Aia
/ˈaɪ.ə/noun
An obsolete English word for a nursemaid or governess, borrowed from Portuguese.
Did you know?Portuguese aia is traditionally traced to Latin avia, meaning “grandmother,” from the same ancestral family-word associated with an elder female guardian.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂ewh₂-
“An ancestral kinship root associated with an older relative or grandparent”
Classical Latin
Latin
avia
“Grandmother”
Medieval Portuguese
Portuguese
aia
“Nursemaid, governess, or female attendant”
16th–17th Century
Portuguese
aia
“A woman serving as a child’s nurse or attendant”
19th Century
English
aia
“A governess or nursemaid; an obsolete borrowing”
Modern English
English
Aia
“Rare historical or literary term for a governess”