great-grandfather

UK: ˌɡreɪt ˈɡrændˌfɑːðə | US: ˌɡreɪt ˈɡrændˌfɑðər

Definition

  1. n. the father of one’s grandparent; a grandfather two generations removed.

Structure
great <older or further removed>grand <intermediate generation>father <male parent>
Etymology

The word combines three morphemes to denote generational distance:

  1. "Great-" (from Old English "grēat," meaning large or significant) emphasizes remoteness in lineage.
  2. "Grand-" (from Latin "grandis," via French, meaning large or senior) marks one generational step (e.g., grandfather).
  3. "Father" (Old English "fæder") anchors the term in kinship.
    The compound logically extends familial titles by stacking prefixes to indicate ascending generations.
Examples

  1. My great-grandfather immigrated to the U.S. in 1905.

  2. She inherited a pocket watch from her great-grandfather.

  3. We traced our family history back to our great-grandfather’s village.

  4. His great-grandfather served in World War I.

  5. The photo album included pictures of my great-grandfather as a young man.