Mamadon for grandmother

[tmsetteitalian1954]

Has anyone heard of the term, Mamadon, used for grandmother? This is an affectionate term that my uncles and my father called their grandmother. Is it spelled differently?

[suanj]

You sure that the word was mamadon and no mamanonn… ??
in South Italy, in old time, I remember when I was a girl, to say "papanonn" and "mamanonn".. in the old time, these words, dialectal words, were used to say ggfather and ggmother, and later they were used to call, affectionately and jokingly a person in old age….
I never heard mamadon… just papanonn and mamanonn…
Best,
suanj

[tmsetteitalian1954]

Thank you for the reply. It sounds like my father may have mispronounced the term or perhaps I recall it wrong after so many years. She died in the 1950s and all her children and 99 percent of her grandchildren have passed. Mammanonn makes perfect sense. Thanks again.

[suanj]

When I asked my mother the meaning of these two words, she told me that in ancient times, families lived together, ie great-grandparents if alives and grandparents and parents and children and grandchildren. All in same house or farm. And a son called his father "papà = dad" and out of respect his grandfather called him "papanonn (papà+nonno= dad+ grandfather)" because he was a grandfather but he was also like a father ....
happy to help you!
suanj

[tmsetteitalian1954]

Is your interest in genealogy a hobby or do you have a professional interest in this? It's a hobby for me.

I noticed your post name as SUA NJ. I'm from NJ and just wonder if by case we are in the same state?

Ciao

[suanj]

Hi,
abt the genealogy, it is essentially a hobby.
My nickname has no meaning, they are only 5 letters that make up suanj, I was looking for one that didn't exist and I composed this. by now it is from the year 2000 that I use it on various forums. Then someone also copied it but it was my creation at the beginning. It means nothing, it has no meaning, it has only a sweet sound if pronounced in Italian language.
I am Italian and I live in Italy.
Ciao!