Maw maw

Informant: Libby Flint, age 59, New Orleans resident of 36 years, originally from Upstate New York and Vermont. Collected May 22, 2016 and recorded on iphone.

Verbal Lore: Folk Speech, slang -associated: material

English

United States of America

Context: a term for Grandmother, also an adjective to describe something that is old, frumpy or dowdy.

Transcript:

“A grandmother is referred to as a ‘Maw Maw’ but ‘maw maw’ has also evolved into an adjective. If  something looks older, dowdy, or frumpy it looks ‘maw maw.’ As in ‘That dress looks maw maw so I won’t buy it.’”

Collectors commentary: The adjective form of the word is derived from the association of certain styles with grandmother fihures. These styles tend to be older, dowdier, and frumpier. The word is unique to NO and southern Louisiana because the usage of Maw Maw for grandmither is isolated to NO and the surrounfing state and southern region, because it is derived from the Louisianas and NO accents saying “ma ma” or “maman.” It is unique NO slang because it is not used as a title or an adjevtive anywhere else.

Keywords: Maw Maw, grandma, maman, frumpy, old, dowdy, New Orleans