Estimated Time: 5 minutes

When Mary is living in India, she uses some terms that might be new to us: Ayah and Mem Sahib. These words come from languages spoken in India and were used a long time ago to describe certain people in a household. Let's break down what each of these terms means:

Ayah:

This term is used to refer to a nanny or a caregiver, usually a woman, who looks after children. An Ayah was very important for kids, taking care of them every day, playing with them, and sometimes telling them stories.

Mem Sahib:

This is a term of respect used to refer to a European or foreign woman, often the lady of the house. So, when Mary talks about a Mem Sahib, she's talking about a woman who is in charge, her mother.

These terms give us a little peek into the past, showing us how people interacted and what roles they had in households in India during the time when The Secret Garden was set.

What words or phrases do you use that people in other cultures might not understand?