Nanna
/ˈnæn.ə/noun
An informal term for a grandmother, especially in British, Australian, and New Zealand English; also the name of ancient lunar deities.
Did you know?In ancient Mesopotamia, Nanna was the Sumerian moon god—later known in Akkadian as Sîn—and was worshipped at major temples in Ur and Harran.
Etymological Timeline
Prehistoric nursery speech
Proto-language
*na-na
“A reduplicated child-language form used for familiar family relationships; the exact original meaning is uncertain.”
19th Century
English
nana
“An informal word for grandmother, recorded in varieties of British and American English.”
19th–20th Century
English
nan
“A regional informal term for grandmother, especially in northern England and parts of Britain.”
Modern English
English
nanna
“A spelling variant of nana or nan, especially common in Australian, New Zealand, and British usage.”
Early 2nd Millennium BCE
Sumerian
Nanna
“The name of the Sumerian moon god, whose lunar cycle was associated with timekeeping, omens, and religious observance.”
1st Millennium BCE
Akkadian
Sîn
“The Akkadian name of the Mesopotamian moon god corresponding to Sumerian Nanna.”