grandmother
UK[ˈɡræn(d)ˌmʌðə(r)]US[ˈɡræn(d)ˌmʌðər]
n
the mother of one's father or mother.
n
a female ancestor.
Morpheme Breakdown
grand
mother
grand
great
mother
female parent
Etymology
the word 'grandmother' is a transparent compound formed within english, combining the native english word 'mother' with the french-derived prefix 'grand-'. the term 'grand' entered english from old french 'grant' or 'grand', which itself descended from latin 'grandis', meaning 'great' or 'large'. in the context of kinship, 'grand-' was adopted in middle english to denote a relationship one generation removed, a semantic extension from its core meaning of 'great' to signify 'greater' or 'more remote'. thus, a 'grandmother' is literally a 'great-mother' or a mother at a greater remove, a logical and descriptive term for a parent's parent that has been consistently used since the 15th century.
Analysis
Structure: grand (great) + mother (female parent)
grand: from latin 'grandis' meaning large, great; functions as an intensifier indicating a degree of removal in kinship.
mother: from old english 'mōdor', proto-germanic 'mōdēr', proto-indo-european 'méh₂tēr'; functions as the core noun denoting a female parent.
Examples
my grandmother bakes the best apple pie.
the story has been passed down from grandmother to granddaughter for generations.
we visited my grandmother in the countryside every summer.