Meaning & use
Ayah
Last updated
A nursemaid or lady's maid, especially one employed by a European family in colonial South or Southeast Asia.
See it in a sentence
The children were raised largely by their ayah, who taught them their first words in Hindi.
In her memoir, the author fondly recalls the ayah who cared for her throughout childhood in Calcutta.
A note on using this word
Ayah entered English from Portuguese 'aia' via Hindi and Urdu, and was common in British colonial households in South Asia.
Words with a similar meaning
nannynursemaid
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