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gran
[ gran ]
gran
/ ɡræn /
noun
- an informal word for grandmother
Word History and Origins
Origin of gran1
Example Sentences
Rachael said he gran was "fully continent" before she went to hospital.
He also managed a visit to see his gran, as well as welcoming a houseful of well-wishing visitors.
“My mum and dad are dead now. I am only left with my grandma. If my gran dies, all I can do is go and beg in the street,” Rugiatu said.
"But his gran, you could see that she was really worried."
“I thought it was a lovely idea, and it was also something my gran had done in the 60s.”
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More About Gran
What does gran mean?
Gran is an informal word for grandmother—the mother of a person’s parent.
The word granny is used in the same way. A similar word for a grandfather is gramps.
Gran should be capitalized when it’s used as a proper name, as in Please tell Gran that I miss her.
But gran does not need to be capitalized when it’s simply used as a way to refer to her, as in Please tell my gran that I miss her.
Example: It doesn’t matter what you call your gran, as long as you call her.
Where does gran come from?
The first records of the word gran come from the 1800s. The word granny is recorded earlier, in the 1600s. In words like grandmother and grandma, the d is often unpronounced, making them sound like they start with gran (or gram). The prefix grand- is used in family terms to indicate a person who is one generation removed, as in grandparent and grandchild.
Grandmothers often have special bonds with their grandchildren (who they’re known to spoil with love, affection, and candy). It’s common for grandchildren to refer to their grandmothers with informal names. Grandma is perhaps the most common variant of the word grandmother, but there are many others, including gran, granny, grandmom, gramma, grandmamma, and nana. Many families have their own specific version, such as meemaw and MaMotts.
Did you know ... ?
What are some synonyms for gran?
What are some words that share a root or word element with gran?
What are some words that often get used in discussing gran?
How is gran used in real life?
Gran is one of the many informal variants of the word grandmother. When it’s used as a proper name, Gran should be capitalized.
My Gran spoils me so much. What a gem🥺
— 🦋 (@Lethabo_S1) August 4, 2020
If only my gran knew how much she influenced my achievements. Doing my wee women proud 👩🏽⚕️💗
— H A Y L E Y (@nisbet_hayley) August 4, 2020
The pain of losing a parent never really goes away, even with time. My mom really misses my gran, who passed away just when I was about to turn 1, 22 years ago. This whole week she was listening to their favorite music and she’d just have random moments akhale. 💔
— LALA (@__Ayabulela) August 3, 2020
Try using gran!
Is gran used correctly in the following sentence?
My gran is 98 years old and is as active as ever.
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