Words for grandparents

[Bob Haas]

I love the unique family monikers.  When I heard my best friend's little boy
talk about his "Moms," I assumed that it was the equivalent of a term I'd
heard much more often: Pops.  But when I asked his mother, she told me that
the child had overheard his aunt telling them that she and her family were
"going to Mom's this weekend," and Colin, the little boy in question,
naturally assumed that his grandmother's name was Moms.  Great story.

> From: Natalie Maynor <maynor at CS.MSSTATE.EDU>
> Reply-To: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Date: Fri, 20 Oct 2000 07:45:14 -0500
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: Re: Words for grandparents
>
> I heard Ellen Johnson give a paper at a meeting (SECOL?SAMLA?ADS?)
> several years ago on family terms in the South.  I think it may be
> published somewhere.  I'm pretty sure it mentioned Mamaw and Papaw,
> although I'm not positive.  I've heard those names in Mississippi
> occasionally, along with lots of others, including Big Mama and
> Big Daddy.  I've also heard a good many names for grandparents that
> are probably unique to the particular person -- e.g., my grandmother
> was called "Bussie" by the whole family after my brother started
> calling her that when he was a toddler.  Presumably "Bussie" [bUsi]
> came out when he was trying to say "Flossie," having heard her
> husband call her that.  (Her name was Florence.)
> --Natalie Maynor (maynor at ra.msstate.edu)