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mémé

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Etymology and origin of the French word mémé

Confidence
Probable
Formation
Clipping
First attested
1884 More words from the 19th century
Ultimate origin
Latin māter

Pronunciation

Forms

mémé f (plural mémés)[1] Sometimes written mémée.[2]

Etymology

It is a shortening from French mémère, a dialect variant of that word taken up as an affectionate name for a grandmother, recorded from 1884.[3][4][2][5][6] That word is itself a childish reduplication of the first syllable of mère, which comes from Latin māter (“mother”).[7][5] Wiktionary instead calls it a variant of mamie, comparing bébé.[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is recorded in 1884 as a familiar, childish word for a grandmother.[3][4]

Semantic evolution

Its parent mémère had meant a woman of a certain age (1834), a grandmother (1842) and a stout older woman (1881).[7] Mémé kept the affectionate sense “grandma”, used mostly as a form of address.[2] From about 1950 it was also used pejoratively of a woman of a certain age, in step with pépé.[2]

Timeline

  • 1834 – Mémère is recorded in Balzac.[7]
  • 1842 – Mémère means “grandmother”.[7]
  • 1884 – Mémé is recorded.[3][4]
  • c. 1950 – It is used pejoratively of an older woman.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (familiar, childish) Grandma, granny, often as a form of address: Viens voir, mémé ![4][6][1]
  2. (pejorative) A woman of a certain age, settled in her domestic life and without charm: Ce manteau fait mémé.[4][6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b Picoche, Jacqueline (1991), Dictionnaire étymologique du français, Paris: Le Robert (Les Usuels du Robert)
  6. ^ a b c Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
  7. ^ a b c d Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
Cite this entry

“Mémé.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/m%C3%A9m%C3%A9. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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