Persian, Dari: grandma

[seitt]

Greetings,

I am not sure where, but I seem to remember a film in which a girl addresses her grandmother as “خانجون” (khānjun) – it was her paternal grandmother, by the way.

I think the film was set in Tehrān.

Do you have a word like that, by any chance, or have I misheard? Could it even be “خامجون”, the first syllable being short for “خانم”?

Best wishes, and many thanks,

Simon

 

[searcher123]

خانجون
خانم‌جون
ننجون
مادرجون
مامان‌جون
All of above can be used for "grandma"

 

[seitt]

Thank you so much - and is the first syllable of خانجون short for خانم?

 

[searcher123]

Thank you so much - and is the first syllable of خانجون short for خانم?

You are welcome. Yes, I think so.

 

[seitt]

Many thanks, God bless.

 

[seitt]

مادرجون

Can this therefore mean both "granny" and "mummy", please? If so, how can you tell which one is meant? Only the context?

 

[searcher123]

Can this therefore mean both "granny" and "mummy", please? If so, how can you tell which one is meant? Only the context?

Yes, it can. As you said, the only solution is context.

 

[seitt]

Many thanks, most interesting.

Does what you say apply only to مامان جون and مادرجون, or can even the words مامان and مادر on their own mean 'granny' too sometimes?

 

[searcher123]

You are welcome as always.
Well, I just can say مامان and مادر are used more in the meaning of "mom". I have not heard it in the meaning of "granny" to now.

 

[seitt]

Ah, many thanks - so it's the جون that makes the difference. It doesn't just mean "dear" and nothing more.

 

[searcher123]

(...)so it's the جون that makes the difference. It doesn't just mean "dear" and nothing more.

You are right.

 

[seitt]

Much obliged!

I'm amazed to see such a similarity with Welsh – in my dialect of Welsh (spoken in the north of the country), “taid” is grandfather and “nain” is grandmother, but in the south “tad” is father (as in the North) and “tad-cu” grandfather; “mam” is mother (as in the North) and “mam-gu” is grandmother. And the meaning of “cu (masc.) / gu (fem.)”? Exactly the same as “جون”!

 

[Hod123]

I'd like to know what word an Afghan child would use to say 'grandma' / 'granny' - the informal of grandmother. Any advice, greatly appreciated!