ba

See also: Appendix:Variations of "ba"

English

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Old French baer (“to open the mouth”); compare French bayer.

Verb

ba (third-person singular simple present bas, present participle baing, simple past and past participle baed)

1. (transitive, obsolete) To kiss.
   • Geoffrey Chaucer, The Tale of the Wyf of Bathe

     Com neer, my spouse, lat me ba thy cheke!

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Egyptian bꜣ,

Noun

ba (plural bas)

1. In ancient Egyptian mythology, a being's soul or personality, represented as a bird-headed figure, which survives after death but must be sustained with offerings of food.
   • 1983, Norman Mailer, Ancient Evenings:

     But the Ba, I remembered, could be seen as the mistress of your heart and might or might not decide to speak to you, just as the heart cannot always forgive.

Etymology 3

The sound is very commonly made by infants, and is interpreted by parents as a reference to themselves.

Noun

ba (plural bas) (not generally used in the plural)

1. (colloquial, and in direct address) father, baba

Etymology 4

Alternative forms

• ba'

Noun

ba (uncountable)

1. (historical) A medieval football game played in parts of Scotland around Christmas and New Year.
   • 2011, Alistair Moffat, The Borders

     The townsmen played ba often and clearly knew what they were doing.

Anagrams

• -ab, A&B, A.B., A/B, AB, Ab, a.b., ab, ab-, ab.

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Akan

Verb

ba

1. (Fante) come

References

• Rose-Juliet Anyanwu, Fundamentals of Phonetics, Phonology and Tonology (2008)

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Bakung

ba

Noun

ba

1. water (clear liquid H₂O)
2. water (mineral water)

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Borôro

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbaː/

Noun

ba

1. egg

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Cebuano

Pronunciation 1

• (General Cebuano) IPA^(key): /ˈbaʔ/
• Rhymes: -aʔ

Particle

ba

1. final interrogative particle

Pronunciation 2

• (General Cebuano) IPA^(key): /ˈba/
• Rhymes: -a

Etymology

Short for baba.

Verb

ba

1. to piggyback; to carry someone on the back

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Chichewa

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɓa/

Verb

-ba (infinitive kuba)

1. steal

Derived terms

• Verbal derivations:
  • Applicative: -bera
  • Other formations: -ba mawu (“eavesdrop”)

• Nominal derivations:
  • wakuba (“thief”)

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Cimbrian

Etymology

From Middle High German wā, from Old High German wār, hwār, from Proto-Germanic *hwar (“where”). Cognate with German wo, Dutch waar, English where, Icelandic hvar.

Pronoun

ba

1. (Sette Comuni, relative) that; which; who

Adverb

ba

1. (Sette Comuni, interrogative) where

References

• “ba” in Martalar, Umberto Martello; Bellotto, Alfonso (1974) Dizionario della lingua Cimbra dei Sette Communi vicentini, 1st edition, Roana, Italy: Instituto di Cultura Cimbra A. Dal Pozzo

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Duun

Etymology

Onomatopoeic?

Noun

ba

1. goat

Further reading

• Duungooma ABC (alphabet duun), page 3

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Eastern Penan

Noun

ba

1. water

References

• Dictionary of Eastern Penan

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Gothic

Romanization

ba

1. Romanization of 𐌱𐌰

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Haitian Creole

Verb

ba

1. give

Synonyms

• ban
• bay

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Irish

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bˠa/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /bˠɑh/

Noun

ba f pl

1. plural of bó

   Tá na ba sa mhá. ― The cows are in the field.

Etymology 2

From Old Irish ba.

Alternative forms

• (affirmative): b’ (used before a vowel sound except for the pronouns é, í, iad, ea)
• (relative): ab (used before a vowel sound)
• badh (archaic)
• budh (superseded)
• dob, dob' (dialectal equivalent of b’)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bˠə/

Particle

ba (triggers lenition)

1. past and conditional affirmative of is

   Ba é Dónall an múinteoir. ― Dónall was the teacher.

   Ba mhaith liom cupán tae. ― I would like a cup of tea.

2. past and conditional direct relative of is (used to introduce the comparative/superlative form of adjectives)

   fear ba shine ná m'athair ― a man (who was) older than my father

Related terms

Irish copular forms

Simple copular forms Present/future Affirmative Negative Interrogative Neg. inter. Main clauses is ní an nach Direct relative clauses nach Indirect relative clauses ar, arbv Other subordinate clauses gur, gurbv an nach Past/conditional Affirmative Negative Interrogative Neg. inter. Main clauses ba, b’v níor, níorbhv ar, arbhv nár, nárbhv Direct relative clauses ba, abv nár, nárbhv Indirect relative clauses ar, arbhv Other subordinate clauses gur, gurbhv ar, arbhv nár, nárbhv Present subjunctive Affirmative Negative gura, gurabv nára, nárabv		Compound copular forms Base word Present/future Past/conditional má más má ba, má b’v ó (“since”) ós ó ba, ó b’v dá dá mba, dá mb’v mura mura, murabv murar, murarbhv cé cér, cérbv cér, cérbhv cá cár, cárbv cár, cárbhv de/do dar, darbv dar, darbhv faoi faoinar, faoinarbv faoinar, faoinarbhv i inar, inarbv inar, inarbhv le lenar, lenarbv lenar, lenarbhv ó (“from”) ónar, ónarbv ónar, ónarbhv trí trínar, trínarbv trínar, trínarbhv
v Used before vowel sounds

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
ba	bha	mba
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

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Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ba/

Interjection

ba

1. bah!
2. oh well!

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Japanese

Romanization

ba

1. Rōmaji transcription of ば
2. Rōmaji transcription of バ

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Kriol

Preposition

ba

1. Alternative form of blanga

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Kurdish

Alternative forms

• با‎ (ba)

Etymology

From Proto-Iranian [Term?] (compare Avestan 𐬬𐬁𐬙𐬋‎ (vātō), Pashto and Persian باد‎ (bâd)), from Proto-Indo-Iranian [Term?] (compare Sanskrit वात (vā́ta)), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂wéh₁n̥ts (“blowing”), present participle of *h₂weh₁- (“to blow”).

Noun

ba m

1. weather
2. wind

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Mandarin

Romanization

ba (Zhuyin ˙ㄅㄚ)

1. Pinyin transcription of 吧
2. Pinyin transcription of 罷, 罢
3. Pinyin transcription of 𣬶
4. Pinyin transcription of 𣬷

ba

1. Nonstandard spelling of bā.
2. Nonstandard spelling of bá.
3. Nonstandard spelling of bǎ.
4. Nonstandard spelling of bà.

Usage notes

• English transcriptions of Mandarin speech often fail to distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without the appropriate indication of tone.

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Norwegian Bokmål

Alternative forms

• bad

Verb

ba

1. simple past of be

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Old Irish

Alternative forms

• (2nd sg. pres. subj.): be

Verb

ba

1. inflection of is:
   1. first-person and second-person and third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. second-person singular imperative
   3. third-person singular preterite and imperfect indicative nonrelative and relative

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Phuthi

Etymology

From Proto-Nguni *-ba, from Proto-Bantu *-báa.

Verb

-ba

1. to be
2. to become

Inflection

This entry needs an inflection-table template.

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Swazi

Etymology

From Proto-Nguni *-ba, from Proto-Bantu *-báa.

Verb

-ba

1. to be
2. to become

Inflection

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

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Swedish

Adverb

ba (not comparable)

1. (colloquial) Apocopic form of bara, corresponds to ”was (just) like” or ”just”.

   Ja ba: ”Vafan är det!” o han ba: ”Ingen aning!”.

   I was (just) like: ”Wtf is that!” and he was (just) like ”No idea!”.

   Asså allt ba spåra' direkt.

   Y'know everything just went crazy the second it started.

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Tagalog

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ba/

Particle

ba

1. marks a sentence as interrogative

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Tiruray

Noun

ba

1. (anatomy) mouth

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Vietnamese

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [ʔɓaː˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [ʔɓaː˧˧]
• (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [ʔɓaː˧˧]

Etymology 1

Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 爸 (“father”; SV: bả).

Noun

ba (巴, 爸)

1. (chiefly Southern Vietnam) father

Synonyms

• áng
• bác
• bọ
• bố
• cậu
• cha
• thầy
• tía

Etymology 2

Vietnamese cardinal numbers

<  2	3	4  >
Cardinal : ba

From Proto-Vietic *paː, from Proto-Mon-Khmer *piʔ; cognate with Muong pa, Khmer បី (bəy), Halang pe, Pacoh pe, Mon ပိ (pi).

Numeral

ba (巴, 𠀧)

1. (cardinal) three

Adjective

ba (巴, 𠀧)

1. (Southern Vietnam, ordinal, of a sibling) secondborn

   anh/chị ba ― second eldest brother/sister

   bác ba ― second eldest brother/sister of one's parent

   chú ba ― secondborn younger brother of one's father

Derived terms

• tháng ba (“March”)
• thứ ba (“third; Tuesday”)

Determiner

ba

1. (colloquial) some, an indefinite quantity greater than one

   Ba cái đó chả đáng quan tâm.

   There's no need to be concerned about those.

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Volapük

Adverb

ba

1. perhaps

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Xhosa

Etymology

From Proto-Nguni *-ba, from Proto-Bantu *-báa.

Verb

-ba

1. to be
2. to become

Inflection

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

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Yapese

Verb

ba

1. (auxiliary) to be (doing something); forms the present tense

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Zulu

Etymology

From Proto-Nguni *-ba, from Proto-Bantu *-báa.

Verb

-ba

1. to be
2. to become

Inflection

Tone L
Infinitive	ukuba
	Positive	Negative
Infinitive	ukuba	ukungabi
	Imperative
	Simple	+ object concord
Singular	yiba	-be
Plural	yibani	-beni
	Present
	Positive absolute	Positive relative	Positive participial	Negative absolute	Negative relative	Negative participial
1st singular	ngiyaba, ngiba	engibayo, engiba	ngiba	angibi	engingabi	ngingabi
2nd singular	uyaba, uba	obayo, oba	uba	awubi	ongabi	ungabi
1st plural	siyaba, siba	esibayo, esiba	siba	asibi	esingabi	singabi
2nd plural	niyaba, niba	enibayo, eniba	niba	anibi	eningabi	ningabi
Class 1	uyaba, uba	obayo, oba	eba	akabi	ongabi	engabi
Class 2	bayaba, baba	ababayo, ababa	beba	ababi	abangabi	bengabi
Class 3	uyaba, uba	obayo, oba	uba	awubi	ongabi	ungabi
Class 4	iyaba, iba	ebayo, eba	iba	ayibi	engabi	ingabi
Class 5	liyaba, liba	elibayo, eliba	liba	alibi	elingabi	lingabi
Class 6	ayaba, aba	abayo, aba	eba	awabi	angabi	engabi
Class 7	siyaba, siba	esibayo, esiba	siba	asibi	esingabi	singabi
Class 8	ziyaba, ziba	ezibayo, eziba	ziba	azibi	ezingabi	zingabi
Class 9	iyaba, iba	ebayo, eba	iba	ayibi	engabi	ingabi
Class 10	ziyaba, ziba	ezibayo, eziba	ziba	azibi	ezingabi	zingabi
Class 11	luyaba, luba	olubayo, oluba	luba	alubi	olungabi	lungabi
Class 14	buyaba, buba	obubayo, obuba	buba	abubi	obungabi	bungabi
Class 15	kuyaba, kuba	okubayo, okuba	kuba	akubi	okungabi	kungabi
Class 17	kuyaba, kuba	okubayo, okuba	kuba	akubi	okungabi	kungabi
	Recent past
	Positive absolute	Positive relative	Positive participial	Negative absolute	Negative relative	Negative participial
1st singular	ngibile, ngibē	engibile, engibē	ngibile, ngibē	angibanga	engingabanga	ngingabanga
2nd singular	ubile, ubē	obile, obē	ubile, ubē	awubanga	ongabanga	ungabanga
1st plural	sibile, sibē	esibile, esibē	sibile, sibē	asibanga	esingabanga	singabanga
2nd plural	nibile, nibē	enibile, enibē	nibile, nibē	anibanga	eningabanga	ningabanga
Class 1	ubile, ubē	obile, obē	ebile, ebē	akabanga	ongabanga	engabanga
Class 2	babile, babē	ababile, ababē	bebile, bebē	ababanga	abangabanga	bengabanga
Class 3	ubile, ubē	obile, obē	ubile, ubē	awubanga	ongabanga	ungabanga
Class 4	ibile, ibē	ebile, ebē	ibile, ibē	ayibanga	engabanga	ingabanga
Class 5	libile, libē	elibile, elibē	libile, libē	alibanga	elingabanga	lingabanga
Class 6	abile, abē	abile, abē	ebile, ebē	awabanga	angabanga	engabanga
Class 7	sibile, sibē	esibile, esibē	sibile, sibē	asibanga	esingabanga	singabanga
Class 8	zibile, zibē	ezibile, ezibē	zibile, zibē	azibanga	ezingabanga	zingabanga
Class 9	ibile, ibē	ebile, ebē	ibile, ibē	ayibanga	engabanga	ingabanga
Class 10	zibile, zibē	ezibile, ezibē	zibile, zibē	azibanga	ezingabanga	zingabanga
Class 11	lubile, lubē	olubile, olubē	lubile, lubē	alubanga	olungabanga	lungabanga
Class 14	bubile, bubē	obubile, obubē	bubile, bubē	abubanga	obungabanga	bungabanga
Class 15	kubile, kubē	okubile, okubē	kubile, kubē	akubanga	okungabanga	kungabanga
Class 17	kubile, kubē	okubile, okubē	kubile, kubē	akubanga	okungabanga	kungabanga
	Remote past
	Positive absolute	Positive relative	Positive participial	Negative absolute	Negative relative	Negative participial
1st singular	ngāba	engāba	ngāba	angibanga	engingabanga	ngingabanga
2nd singular	wāba	owāba	wāba	awubanga	ongabanga	ungabanga
1st plural	sāba	esāba	sāba	asibanga	esingabanga	singabanga
2nd plural	nāba	enāba	nāba	anibanga	eningabanga	ningabanga
Class 1	wāba	owāba	āba	akabanga	ongabanga	engabanga
Class 2	bāba	abāba	bāba	ababanga	abangabanga	bengabanga
Class 3	wāba	owāba	wāba	awubanga	ongabanga	ungabanga
Class 4	yāba	eyāba	yāba	ayibanga	engabanga	ingabanga
Class 5	lāba	elāba	lāba	alibanga	elingabanga	lingabanga
Class 6	āba	āba	āba	awabanga	angabanga	engabanga
Class 7	sāba	esāba	sāba	asibanga	esingabanga	singabanga
Class 8	zāba	ezāba	zāba	azibanga	ezingabanga	zingabanga
Class 9	yāba	eyāba	yāba	ayibanga	engabanga	ingabanga
Class 10	zāba	ezāba	zāba	azibanga	ezingabanga	zingabanga
Class 11	lwāba	olwāba	lwāba	alubanga	olungabanga	lungabanga
Class 14	bāba	obāba	bāba	abubanga	obungabanga	bungabanga
Class 15	kwāba	okwāba	kwāba	akubanga	okungabanga	kungabanga
Class 17	kwāba	okwāba	kwāba	akubanga	okungabanga	kungabanga
	Potential
	Positive absolute	Positive relative	Positive participial	Negative absolute	Negative relative	Negative participial
1st singular	ngingaba	—	ngingaba	ngingebe	—	ngingebe
2nd singular	ungaba	—	ungaba	ungebe	—	ungebe
1st plural	singaba	—	singaba	singebe	—	singebe
2nd plural	ningaba	—	ningaba	ningebe	—	ningebe
Class 1	angaba	—	engaba	angebe	—	engebe
Class 2	bangaba	—	bengaba	bangebe	—	bengebe
Class 3	ungaba	—	ungaba	ungebe	—	ungebe
Class 4	ingaba	—	ingaba	ingebe	—	ingebe
Class 5	lingaba	—	lingaba	lingebe	—	lingebe
Class 6	angaba	—	engaba	angebe	—	engebe
Class 7	singaba	—	singaba	singebe	—	singebe
Class 8	zingaba	—	zingaba	zingebe	—	zingebe
Class 9	ingaba	—	ingaba	ingebe	—	ingebe
Class 10	zingaba	—	zingaba	zingebe	—	zingebe
Class 11	lungaba	—	lungaba	lungebe	—	lungebe
Class 14	bungaba	—	bungaba	bungebe	—	bungebe
Class 15	kungaba	—	kungaba	kungebe	—	kungebe
Class 17	kungaba	—	kungaba	kungebe	—	kungebe
	Immediate future
	Positive absolute	Positive relative	Positive participial	Negative absolute	Negative relative	Negative participial
1st singular	ngizokuba	engizokuba	ngizokuba	angizukuba	—	ngingezukuba
2nd singular	uzokuba	ozokuba	uzokuba	awuzukuba	—	ungezukuba
1st plural	sizokuba	esizokuba	sizokuba	asizukuba	—	singezukuba
2nd plural	nizokuba	enizokuba	nizokuba	anizukuba	—	ningezukuba
Class 1	uzokuba	ozokuba	ezokuba	akazukuba	—	engezukuba
Class 2	bazokuba	abazokuba	bezokuba	abazukuba	—	bengezukuba
Class 3	uzokuba	ozokuba	uzokuba	awuzukuba	—	ungezukuba
Class 4	izokuba	ezokuba	izokuba	ayizukuba	—	ingezukuba
Class 5	lizokuba	elizokuba	lizokuba	alizukuba	—	lingezukuba
Class 6	azokuba	azokuba	ezokuba	awazukuba	—	engezukuba
Class 7	sizokuba	esizokuba	sizokuba	asizukuba	—	singezukuba
Class 8	zizokuba	ezizokuba	zizokuba	azizukuba	—	zingezukuba
Class 9	izokuba	ezokuba	izokuba	ayizukuba	—	ingezukuba
Class 10	zizokuba	ezizokuba	zizokuba	azizukuba	—	zingezukuba
Class 11	luzokuba	oluzokuba	luzokuba	aluzukuba	—	lungezukuba
Class 14	buzokuba	obuzokuba	buzokuba	abuzukuba	—	bungezukuba
Class 15	kuzokuba	okuzokuba	kuzokuba	akuzukuba	—	kungezukuba
Class 17	kuzokuba	okuzokuba	kuzokuba	akuzukuba	—	kungezukuba
	Remote future
	Positive absolute	Positive relative	Positive participial	Negative absolute	Negative relative	Negative participial
1st singular	ngiyokuba	engiyokuba	ngiyokuba	angiyukuba	—	ngingeyukuba
2nd singular	uyokuba	oyokuba	uyokuba	awuyukuba	—	ungeyukuba
1st plural	siyokuba	esiyokuba	siyokuba	asiyukuba	—	singeyukuba
2nd plural	niyokuba	eniyokuba	niyokuba	aniyukuba	—	ningeyukuba
Class 1	uyokuba	oyokuba	eyokuba	akayukuba	—	engeyukuba
Class 2	bayokuba	abayokuba	beyokuba	abayukuba	—	bengeyukuba
Class 3	uyokuba	oyokuba	uyokuba	awuyukuba	—	ungeyukuba
Class 4	iyokuba	eyokuba	iyokuba	ayiyukuba	—	ingeyukuba
Class 5	liyokuba	eliyokuba	liyokuba	aliyukuba	—	lingeyukuba
Class 6	ayokuba	ayokuba	eyokuba	awayukuba	—	engeyukuba
Class 7	siyokuba	esiyokuba	siyokuba	asiyukuba	—	singeyukuba
Class 8	ziyokuba	eziyokuba	ziyokuba	aziyukuba	—	zingeyukuba
Class 9	iyokuba	eyokuba	iyokuba	ayiyukuba	—	ingeyukuba
Class 10	ziyokuba	eziyokuba	ziyokuba	aziyukuba	—	zingeyukuba
Class 11	luyokuba	oluyokuba	luyokuba	aluyukuba	—	lungeyukuba
Class 14	buyokuba	obuyokuba	buyokuba	abuyukuba	—	bungeyukuba
Class 15	kuyokuba	okuyokuba	kuyokuba	akuyukuba	—	kungeyukuba
Class 17	kuyokuba	okuyokuba	kuyokuba	akuyukuba	—	kungeyukuba
	Present subjunctive
	Positive	Negative
1st singular	ngibe	ngingabi
2nd singular	ube	ungabi
1st plural	sibe	singabi
2nd plural	nibe	ningabi
Class 1	abe	angabi
Class 2	babe	bangabi
Class 3	ube	ungabi
Class 4	ibe	ingabi
Class 5	libe	lingabi
Class 6	abe	angabi
Class 7	sibe	singabi
Class 8	zibe	zingabi
Class 9	ibe	ingabi
Class 10	zibe	zingabi
Class 11	lube	lungabi
Class 14	bube	bungabi
Class 15	kube	kungabi
Class 17	kube	kungabi
	Past subjunctive
	Positive	Negative
1st singular	ngaba	ngangaba, angaba, angangaba
2nd singular	waba	wangaba, awaba, awangaba
1st plural	saba	sangaba, asaba, asangaba
2nd plural	naba	nangaba, anaba, anangaba
Class 1	waba	wangaba, akaba, akangaba
Class 2	baba	bangaba, ababa, abangaba
Class 3	waba	wangaba, awaba, awangaba
Class 4	yaba	yangaba, ayaba, ayangaba
Class 5	laba	langaba, alaba, alangaba
Class 6	aba	angaba, awaba, awangaba
Class 7	saba	sangaba, asaba, asangaba
Class 8	zaba	zangaba, azaba, azangaba
Class 9	yaba	yangaba, ayaba, ayangaba
Class 10	zaba	zangaba, azaba, azangaba
Class 11	lwaba	lwangaba, alwaba, alwangaba
Class 14	baba	bangaba, ababa, abangaba
Class 15	kwaba	kwangaba, akwaba, akwangaba
Class 17	kwaba	kwangaba, akwaba, akwangaba

References

• C. M. Doke; B. W. Vilakazi (1972), “-ɓa”, in Zulu-English Dictionary, →ISBN: “-ɓa”