Home

nonno

Nonno is the Italian word for grandfather. It is used as a familiar and affectionate form of address by grandchildren toward their paternal or maternal grandfather. The feminine equivalent is nonna. The plural forms are nonni for grandfathers and nonne for grandmothers. In formal contexts, one may refer to a specific grandfather as il nonno or mio nonno.

Etymology: The term derives from Italian, with roots in the older Latin nonnus meaning an old man;

Regional variation: Across Italy, there are regional forms and affectionate diminutives such as nonnino or nonnetto

Cultural role: In Italian life, the nonno is commonly portrayed as a family elder, storyteller, and keeper

it
entered
the
Italian
vocabulary
through
the
development
of
kinship
terms
in
the
Romance
languages.
The
word
is
closely
related
to
the
feminine
nonna,
and
both
share
the
same
root.
used
to
address
or
refer
to
a
grandfather
in
a
playful
or
loving
way.
Dialectal
variants
exist
in
different
regions.
of
family
history.
The
term
appears
frequently
in
literature,
film,
and
music
as
a
symbol
of
age,
wisdom,
and
family
continuity.