小母

Japanese

Kanji in this term
小	母
Grade: 1	Grade: 2

Etymology

From 小 (o, "little," "nice") + 母 (ba, "mother")(Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?)

Noun

小母(おば) • (oba) 

1. endearing term for a woman who is unrelated to and older than the speaker (used with honorific -さん or -さま)
2. term used by a child to address an unrelated woman (used with honorific -さん)

Usage notes

• Often found in kana form: おば