عمه

What it means

عمه (amme) means “paternal aunt”, specifically the father’s sister. Persian distinguishes paternal aunts (عمه) from maternal aunts (خاله, khâle), reflecting the importance of family-side awareness in Iranian kinship. A1 vocabulary, Arabic loanword.

How to use it

• عمه‌ام (amme-am) “my paternal aunt”
• خانه عمه (khâne-ye amme) “paternal aunt’s house”
• عمه فریده (amme Faride) “Aunt Farideh” (used as title)

Common pairings

• عمو (amu) “paternal uncle”
• دختر عمه (dokhtar-e amme) “paternal aunt’s daughter, female cousin”
• پسر عمه (pesar-e amme) “paternal aunt’s son, male cousin”
• عمه‌بزرگ (amme-bozorg) “great-aunt (paternal)”

Cultural note

Iranian kinship terms encode four distinct aunt/uncle categories: عمه (father’s sister), عمو (father’s brother), خاله (mother’s sister), دایی (mother’s brother). This precision matters in family gatherings, inheritance, and traditional matchmaking. Calling the wrong relation by the wrong term can feel cold or impolite.

References

• Dehkhoda
• Wiktionary