Where does “great-aunt” come from?
great-aunt (English) comes from English aunt, from Middle English aunte, from Anglo-Norman aunte, from Old French ante, from Latin amita, from Proto-Indo-European amma- — mother.
great-aunt (English): An aunt of one's parent
Ancestry of “great-aunt”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | aunt | The sister or sister-in-law of one’s parent; The... |
| 2 | Middle English | aunte | aunt |
| 3 | Anglo-Norman | aunte | Late Anglo-Norman spelling of ante |
| 4 | Old French | ante | nominative singular of antain; aunt |
| 5 | Latin | amita | paternal aunt; father's sister |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | amma- | mother |