परनानाParnanaMaternal Great-Grandfather
Parnana (परनाना) is your maternal great-grandfather in Hindi — the father of your nana, your mother's grandfather. The prefix par- adds one generation to nana, placing him three generations above you on your mother's side of the family tree.
Who is your Parnana?
Maternal ancestry is often the less-documented half of a family's story, because names and property in North India traditionally pass through the father's line — which makes the parnana the ancestor most easily forgotten and, for family historians, the most rewarding to recover. His household shaped your nana and, through him, your mother's world: the nanihal your mother grew up visiting was once his home. Family-tree builders often find that recording a parnana unlocks an entire maternal branch nobody had written down.
How it's used
The word is nearly always referential, since four-generation overlaps along the maternal line are rare treasures; a child who knows him says Parnanaji. For example: "Mere parnana apne gaon ke pehle school master the." — "My great-grandfather was his village's first schoolmaster."
Parnana vs similar terms
Parnana is the maternal-line great-grandfather; pardada is his paternal-line equivalent, your dada's father. One generation closer, nana is your mother's father — parnana is that nana's father, never to be shortened or swapped.
Frequently asked questions
What does Parnana mean in Hindi?
Parnana means maternal great-grandfather in Hindi — your mother's grandfather, the father of your nana. The par- prefix extends the maternal line one generation beyond nana.
What is the difference between Parnana and Pardada?
Both are great-grandfathers, but they sit on opposite sides of the tree: parnana is reached through your mother (her grandfather), while pardada is reached through your father (his grandfather). Hindi never merges the two sides, at any generation.
Related terms
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