different between nanny vs granny

nanny

English

Etymology

(1795) It has often been assumed that the English term was originally a widespread child's word for "female adult other than mother" (compare Greek ????? (nánna, aunt), nanna). See also Welsh nain (grandmother).


On the other hand, according to recent research of the Dutch historical linguists Hans Beelen en Nicoline van der Sijs (published in Onze Taal, September 2018), on which see also etymologiebank.nl, in Dutch), the term nanny (and the British colloquial nan for "grandmother") may actually be eponymous, viz. being originally an affective form (i.e. a hypocoristic) of the popular female name Anne. The Dutch statesman and scientist Constantijn Huygens Jr. made the following observation during one of his many sojourns in England (noted in his Journaal, dated 13 December 1692): "Yesterday I received 10lb of chocolate again, from niece Becker, and she had Nanny, her maid, bringing me the money that she had owed me" (Gisteren kreegh 10 ? choccolate wederom van nicht Becker, en had Nanny, haer meidt, geweest om mij 't geldt, dat van haer hebben most, te brengen). Beelen and van der Sijs therefore assumed that "since many female domestic servants were named "Nan" or "Nanny", the name became a sobriquet for the profession of "maid, childminder" in the 18th century". ("Omdat veel vrouwelijke huisbedienden in het Engels de voornaam Nan of Nanny hadden, verschoof de betekenis in de achttiende eeuw naar die van een beroepsaanduiding: ‘meid, kindermeisje’")

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /?næni/
  • Rhymes: -æni

Noun

nanny (plural nannies)

  1. A child's nurse.
  2. (colloquial) A grandmother.
  3. (US, colloquial) A godmother.
  4. A female goat.
    • 1983, Douglas H. Chadwick, A Beast the Color of Winter: The Mountain Goat Observed, Bison Books (2002), ?ISBN, page 159:
      Breeding is a consuming goal, and the ascendance of the sex drive is nearly as apparent in the behavior of a mountain goat billy. So given over is he to following and defending a succession of nannies as he searches for one in heat (estrus), he loses interest in food altogether; []
    • 2005, Richard Cannings, The Rockies: A Natural History, Greystone Books (2005), ?ISBN, page 103:
      Nannies and billies look very similar, both having dangerously sharp, curved black horns.
    • 2013, Janet Hurst, The Whole Goat Handbook: Recipes, Cheese, Soap, Crafts & More, Voyageur Press (2013), ?ISBN, page 28:
      A farmer friend keeps a video camera in the barn so she can turn on her goat cam and observe her animals at any time of the day or night. A baby monitor picks up the sounds of a nanny when she goes into labor—if the nanny is one who changes the usual pitch of her voice or nervously bleats during kidding.

Synonyms

  • (female goat): nanny goat
  • (child's nurse): housemother

Derived terms

  • nanny state
  • manny (male nanny)
  • nannify

Related terms

  • nanna
  • nannification

Translations

Verb

nanny (third-person singular simple present nannies, present participle nannying, simple past and past participle nannied)

  1. (intransitive, transitive) To serve as a nanny.
  2. (transitive, derogatory) To treat like a nanny's charges; to coddle. [From the mid-20th c.]

Jamaican Creole

Noun

nanny (plural: nanny dem, quantified: nanny)

  1. Alternative spelling of Nanny.

nanny From the web:

  • what nanny means
  • what nanny do
  • what nanny taxes do i pay
  • what nanny did thomas assault
  • what nanny character are you
  • what nanny does
  • what nanny mcphee quote
  • what is nanny short for


granny

English

Etymology 1

  • gran(nam) +? -y

Alternative forms

  • grammy (less common)
  • grannie (less common)

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /???æni/
  • Rhymes: -æni
  • Hyphenation: gran?ny

Noun

granny (plural grannies)

  1. (colloquial) A grandmother.
    I'm going to be a granny.
  2. (colloquial, derogatory) An elderly woman.
    There are too many grannies around here getting in the way.
  3. (knots) A granny knot.
    • 1977, Stephen King, Children of the Corn
      The suitcase was old. The brown leather was battered and scuffed. Two hanks of clothesline had been wrapped around it and tied in large, clownish grannies.
  4. (farming, colloquial) An older ewe that may lure a lamb away from its mother.
Synonyms
  • (grandmother): gran, grandma, nan, nanna, nanny
  • (elderly woman): old dear
Derived terms
  • granny knot
Translations

Adjective

granny (not comparable)

  1. (informal) typically or stereotypically old-fashioned, especially in clothing and accessories worn by or associated with elderly women.
    granny dress; granny glasses

Verb

granny (third-person singular simple present grannies, present participle grannying, simple past and past participle grannied)

  1. (informal, intransitive) To be a grandmother.
  2. (informal, intransitive) To act like a stereotypical grandmother; to fuss.

Etymology 2

  • gran(d) +? -y

Noun

granny (plural grannies)

  1. (Australia, colloquial) A grand final.
    • 2007, Steve Bedwell, Vizard Uncut, Melbourne University Publish (?ISBN), page 30:
      On the morning of the 'granny', the three Vizards would hop into Godfrey's Dodge and head off towards the MCG.
    • 2016, Brent Harvey, Boomer, Macmillan Publishers Aus. (?ISBN)
      Jase was controversially suspended and prevented from playing in the granny.
    • 2020, Marlion Pickett, Dave Warner, Belief, Simon and Schuster (?ISBN)
      "Dad, I got some good news and bad news. Good news is I'll be playing in the granny. Bad news is you'll have to hop on a plane.”

Anagrams

  • nangry

granny From the web:

  • what granny
  • what granny means
  • what's granny's phone number
  • what granny meme
  • what's granny shifting and double clutching
  • what's granny's backstory
  • what's granny's house
+1
Share
Pin
Like
Send
Share

you may also like