a person employed to care for children in a private household
from nan, child's word for grandmother or nurse, possibly from Anna (a common name for nursemaids)
Nanny likely started as children's mispronunciation of 'Anna' - a popular name for nursemaids that became the job title itself!
Historically feminized as unpaid or low-wage childcare labor, embedding assumptions that women naturally provide nurture. The term carries class and gender baggage: 'nanny state' uses the gendered role pejoratively.
Use 'childcare provider' or 'caregiver' for neutrality. If using 'nanny,' acknowledge it refers to a job role, not innate traits.
["childcare provider","caregiver","early childhood educator"]
Women nannies and domestic workers organized for labor rights (e.g., ILO conventions on domestic work); their unionization efforts deserve recognition against the historical erasure of this work.
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