Waigong
/ˌwaɪˈɡʊŋ/noun
A Mandarin Chinese kinship term for one’s maternal grandfather, used in English-language contexts.
Did you know?The distinction reflects a traditional Chinese kinship system in which the mother’s family was linguistically marked as being on the “outer” side of the household lineage.
Etymological Timeline
Old Chinese, traditionally reconstructed
Old Chinese
外
“outside; external”
Old Chinese, traditionally reconstructed
Old Chinese
公
“grandfather; respected elder; lord”
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese
ngwâj + kung
“outside or maternal side + grandfather”
Modern Mandarin
Mandarin
wàigōng (外公)
“maternal grandfather; literally, “outside grandfather””
20th–21st Century
English
waigong
“A Mandarin kinship loanword used in English writing and family contexts”