Nonna
/ˈnɔn.na/noun
An Italian word for grandmother, also used in English as a familiar or affectionate term for an Italian grandmother.
Did you know?Italian nonna and English nun are historically connected through Latin nonna, a child-language term meaning a female elder, nurse, or nun.
Etymological Timeline
Late Latin
Latin
nonna
“A female elder, nurse, or nun; probably originating in nursery speech”
Old English
Old English
nunne
“A nun, borrowed from Latin nonna through early Christian vocabulary”
Old French
Old French
nonne
“A nun; descended from Latin nonna”
Medieval Italian
Italian
nonna
“Grandmother; a familiar kinship term that developed from the older form”
Modern English
English
nonna
“An Italian grandmother, used as a loanword or affectionate cultural term”