Auntie

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈæn.ti/

Definitions

1. A female relation, typically a sibling of one’s parent, who can also take on a nurturing role within the family
2. An endearing term for a woman who is not necessarily related by blood, often used to convey affection or closeness
3. A female relative, specifically a sister of a parent, who may serve in a caring role while also being a term of affection for a non-relative woman

Etymology: "Auntie" is simply "aunt" with a diminutive ending, and the ending has a long pedigree of its own. The "-ie" (also spelled "-y" or "-ey" in older English) traces back through Middle English and Old English to a Proto-Germanic ending that formed pet names and affectionate forms. So the suffix was doing this kind of work in English for well over a thousand years before "auntie" appeared. The base word, "aunt," came into English from Old French "ante," which in turn descends from Latin "amita," meaning father's sister. The word therefore carried a specific kinship sense before it was ever used loosely, and the affectionate form grew out of that older root.

Synonyms: aunt, relative