אבא

See also: Appendix:Variations of "aba"

Aramaic

Alternative forms

• Syriac: ܐܒܐ

Etymology 1

From Proto-Semitic *ʔabw-.

Noun

אַבָּא • (ʾabbā) m (plural אֲבָהָתָא, singular construct אֲבוּ, feminine counterpart אִמָּא)

1. father, ancestor, progenitor
   • Targum Onkelos, B'midbar 27:6-7

     וַאֲמַר יְיָ לְמשֶׁה לְמֵימָר: יָאוּת בְּנַת צְלָפְחָד מְמַלְּלָן מִתַּן תִּתֵּן לְהוֹן אֲחוּדַת אַחֲסָנָא בְּגוֹ אֲחֵי אֲבוּהֶן וְתַעֲבַר יָת אַחֲסָנַת אֲבוּהֶן לְהֵן:

     waʔămar yəyā ləmōše ləmēmār - yāʔūθ bənaθ sˁəlāp̄ħāð məmalləlān mittan tittēn ləhōn ʔăħūðaθ ʔaħăsānā bəɣō ˀăħē ʔăvūhen wəθaˤăvar yāθ ʔaħăsānaθ ʔăvūhen ləhēn.

     And Hashem spoke to Moshe to say, "What Tselofkhad's daughters say is correct; you shall certainly give them the inheritance of property among the brothers of their father and you will transfer their father's property to them."

2. teacher
3. chief, leader
4. author, originator

Descendants

• → Ancient Greek: ἀββα (abba) (see there for further descendants)
• → Hebrew: אבא (ába)

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔɛbɑʔ/

Noun

אבא • (transliteration needed) m (plural אבנא or אבא)

1. thicket, woods, grove
2. produce, fruit, vegetable

References

• “ˀb”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–
• Jastrow, Marcus (1903) A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature, London, New York: Luzac & Co., G.P. Putnam's Sons
• Payne Smith, Jessie (1903) A Compendious Syriac Dictionary Founded Upon the Thesaurus Syriacus of R. Payne Smith, D.D., Oxford: Clarendon Press

Hebrew

Etymology

Borrowed from Aramaic אַבָּא (ʾabbā). Ultimately from Proto-Semitic *ʾab-. Doublet of אָב ('áv), which is inherited.

Pronunciation

• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈa.ba/

• Audio (IL)

  (file)

Noun

אַבָּא • (ába) m (plural indefinite אָבוֹת, feminine counterpart אמא)

1. (colloquial) Dad, daddy.
   • 2009, אביתר בנאי, אבא

     אבא, אני רוצה לעמוד מולך
     להאמין שאתה אבא טוב
     אבא, אני צריך לדעת שאתה אוהב אותי
     ככה סתם אבא טוב

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

2. (Rabbinic Hebrew) Father, especially the speaker's own father.

Related terms

• אב