ابو

See also: أبو and اتو

Egyptian Arabic

Alternative forms

• أبو (alternative spelling)

Etymology

From Arabic أَبُو (ʔabū), construct state of أَب (ʔab). The adjective usurped the usages of ذُو (ḏū).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /abu/

Noun

ابو • (abu) m

1. construct state of ابّ (abb): father of

Adjective

ابو • (abu) (feminine امّ (umm))

1. (construct only, singular only, informal) which is with, which has

   الراجل أبو طربوش ― ir-rāgil abu ṭarbūš ― The man with the fez

Malay

Noun

ابو (uncountable)

1. Jawi spelling of abu.‎

Verb

ابو

1. Jawi spelling of abu.‎

Persian

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic أَبُو (ʔabū), nominative construct state of أَب (ʔab, “father”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): /ʔa.ˈbuː/

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [ʔä.buː]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [ʔä.buː]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [ʔä.buː]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [ʔä.bu]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [ʔæ.buː]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [ʔä.bu]

Readings
Classical reading?	abū
Dari reading?	abū
Iranian reading?	abu
Tajik reading?	abu

Noun

ابو • (abū / abu) (Tajik spelling абу)

1. only used in kunyas (teknonyms) borrowed from Arabic and kunya-like Arabic loanwords or pseudo-Arabisms

   Coordinate term: ام (ummu / ommo)

Usage notes

As in Arabic, the final vowel is shortened before any Arabic word starting with a wasla. Such is the case when ابو (abū / abu) is followed by the Arabic definite article اَلـ (al-), together forming ابوالـ (abu-l- / abo-l-).

Derived terms

• ابوالحسن (abu-l-hasan / abo-l-hasan)
• ابوالفضل (abu-l-fazl / abo-l-fazl)
• ابوالهول (abu-l-hawl / abo-l-howl)
• ابوبکر (abūbakr / abubakr)

Urdu

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic أَب (ʔab).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /əbː.uː/
• Rhymes: -uː

Noun

اَبُّو • (abbū) m (Hindi spelling अब्बू)

1. (endearing) diminutive of اَبّا (abbā, “dad”)

   Coordinate term: اَمّی (ammī)

Further reading

• “ابو”, in اُردُو لُغَت (urdū luġat) (in Urdu), Ministry of Education: Government of Pakistan, 2017.
• “ابو”, in ریخْتَہ لُغَت (rexta luġat) - Rekhta Dictionary [Urdu dictionary with meanings in Hindi & English], Noida, India: Rekhta Foundation, 2026.
• Qureshi, Bashir Ahmad (1971), “ابو”, in Kitabistan's 20th Century Standard Dictionary, Lahore: Kitabistan Pub. Co., page 27
• Platts, John T. (1884), “ابو”, in A dictionary of Urdu, classical Hindi, and English, London: W. H. Allen & Co., page 5
• John Shakespear (1834), “ابو”, in A dictionary, Hindustani and English: with a copious index, fitting the work to serve, also, as a dictionary of English and Hindustani, 3^rd edition, London: J.L. Cox and Son, →OCLC, page 13