vecmāmiņa
feminine
The Latvian word for grandmother is vecmāmiņa. Wiktionary also lists vecāmāte and vecmamma.
Meaning: mother of someone's parent (noun)
Ways to say it
| Latvian | Note |
|---|---|
| vecmāmiņa | feminine |
| vecāmāte | feminine |
| vecmamma | feminine |
The term refers to the mother of someone's parent.
What does it mean word for word?
The form vecmāmiņa is a diminutive composed of vec meaning old and māmiņa meaning little mother.
Which one should you use?
vecmāmiņa is the most common, affectionate and informal way to say grandmother, while vecāmāte is a more formal or clinical term often used in official contexts or literature. The form vecmamma is also a way to express the concept.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the dative case, such as when giving something to her, the word vecmāmiņa changes to vecmāmiņai.
Did you know?
- In Latvian-inspired folk poetry called 'dainas', grandmothers are often treated as spiritual guardians of a family's luck rather than just elderly relatives.
- The root vec is shared not only with 'grandmother' but also with the word for 'ancient', linking familial seniority to the concept of antiquity.
- Because māmiņa means 'little mother', a child using the word vecmāmiņa is literally calling their grandmother a 'little old mother'.
Examples in context
- Vecāmāte pacēla savas brilles.Grandmother lifted her spectacles.This sentence shows the use of vecāmāte.Tatoeba #13252709 by GemMonkey, translation #5680747 by Hybrid
- Esmu pateicīgs par visu, ko vecmāmiņa ir mani mācījusi.I am grateful for everything that my grandmother has taught me.
Example conversation
Kristīne and Māris are talking about their family photos.
- KristīneKādu vecmāmiņu tu redzi šajā bildē?Which grandmother do you see in this picture?
- MārisTā ir mana vecmāmiņa no tēta puses.That is my grandmother from my father's side.
- KristīneViņa izskatās ļoti augstprāmijīga.She looks very dignified.
- MārisTā tiešām ir ļoti gudra sieviete.She really is a very wise woman.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “grandmother” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
