is a kind of Flemish short for bonne maman. And sometimes "Moeke" but only for very old flemish ladies! The official word would be 'Grootmoeder'; grandmother.

PalenqueBob

For my edification would someone explain the meaning of "memere" - is it my mother - don't think so because it's not the beau-kids mother.
What's the literal translation and the translation of how it's really used and real meaning, if not the same?

grandmere

I was told that "Mamie" is the French for "Grammy" or "Granny". My granddaughter calls me "Mamie"; even though we are not French, I think it makes as much sense as the other diminutives we hear in US, such as "Nana", etc.

Christina

My grandmother was from Alsace, but we never spoke French much around her (my mother did, but she didn't), but we only referred to her as grandmere when we did, but we weren't a nicknamey type of family (especially when older when we knew more French).

I always think of Mami and Papi as Spanish because that's the nicknames they use for mom and dad, at least where my sister-in-law is from in Central America. Mami wouldn't have an accent on the i, as they don't do that in French, it's mamie.

I studied French, though, and mamie is a derivative or just came from mémé, and mémère is another derivative from mère -- some French childish words and nicknames for things have that kind of repeated syllable in them, and it's from that.

SB_Travlr

Just want to add, no matter how you start out, your grandchildren may come up with their own terms. My first grandson calls me Nana: his younger brother (now two) started out with "my Nana" and has now shortened that to Mena -- usually accompanied by much repetition and excited jumping up and down! Makes me smile just to think about it. Grandparenting is the best...

Christina

oh, by the way, I found a restaurant in Paris named "Mémère au piano" on rue Jean Pierre Timbaud near Parmentier metro. So I'm sure it is not considered pejorative, in general.

http://www.memereaupiano.com/

It looks very cute, actually.

cocofromdijon

>things have that kind of repeated syllable in them< You're right Christina, like in bonbon for ex (that is why there is no m before the second b)

Mémère au piano is funny, in that case, piano means the restaurant kitchen stove.
I wonder who is Mémère...
BTW I called my grandmas mémère and mammy, and my kids call theirs mammy.

paulvar

Yes, I grew up in a French/Canadian family. My grandparents only spoke french. We called them Mémère and Pépère. It's a term of endearment we little people call out grandparents.