Comments on: Tanta

By: Dennis Bening

Dennis Bening — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 00:20:59 +0000

When I was growing up, Mom’s older sister was called Tanta Alma. She was also my Godmother. I don’t remember referring to any of Mom’s four other sisters as Tanta. Tanta Alma was held in high regard by all of the family because of her character and personality. She was widowed young, but she made anyone she met feel good. She always seemed to be more interested in others than herself. I think the term Tanta may connote more than simply “aunt”.

By: Miro

Miro — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 21:39:32 +0000

Tanta is also a last name!!!! I know because it is my last name!!

By: Anne

Anne — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 20:30:22 +0000

Very interesting. There was a woman in our family whom we all referred to as Tanta until she passed away in 1989 – she had been my father’s nanny when he was younger and remained a family friend. Always knew her as Tanta/Tante.

By: Pat

Pat — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 02:15:46 +0000

Hi,

My neices and nephew’s call me tante Pattie and it does mean aunt. My father is German, so I’m absolutely sure that this is the correct definition of the word.

Pat

By: Elyse

Elyse — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:45:46 +0000

I have german relatives also and they always referred to their step-relative as “Tanta Marie” (Apparenltly, tanta is actually spelled tante).
My grandfather always refers to his step-grandma as “Tante Marie”. Everyone else in the family did the same, no matter their relation to her. Infact, when I did interviews almost no one knew her actual name!

By: Sully / Wichelhaus

Sully / Wichelhaus — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 01:21:14 +0000

I grew up within a half German house. Tanta always meant aunt.

Oma was grandma. “Omi” when I was quite young…

Opa = Grandpa.. or Opi

Great-grandmother was Tica Oma.

I’ve had German clients for more than 20 years. They got quite a laugh out of me when I was a young man.

In retrospect… (Herman, you gotta meet this guy… Why, .. He switches from Irish Boston guy slang to Cologne German slang midsentence… Does he know that?… No…)

By: Stephen J. Danko

Stephen J. Danko — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 03:16:41 +0000

Brian,

As others have mentioned, “Tante” is German for Aunt. I would guess that the children of your great grandparents may have referred to their stepmother as “Tante” rather than “Mutter”, since she was not their mother by birth.

Tante = aunt
Onkel = uncle
Mutter = mother
Vater = father
Grossvater = grandfather
Grossmutter = grandmother
Urgrossvater = great grandfather
Urgrossmutter = great grandmother

The prefix “ur” in Urgrossvater and Urgrossmutter may originate from the word “uralt” meaning “very old”.

By: Brian

Brian — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 13:03:11 +0000

Unfortunately, not much of an angle there. She was my great grandfather’s wife. I was just curious as to how she got the nickname.

By: Nancy

Nancy — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 01:20:48 +0000

In German, “Oma” is grandmother. It can be shortened to Omi (pronounced omee). Blaine is right that “Tante” (pronounced tanta) is aunt in German. It can also be used as slang for an older woman. A godmother is a “Patentante”. Maybe this is an angle to pursue?

By: Brian

Brian — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 18:02:14 +0000

She was my step-great grandma, but we called her Tanta at her request. This could have been a name she chose for a niece or nephew at one point.