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DictionaryayahHousehold caregiver
noun

ayah

EYE-uh/ˈaɪə/

A woman employed to care for children or others in a South Asian household.

The ayah feeds a toddler while supervising another child beside the nursery cots.

A South Asian nursery caregiver gently feeds a toddler while supervising a second small child beside matching nursery cots, making professional childcare rather than a generic family scene the focus.
Etymology
ayahLatingrandmother

The ancestral meaning is “grandmother,” but the word developed the occupational sense “nurse.” In South Asian English, it names a nursemaid or children’s caregiver rather than a family relationship.

More examples

  • The ayah accompanied the family on their journey.
  • Several ayahs appear in the household records.
  • The child sought comfort from the familiar ayah.

Forms

ayah · ayahs

Similar words

nanny
Is a broader modern term for a paid childcare worker.
nursemaid
Specifically means someone employed to care for young children.