granny
In Appalachian and Southern speech, "Granny" is a common word for grandmother. It can also mean an older woman in the community, especially a midwife or folk healer known as a "granny woman."
Pronunciation
[GRAN-ee]
Meaning & Usage
- A grandmother (noun, kinship term)
Mae:
Who made this cornbread?
Who made this cornbread?
Earl:
My Granny - nobody makes it better.
My Granny - nobody makes it better.- An older woman, often respected (noun, cultural use)
Mae:
Granny Hester was the midwife for half the valley.
Granny Hester was the midwife for half the valley.★ "Granny" is both family and cultural - it means your own grandmother, but also echoes the role of older women who guided, healed, and taught in Appalachian communities. ★
Origin
From "grandmother," clipped to "granny." In rural Scots-Irish and English dialects, "granny" was already common, and Appalachian settlers carried it on. It remains one of the most enduring grandmother titles in the South.
Notes
Still common across Appalachia and the South. Outsiders may see it as old-fashioned, but for mountain families it’s affectionate and alive.
Say It Like a Southerner
Said plain: "gran-ee." Sometimes stretched a little softer: "grann-ee."