Etymology

ayah

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Today it means: A South Asian female servant, maid or nanny, historically, often one working for Europeans in South Asia. Full definition →

Hindi आया ← Portuguese aia ← Latin avia
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ayah · noun1

  1. Latin · derived fromavia“grandmother”
  2. Portuguese · derived fromaia“nurse, governess”
  3. Hindi · derived fromआया“dry nurse, nanny”
  4. English todayayah

From various Indian languages (e.g. Hindi आया (āyā, “dry nurse, nanny”)), from Portuguese aia (“nurse, governess”), from Latin avia (“grandmother”).

ayah · noun2

  1. Arabic · borrowed fromآيَة“sign, token”
  2. English todayayah

Borrowed from Arabic آيَة (ʔāya, “sign, token”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.