different between grandfather vs memaw

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /???æn(d)?f??ð?(r)/
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /???æn?f??ð?/
• (General American) enPR: gr?nd?fä'th?r, IPA^(key): /???æn(d)?f?ð?/, [????(?)?????n(d)?f??ð?]
• Hyphenation: grand?fa?ther

Etymology 1

The noun is derived from Middle English grandfadre, graundfadir, graunfadir, grauntfader, and other forms, from graunt (“big, large; great, important”) + f??der (“male parent, father; remoter male ancestor”), probably modelled after Middle French grandpere, grant pere (“male parent; remoter male ancestor”) (whence French grand-père); the English word is analysable as grand- +? father. Superseded earlier eldfather, elderfather.

The verb is derived from the noun.

Noun

grandfather (plural grandfathers)

1. A father of someone's parent. [from 15th c.]

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:grandfather

   Antonyms: (with regard to gender) grandmother, grandchild, granddaughter, (with regard to ancestry) grandson; see also Thesaurus:grandmother
2. (by extension) A male forefather.

   Synonyms: (rare) highfather, grandsire

Hypernyms

• grandparent

Hyponyms

• (father of someone's father): paternal grandfather
• (father of someone's mother): maternal grandfather

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

grandfather (third-person singular simple present grandfathers, present participle grandfathering, simple past and past participle grandfathered)

1. (transitive) To be, or act as, a grandfather to.

Translations

Etymology 2

From grandfather clause: see grandfather (etymology 1) and clause.

Verb

grandfather (third-person singular simple present grandfathers, present participle grandfathering, simple past and past participle grandfathered)

2. (transitive, chiefly US, law) To retain discontinued laws or rules for (a thing, person or organization previously affected by them). [from 1950s]

Derived terms

• grandfathering (noun)

Translations

References

Further reading

• grandfather clause on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• grandparent on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

English

Noun

memaw (plural memaws)

1. Alternative form of meemaw

Verb

memaw (third-person singular simple present memaws, present participle memawing, simple past and past participle memawed)

1. Alternative form of meemaw