mormor

Mormor is the Swedish term for the maternal grandmother. It denotes the mother's mother and is part of a kinship term pair used in Sweden to distinguish between maternal and paternal grandparents; the corresponding paternal grandmother term is farmor. The term is widely used in everyday speech and in writing, and is considered a standard, neutral designation.

The term mormor literally corresponds to "mother's mother" and is used by grandchildren to refer to their maternal grandmother. In many families, mormor is a central figure who may provide stories, care, cooking, and gifts, and who can pass on family history and traditions.

In modern Sweden and the Nordic region, relationships with grandparents vary with social changes, geography, and family structure. While some mormor figures live nearby and are actively involved in caregiving, others are more distant. Cultural expectations surrounding grandmothers have evolved with changes in work, mobility, and family life.

Across Danish and Norwegian, the term mormor serves a similar role: it is the maternal grandmother, with "farmor" designating the paternal grandmother. In Swedish, there are occasional dialectal variations or influences from immigrant communities, but mormor remains the standard form in most contexts.