baba

See also: Appendix:Variations of "baba"

Languages (79)

English

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Afrikaans • Albanian • Atong (India) • Azerbaijani • Basque • Betawi • Cebuano • Central Bikol • Crimean Tatar • Czech • Dagbani • Ewe • Fanagalo • Finnish • French • Galician • Garo • German • Ghomara • Hausa • Higaonon • Hiligaynon • Hungarian • Ilocano • Indonesian • Istriot • Japanese • Kabyle • Kankanaey • Kashubian • Kikuyu • Latgalian • Lower Sorbian • Luo • Malay • Mansaka • Marshallese • Matal • Mwani • Naga Pidgin • Nefamese • Ngarluma • Nkonya • Old Czech • Old Polish • Peranakan Indonesian • Phuthi • Polish • Portuguese • Ratagnon • Romanian • Salar • Senhaja de Srair • Serbo-Croatian • Shona • Silesian • Slovak • Slovene • Slovincian • Southern Ndebele • Spanish • Swahili • Swazi • Tagalog • Taíno • Tarifit • Ternate • Tswana • Tumbuka • Turkish • Turkmen • Upper Sorbian • Venda • Wajarri • West Makian • Woiwurrung • Yoruba • Zulu

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Page categories

English

Etymology

As one of the first utterances many babies are able to say, baba (like mama, papa, and dada) has come to be used in many languages as a term for various family members:

• father: Albanian, Arabic, Western Armenian, Chinese, Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Bengali, Greek, Marathi, Mingrelian, Nepali, Persian, Swahili, Turkish, Yoruba, Shona, Zulu
• grandmother: many Slavic languages (such as Bulgarian, Russian, Czech and Polish; a doublet of bubbe), Romanian, Yiddish, Japanese
• grandfather: Azerbaijani, Zulu (father, grandfather)
• baby: Afrikaans, Sinhala, Hungarian

These terms often continue to be used by English speakers whose families came from one of these cultures. In some cases, they may become more widely used in localities that have been heavily influenced by an immigrant community. Some senses were extensions of one of these family terms in the original languages ("old woman" from "grandmother", "holy man" from "father"). The "cake" sense comes through French, from Polish baba (“old woman”). The Middle Eastern word baba (as in Ali Baba) is rather a term of endearment, and is ultimately derived from Persian بابا (bābā, “father”) (from Old Persian pāpa; as opposed to the Arabic words أَبُو (ʔabū) and أَب (ʔab); see also Papak), and is linguistically related to the common European word papa and the word pope, having the same Indo-European origin. The Chinese word "baba", meaning father, comes from 爸爸.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (variously) /ˈbɑːbɑː/, /ˈbɑːbə/, /ˈbæbə/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑːbɑː, -ɑːbə, -æbə

Noun

baba (countable and uncountable, plural babas)

2. (countable and uncountable) A kind of sponge cake soaked in rum-flavoured syrup.
   • 1994 May 1, Maureen B. Fant, “CHOICE TABLES; Tastes Swing Back To Flavors of Naples”, in The New York Times‎^[2], New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 26 May 2015:

     The trolley of fresh local cheeses, including the region's pride, mozzarella di bufala, is as attractive as the trolley of classic Neapolitan desserts, including pastiera napolitana (a ricotta cake with orange rind), feather-light baba, and, in mid-March, zeppola di San Giuseppe (whose feast day is March 19), a sweet bun filled with custard and black cherry.

3. (countable, especially among people of East European ancestry) A grandmother.
   • 1993, Karen Dubinsky, Improper Advances: Rape and Heterosexual Conflict in Ontario, 1880-1929, University of Chicago Press:

     My baba, Ksenia Dubinsky, tells me that my education makes her proud.

   • 2001, Brattleboro Remembers, edited by the Brattleboro [Vermont] Historical Society, Arcadia Publishing

     I walked first for my grandmother, and my mother was sorry she had missed my first steps. My Baba was so proud, my mother later told me.

   • 2004, MaryBeth Bond, editor, A Woman's Europe: True Stories:

     As we made eye contact, I slowly began to wonder if she was Baba. I did not know my grandmother though I'd spoken with her several times on the telephone;

4. (countable) An old woman, especially a traditional old woman from an eastern European culture.
   • 1914, Russell Sage Foundation, Wage-earning Pittsburgh:

     Only two women, typical "babas" (peasant women) in the house from which I got my quilt and bedcloth, could be coaxed to pose;

   • 1986, Janice Kulyk Keefer, The Paris-Napoli Express:

     Laura hadn't known that anyone's mother could look like that, like the babas you sometimes saw downtown, bandaged in kerchiefs and aprons, sitting toothless in stockinged feet on small verandahs, peeling potatoes or beets or just shaking their heads and grimacing.

   • 2003, Colin Michael Hall, Liz Sharples, editors, Food Tourism Around The World: Development, Management and Markets:

     According to some, new volunteers are becoming more difficult to recruit and there are dark suggestions that 'money is being made on the backs of the babas', the dedicated, but ageing ladies who still spend countless hours of their time preparing foodstuffs for the occasion.

5. (countable, especially among people of Indian or Chinese ancestry) A father.
   • 1849, Edward Bulwer Lytton, The Caxtons:

     The first time I signed my exercise I wrote "Pisistratus Caxton" in my best round-hand. "And dey call your baba a scholar!" said the Doctor, contemptuously.

   • 1998, Mulan (movie)

     "The greatest gift and honor is having you for a daughter. I've missed you so." "I've missed you too, baba."

   • 2002, Bend It Like Beckham (movie)

     Okay. Okay. Fine, baba. Let's just do it before something else goes wrong.

   • 2003, House of Sand and Fog (movie)

     "Do not be disrespectful, son. Look at me." "Baba, were you a Savaki?"

6. (countable, Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism) A holy man, a spiritual leader.
   • 1995, Hugh J.M. Johnston, Tara Singh Bains, The Four Quarters of the Night: The Life-Journey of an Emigrant Sikh:

     While I was in Port Alberni, three babas came to Canada to raise money ...

   • 2004, Andrew Robinson, Satyajit Ray: The Inner Eye: The Biography of a Master Film-Maker:

     But according to Ray, 'all the babas my uncle knew were genuine. None of them was exposed. They were fairly humble people, not show-offs like the Maharishi ...

   • 2006, Suraiya Faroqhi, Subjects Of The Sultan: Culture And Daily Life In The Ottoman Empire:

     Most babas had little contact with written culture and are not therefore named in books and treatises.

7. (countable, British India) A baby, child.
   • 1876, Sir George Otto Trevelyan, The Life and Letters of Lord Macaulay:

     That is to say, if I do not take care, I shall go on calling my darling 'Baba' till she is as old as her mamma, and has a dozen Babas of her own.

   • 1904, Rudyard Kipling, Traffics and Discoveries:

     For my child is dead—my baba is dead!

8. (countable) In baby talk, often used for a variety of words beginning with b, such as bottle or blanket.
   • 2004, House (TV, episode 1.14)

     Oh, it's storytime! Let me get my baba.

Related terms

• baba au rhum
• baba ganoush
• Baba Yaga
• babulya
• babushka
• babusia
• babusya
• rum baba

Translations

flavoured sponge cake

• Catalan: babà m
• Finnish: baba (fi)
• Greek: μπαμπάς (el) m (bampás)
• Italian: babà (it) m
• Polish: baba (pl) f

holy man, spiritual leader

• Bengali: বাবা (bn) (baba)
• Finnish: isä (fi)
• Kazakh: баба (kk) (baba)
• Marathi: बाबा m (bābā)
• Odia: ବାବା (or) (bābā)
• Polish: baba (pl) m
• Telugu: బాబా (te) (bābā)
• Turkish: baba (tr), peder (tr), pederler pl, babalar (tr) pl, peder (tr)

Further reading

• baba on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• ABBA, AABB, Abba, abba

Afrikaans

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

baba (plural babas)

1. baby

Related terms

• babetjie

Verb

baba (present baba, present participle babaende, past participle gebaba)

1. to treat with gentle care, to coddle

Albanian

Etymology 1

From Ottoman Turkish بابا (baba), whence Turkish baba.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /baˈba/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

babá m (plural baballárë, definite babái)

1. dad, father

   Synonyms: bábë, átë

Declension

Declension of baba

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	baba	babai	baballarë	baballarët
accusative		babanë
dative	babai	babait	baballarëve	baballarëve
ablative			baballarësh

Derived terms

• Baba Dimri

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbaba/

Noun

bába

1. inflection of bábë:
   1. definite nominative singular
   2. indefinite nominative/accusative plural

Atong (India)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /baba/

Noun

baba (Bengali script বাবা)

1. father
2. paternal uncle
3. son

Synonyms

(father):

• awa
• wa•

References

• van Breugel, Seino. 2015. Atong-English dictionary, second edition. Available online: https://www.academia.edu/487044/Atong_English_Dictionary.

Azerbaijani

Other scripts

Cyrillic		баба
Arabic		بابا

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [bɑˈbɑ]

• Audio (Baku):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ba‧ba

Noun

baba (definite accusative babanı, plural babalar)

1. grandfather

   Coordinate term: nənə

2. term of address for old men

Declension

Declension of baba

	singular	plural
nominative	baba	babalar
definite accusative	babanı	babaları
dative	babaya	babalara
locative	babada	babalarda
ablative	babadan	babalardan
definite genitive	babanın	babaların

Possessive forms of baba

	nominative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	babam	babalarım
sənin (“your”)	baban	babaların
onun (“his/her/its”)	babası	babaları
bizim (“our”)	babamız	babalarımız
sizin (“your”)	babanız	babalarınız
onların (“their”)	babası or babaları	babaları
	accusative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	babamı	babalarımı
sənin (“your”)	babanı	babalarını
onun (“his/her/its”)	babasını	babalarını
bizim (“our”)	babamızı	babalarımızı
sizin (“your”)	babanızı	babalarınızı
onların (“their”)	babasını or babalarını	babalarını
	dative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	babama	babalarıma
sənin (“your”)	babana	babalarına
onun (“his/her/its”)	babasına	babalarına
bizim (“our”)	babamıza	babalarımıza
sizin (“your”)	babanıza	babalarınıza
onların (“their”)	babasına or babalarına	babalarına
	locative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	babamda	babalarımda
sənin (“your”)	babanda	babalarında
onun (“his/her/its”)	babasında	babalarında
bizim (“our”)	babamızda	babalarımızda
sizin (“your”)	babanızda	babalarınızda
onların (“their”)	babasında or babalarında	babalarında
	ablative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	babamdan	babalarımdan
sənin (“your”)	babandan	babalarından
onun (“his/her/its”)	babasından	babalarından
bizim (“our”)	babamızdan	babalarımızdan
sizin (“your”)	babanızdan	babalarınızdan
onların (“their”)	babasından or babalarından	babalarından
	genitive
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	babamın	babalarımın
sənin (“your”)	babanın	babalarının
onun (“his/her/its”)	babasının	babalarının
bizim (“our”)	babamızın	babalarımızın
sizin (“your”)	babanızın	babalarınızın
onların (“their”)	babasının or babalarının	babalarının

References

• Orucov, Əliheydər, editor (2006), “baba”, in Azərbaycan dilinin izahlı lüğəti [Explanatory Dictionary of the Azerbaijani Language]‎^[3] (in Azerbaijani), 2nd edition, volume 1, Baku: Şərq-Qərb, page 193

Basque

Etymology

From Proto-Basque, ultimately from Latin faba.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /baba/ [ba.β̞a]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aba, -a
• Hyphenation: ba‧ba

Noun

baba inan

1. broad bean
2. bean, green bean

   Synonym: babarrun

3. blister

Declension

Declension of baba (inan a-stem)

	indefinite	singular	plural	proximal plural
absolutive	baba	baba	babak	babok
ergative	babak	babak	babek	babok
dative	babari	babari	babei	baboi
genitive	babaren	babaren	baben	babon
comitative	babarekin	babarekin	babekin	babokin
causative	babarengatik	babarengatik	babengatik	babongatik
benefactive	babarentzat	babarentzat	babentzat	babontzat
instrumental	babaz	babaz	babez	babotaz
innesive	babatan	baban	babetan	babotan
locative	babatako	babako	babetako	babotako
allative	babatara	babara	babetara	babotara
terminative	babataraino	babaraino	babetaraino	babotaraino
directive	babatarantz	babarantz	babetarantz	babotarantz
destinative	babatarako	babarako	babetarako	babotarako
ablative	babatatik	babatik	babetatik	babotatik
partitive	babarik	—	—	—
prolative	babatzat	—	—	—

Derived terms

• baba beltz
• baba gorri
• baba handi
• baba zuri
• babak eltzetik atera
• babalarrutu
• babalasto
• babaolore
• babarrun
• babatsu
• babatu
• babazorro

Further reading

• “baba”, in Euskaltzaindiaren Hiztegia [Dictionary of the Basque Academy] (in Basque), Euskaltzaindia [Royal Academy of the Basque Language]
• “baba”, in Orotariko Euskal Hiztegia [General Basque Dictionary], Euskaltzaindia, 1987–2005

Betawi

Alternative forms

• babè (Urban Jakarta)
• ba, bè (shortened form)

Etymology

Borrowed from Hokkien 爸爸 (pa-pa), perhaps reinforced by the form aba. Sense 2 might be a semantic loan from Arabic بَابَا (bābā).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /baba/
• Rhymes: -a
• Hyphenation: ba‧ba

Noun

baba

1. father

   Synonyms: abah, abi, ayah, bapa'

2. (Roman Catholicism, rare) pope

   Synonym: paus

Cebuano

Etymology 1

Inherited from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *baqbaq.

First attested in Antonio Pigafetta's Relazione del primo viaggio intorno al mondo—detailing the first circumnavigation of the world between 1519 and 1522.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbaʔba/ [ˈbaʔ.bɐ]
• Rhymes: -aʔ
• Hyphenation: ba‧ba

Noun

bâbâ (Badlit spelling ᜊᜊ)

1. (anatomy) mouth
2. mouth of a river
3. outlet; aperture; orifice
4. talk; empty boasting, promises or claims

Verb

bâbâ (Badlit spelling ᜊᜊ)

1. to hit, be hit or injured in the mouth

Derived terms

• baba sa atay
• babaan
• babaon
• sa baba sa buaya

Etymology 2

Compare abaga.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /baˈba/ [bɐˈba]
• Rhymes: -a
• Hyphenation: ba‧ba

Verb

babá (Badlit spelling ᜊᜊ)

1. to piggyback; to carry someone on the back

Quotations

• For quotations using this term, see Citations:baba.

Central Bikol

Etymology 1

Inherited from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *babaq, from Proto-Austronesian *babaq.

Pronunciation 1

• Hyphenation: ba‧ba
• IPA^(key): /baˈbaʔ/ [baˈbaʔ]

Adjective

babâ (Basahan spelling ᜊᜊ)

1. downstairs

   Antonym: taas

Noun

babâ (Basahan spelling ᜊᜊ)

1. shortness, lowness (based on height)

   Antonym: langkaw

2. (dialectal) bottom; below

   Antonym: babaw

3. descent

   Synonym: palos

4. disembarkment

   Synonym: lusad

5. act of going downstairs

   Synonym: hilig

6. decrease; lowering of quantity or measurement

   Synonym: ina

Derived terms

• hababa
• ibaba
• kababan
• magbaba

Pronunciation 2

• Hyphenation: ba‧ba
• IPA^(key): /ˈbabaʔ/ [ˈba.baʔ]

Noun

babà (Basahan spelling ᜊᜊ)

1. (anatomy) chin

   Synonym: kuko

Etymology 2

From padaba (“loved one, term of endearment”).

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: ba‧ba
• IPA^(key): /ˈbabaʔ/ [ˈba.baʔ]

Noun

babà (Basahan spelling ᜊᜊ)

1. (Tabaco–Legazpi–Sorsogon, slang) loved one

Crimean Tatar

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: ba‧ba

Noun

baba

1. father
2. dad

Declension

Declension of baba

	singular	plural
nominative	baba	babalar
genitive	babanıñ	babalarnıñ
dative	babağa	babalarğa
accusative	babanı	babalarnı
locative	babada	babalarda
ablative	babadan	babalardan

Derived terms

• babaca
• babacasına
• babalıq
• babasız
• babasızlıq

References

• “baba”, in Luğatçıq (in Russian)

Czech

Alternative forms

• bába

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *baba.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈbaba]
• Rhymes: -aba

Noun

baba f

1. crone, hag
2. coward, milksop

   Synonym: zbabělec

3. (informal) girl, chick

Declension

Declension of baba (hard feminine)

	singular	plural
nominative	baba	baby
genitive	baby	bab
dative	babě	babám
accusative	babu	baby
vocative	babo	baby
locative	babě	babách
instrumental	babou	babami

Related terms

adjectives

• babí
• babský
• zbabělý

nouns

• babička
• babizna
• babí léto
• babka
• bába
• bábi

verbs

• zbabět

Further reading

• “baba”, in Kartotéka Novočeského lexikálního archivu (in Czech)
• “baba”, in Akademický slovník současné češtiny, 2012–2026, slovnikcestiny.cz
• “baba”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2026

Dagbani

Etymology

Unknown.

Noun

baba (plural babanima)

1. Title of the second chief butcher

Noun

baba

1. plural of babli (a featherless fowl)

Noun

baba

1. Father

Ewe

Noun

baba

1. termite, white ant

References

• Fiagã, Kwasi (1976), Grammaire eʋe: Eʋegbe ŋutinunya‎^[4] (in French), Lomé: Institut national de la recherche scientifique, page 101

Fanagalo

Etymology

From Zulu ubaba, from Proto-Bantu *bààbá.

Noun

baba

1. father

Finnish

Etymology

From Polish baba, probably via French.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɑbɑ/, [ˈbɑ̝bɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -ɑbɑ
• Syllabification^(key): ba‧ba
• Hyphenation^(key): ba‧ba

Noun

baba

1. baba, babka (type of cake)

Declension

Inflection of baba (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)
nominative		baba	babat
genitive		baban	babojen
partitive		babaa	baboja
illative		babaan	baboihin
		singular	plural
nominative		baba	babat
accusative	nom.	baba	babat
	gen.	baban
genitive		baban	babojen babain rare
partitive		babaa	baboja
inessive		babassa	baboissa
elative		babasta	baboista
illative		babaan	baboihin
adessive		baballa	baboilla
ablative		babalta	baboilta
allative		baballe	baboille
essive		babana	baboina
translative		babaksi	baboiksi
abessive		babatta	baboitta
instructive		—	baboin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of baba (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative babani babani accusative nom. babani babani gen. babani genitive babani babojeni babaini rare partitive babaani babojani inessive babassani baboissani elative babastani baboistani illative babaani baboihini adessive baballani baboillani ablative babaltani baboiltani allative baballeni baboilleni essive babanani baboinani translative babakseni baboikseni abessive babattani baboittani instructive — — comitative — baboineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative babasi babasi accusative nom. babasi babasi gen. babasi genitive babasi babojesi babaisi rare partitive babaasi babojasi inessive babassasi baboissasi elative babastasi baboistasi illative babaasi baboihisi adessive baballasi baboillasi ablative babaltasi baboiltasi allative baballesi baboillesi essive babanasi baboinasi translative babaksesi baboiksesi abessive babattasi baboittasi instructive — — comitative — baboinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative babamme babamme accusative nom. babamme babamme gen. babamme genitive babamme babojemme babaimme rare partitive babaamme babojamme inessive babassamme baboissamme elative babastamme baboistamme illative babaamme baboihimme adessive baballamme baboillamme ablative babaltamme baboiltamme allative baballemme baboillemme essive babanamme baboinamme translative babaksemme baboiksemme abessive babattamme baboittamme instructive — — comitative — baboinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative babanne babanne accusative nom. babanne babanne gen. babanne genitive babanne babojenne babainne rare partitive babaanne babojanne inessive babassanne baboissanne elative babastanne baboistanne illative babaanne baboihinne adessive baballanne baboillanne ablative babaltanne baboiltanne allative baballenne baboillenne essive babananne baboinanne translative babaksenne baboiksenne abessive babattanne baboittanne instructive — — comitative — baboinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative babansa babansa accusative nom. babansa babansa gen. babansa genitive babansa babojensa babainsa rare partitive babaansa babojaan babojansa inessive babassaan babassansa baboissaan baboissansa elative babastaan babastansa baboistaan baboistansa illative babaansa baboihinsa adessive baballaan baballansa baboillaan baboillansa ablative babaltaan babaltansa baboiltaan baboiltansa allative baballeen baballensa baboilleen baboillensa essive babanaan babanansa baboinaan baboinansa translative babakseen babaksensa baboikseen baboiksensa abessive babattaan babattansa baboittaan baboittansa instructive — — comitative — baboineen baboinensa

Further reading

• “baba”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[5] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2 July 2023

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ba.ba/

• Audio (France (Vosges)):

  (file)

• Audio (France):

  (file)

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Polish baba, introduced in France in the eighteenth century at the court of Stanisław Leszczyński, king of Poland, duke of Lorraine and father-in-law of Louis XV.

a french rum baba

Noun

baba m (plural babas)

1. baba (type of cake)

   baba au rhum ― rum baba

Etymology 2

Onomatopoeic.

Adjective

baba (plural babas)

1. (colloquial) flabbergasted
   • 1999, Anna Gavalda, “Ambre”, in Je voudrais que quelqu'un m'attende quelque part, →ISBN:

     C'était un Argentin qui mesurait au moins deux mètres, il souriait tout les temps. J'étais baba devant ses tatouages.

     He was an Argentinian who was at least six foot six. He was always smiling. I was stunned by his tattoos.

Further reading

• “baba”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

Galician

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbaba/ [ˈba.β̞ɐ]
• Rhymes: -aba
• Hyphenation: ba‧ba

Etymology 1

Attested since the 18th century. From the hypothesized Vulgar Latin *baba, ultimately imitative of children speech on the pattern of the repeated syllable ba.

Noun

baba f (plural babas)

1. drool

   Synonym: baballa

2. slime (mucus-like substance which exudes from the bodies of certain animals)

   Synonyms: baballa, limo

Derived terms

• baballa
• babar
• babexar

References

• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “baba”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “baba”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “baba”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

Etymology 2

Verb

baba

1. inflection of babar:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Garo

Etymology

Likely from Bengali বাবা (baba).

Noun

baba

1. father

Synonyms

• paa
• pagipa
• apa

German

Etymology 1

A link of the term with the English bye-bye is possible but not certain.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /baˈbaː/, (Austria) [b̥aˈb̥aː]
• Rhymes: -aː

Interjection

baba

1. (informal, Austria) bye-bye, see you, so long

Usage notes

• Especially in East Austria, baba is the most commonly used informal term for saying "goodbye".

Further reading

• “baba” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “baba (Abschiedsgruß)” in Duden online

Etymology 2

From Turkish baba.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbaba/

Adjective

baba (indeclinable, predicative only)

1. (slang) boss, rad, fly

   Synonyms: Bombe, geisteskrank

   Diese Jacke sieht richtig baba aus.

   This jacket looks bare nang.

   Ich finde den Schnitt baba.

   I deem the fit thrilling.

Ghomara

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Berber, from Proto-Afroasiatic *ʔab-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /baba/

Noun

baba m (usually uncountable)

1. (my) father

   Synonym: lwalid

See also

• yemma (“mother”)

References

• Mourigh, Khalid (2015) A Grammar of Ghomara Berber (Thesis)‎^[6], Leiden

Hausa

Etymology 1

A widespread areal word.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bàː.bá/
  • (Standard Kano Hausa) IPA^(key): [bàː.bə́]

Noun

bā̀ba m (possessed form bā̀ban)

1. father
2. Used as a term of address for a man of appropriate age to be one's father, or who shares one's father's name.

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bàː.báː/
  • (Standard Kano Hausa) IPA^(key): [bàː.báː]

Noun

bā̀bā m (plural bā̀bànni, possessed form bā̀ban)

1. eunuch
2. impotent man

Etymology 3

Probably an early borrowing from Kanuri báwà (“paternal aunt”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /báː.bà/
  • (Standard Kano Hausa) IPA^(key): [báː.bə̀]

Noun

bābà f (possessed form bābàr̃)

1. paternal aunt

References

• Hausa vocabulary. In: Haspelmath, M. & Tadmor, U. (eds.) World Loanword Database. Leipzig: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.

Etymology 4

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /báː.báː/
  • (Standard Kano Hausa) IPA^(key): [báː.báː]

Noun

bābā m (possessed form bāban)

1. indigo (the plant, or the dye from it)

Higaonon

Noun

baba

1. mouth

Hiligaynon

Noun

bába or bâbâ

1. mouth

Hungarian

Etymology

Onomatopoeic. It may be a doublet of báb.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈbɒbɒ]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ba‧ba
• Rhymes: -bɒ

Noun

baba (plural babák)

1. doll (toy in the form of a human)
2. baby, infant (very young human child, particularly from birth until walking is mastered)

   Synonyms: csecsemő, kisbaba, bébi

3. (in the possessive, folk songs) baby, darling (term of endearment for a girlfriend, or less often, a boyfriend)

   Synonyms: kedves, (also in the possessive) pár

Declension

Inflection (stem in long/high vowel, back harmony)

	singular	plural
nominative	baba	babák
accusative	babát	babákat
dative	babának	babáknak
instrumental	babával	babákkal
causal-final	babáért	babákért
translative	babává	babákká
terminative	babáig	babákig
essive-formal	babaként	babákként
essive-modal	—	—
inessive	babában	babákban
superessive	babán	babákon
adessive	babánál	babáknál
illative	babába	babákba
sublative	babára	babákra
allative	babához	babákhoz
elative	babából	babákból
delative	babáról	babákról
ablative	babától	babáktól
non-attributive possessive – singular	babáé	babáké
non-attributive possessive – plural	babáéi	babákéi

Possessive forms of baba

possessor	single possession	multiple possessions
1st person sing.	babám	babáim
2nd person sing.	babád	babáid
3rd person sing.	babája	babái
1st person plural	babánk	babáink
2nd person plural	babátok	babáitok
3rd person plural	babájuk	babáik

Derived terms

• babázik

Compound words with this term at the beginning

• babaarc
• bababútor
• babacipő
• babacsörgő
• babafej
• babahajtű
• babaház
• babakelengye
• babaklinika
• babakocsi
• babamérleg
• babapiskóta
• babarózsa
• babaruha
• babaszappan
• babaszoba

Compound words with this term at the end

• alvóbaba
• autóbaba
• cicababa
• csinibaba
• fababa
• földbaba
• gülbaba
• kabalababa
• karakterbaba
• kaucsukbaba
• kirakatbaba
• kisbaba
• lencsibaba
• öltöztetőbaba
• próbababa
• rongybaba

Expressions

• játék baba

Adjective

baba (comparative babább, superlative legbabább)

1. (slang) swell, neat (exceptionally good, pleasing or enjoyable)

Declension

Inflection (stem in long/high vowel, back harmony)

	singular	plural
nominative	baba	babák
accusative	babát	babákat
dative	babának	babáknak
instrumental	babával	babákkal
causal-final	babáért	babákért
translative	babává	babákká
terminative	babáig	babákig
essive-formal	babaként	babákként
essive-modal	—	—
inessive	babában	babákban
superessive	babán	babákon
adessive	babánál	babáknál
illative	babába	babákba
sublative	babára	babákra
allative	babához	babákhoz
elative	babából	babákból
delative	babáról	babákról
ablative	babától	babáktól
non-attributive possessive – singular	babáé	babáké
non-attributive possessive – plural	babáéi	babákéi

Further reading

• baba in Géza Bárczi, László Országh, et al., editors, A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára [The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (ÉrtSz.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN.
• baba in Nóra Ittzés, editor, A magyar nyelv nagyszótára [A Comprehensive Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (Nszt.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 2006–2031 (work in progress; published a–ez as of 2024).

Ilocano

Etymology

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *babaq.

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: ba‧ba
• IPA^(key): /baˈba/, [bɐˈba]

Adverb

baba

1. below

   Adda idiay baba

   It's down there.

Derived terms

• bumaba
• ibaba

Indonesian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈba.ba/
• Rhymes: -ba, -a
• Hyphenation: ba‧ba

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Betawi baba.

Noun

baba (plural baba-baba)

1. father

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

baba (plural baba-baba)

1. (nautical) rat

Etymology 3

Cognate of Cebuano babá (“to piggyback”).

Verb

baba

1. to piggyback: to carry someone on the back

Further reading

• “baba”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016

Istriot

Etymology 1

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

baba f

1. flask, large bottle

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Serbo-Croatian baba.

Noun

baba f

1. woman
2. an elderly, chatty woman

References

• Sandro Cergna (2015), Vocabolario del dialetto di Valle d'Istria, →ISBN, page 34

Japanese

Romanization

baba

1. Rōmaji transcription of ばば

Kabyle

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Berber.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /baba/

Noun

baba m (plural ibabaten)

1. (my) father
2. term of respect when speaking to an elderly man

Usage notes

In the singular, kinship terms ending in -a or -i are assumed to refer to a first-person singular possessor when used without affixes; for example, baba (“my father”). To refer to another possessor, a specific set of bound pronouns must be used.

Inflection

Inflection of baba

	singular	plural
free state	baba	ibabaten
annexed state	baba	ibabaten

References

• Association Culturelle Numidya (2025), “Amawal, dictionnaire kabyle-français en ligne”, in Amawal‎^[7], retrieved 2025
• Dallet, Jean-Marie (1982), Dictionnaire kabyle-français: parler des At Mangellat, Algérie (in French), Paris, France

Kankanaey

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbaba/ [ˈbaː.bʌ] (“tree”, noun)
  • Rhymes: -aba
• IPA^(key): /baˈba/ [bʌˈba] (“herb”, noun)
  • Rhymes: -a
• Syllabification: ba‧ba

Noun

bába

1. Eugenia mananquil Blanco (a myrtaceous tree with an edible fruit)

Noun

babá

1. Laggera alata (a common composite herb with pinkish flowers)

Derived terms

• manbaba

References

• Morice Vanoverbergh (1933), “baba”, in A Dictionary of Lepanto Igorot or Kankanay. As it is spoken at Bauco (Linguistische Anthropos-Bibliothek; XII)‎^[8], Mödling bei Wien, St. Gabriel, Österreich: Verlag der Internationalen Zeitschrift „Anthropos“, →OCLC, page 51

Kashubian

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Balto-Slavic *bā́ˀbāˀ

Proto-Slavic *bàba

Kashubian baba

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *bàba.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈba.ba/
• Rhymes: -aba
• Syllabification: ba‧ba

Noun

baba f

1. (colloquial, derogatory) woman, wife
2. (humorous) synonym of akùszerka (“accoucheuse, midwife”)

Declension

Declension of baba

	singular	plural
nominative	baba	babë
genitive	babë	babów/bôb
dative	babie	babóm
accusative	babã	babë
instrumental	babą	babama
locative	babie	babach
vocative	babò	babë

Further reading

• Stefan Ramułt (1893), “baba”, in Słownik języka pomorskiego czyli kaszubskiego (in Kashubian), page 4
• Sychta, Bernard (1967), “baba”, in Słownik gwar kaszubskich [Dictionary of Kashubian dialects] (in Polish), volumes 1 (A – Ǵ), Wrocław: Ossolineum, page 9
• Jan Trepczyk (1994), “baba”, in Słownik polsko-kaszubski (in Kashubian), volumes 1–2
• Eùgeniusz Gòłąbk (2011), “baba”, in Słownik Polsko-Kaszubski / Słowôrz Pòlskò-Kaszëbsczi‎^[9]
• “baba”, in Internetowi Słowôrz Kaszëbsczégò Jãzëka [Internet Dictionary of the Kashubian Language], Fundacja Kaszuby, 2022

Kikuyu

Alternative forms

• baaba

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /βàːβǎꜜ/

The first a is pronounced long.

As for Tonal Class, Benson (1964) classifies this term into Class 6 with a disyllabic stem, together with mũgwacĩ, nyamũ, and so on.

• (Kiambu)

• (Limuru) As for Tonal Class, Yukawa (1981) classifies this term into a group including guka, gũtũ, mũguĩ, mũtwe, nyamũ, ruo, rũhĩ (pl. hĩ), rũkũ (pl. ngũ), taata (“my aunt”), ũta (pl. mota), ũthiũ (pl. mothiũ), and so on.

• (Ndia) The same underlying pattern as that of rũhĩ and mothiũ.
• (Nyeri) The same underlying pattern as that of mothiũ and ruo.

Noun

baba class 1

1. my father, dad

See also

• (thy) thoguo; (his/her) ithe

Latgalian

Etymology

Borrowed from a Slavic language, from Proto-Slavic *baba. Doublet of buoba.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈbaba]
• Hyphenation: ba‧ba

Noun

baba f (diminutive babeņa)

1. grandmother

Declension

Declension of baba (type 4 noun)

	singular	plural
nominative	baba	babys, babas1)
genitive	babys, babas1)	babu
dative	babai	babom
accusative	babu	babys, babas1)
instrumental	babu	babom
locative	babā	babuos
vocative	baba, bab	babys, babas1)

¹⁾ dialectal

Synonyms

• (dialectal) vace

Coordinate terms

• dzeds (“grandfather”)

References

• A. Andronov; L. Leikuma (2008), Latgalīšu-Latvīšu-Krīvu sarunu vuordineica, Lvava, →ISBN, page 10

Lower Sorbian

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *baba.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbaba/

Noun

baba f (diminutive babka)

1. midwife
2. old woman
3. woman

Declension

Declension of baba

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	baba	babje	baby
Genitive	baby	babowu	babow
Dative	babje	baboma	babam
Accusative	babu	babje	baby
Instrumental	babu	baboma	babami
Locative	babje	baboma	babach

Noun

baba f (diminutive babka)

1. sponge cake

Declension

Declension of baba

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	baba	babje	baby
Genitive	baby	babowu	babow
Dative	babje	baboma	babam
Accusative	babu	babje	baby
Instrumental	babu	baboma	babami
Locative	babje	baboma	babach

Further reading

• Muka, Arnošt (1921, 1928), “baba”, in Słownik dolnoserbskeje rěcy a jeje narěcow (in German), St. Petersburg, Prague: ОРЯС РАН, ČAVU; Reprinted Bautzen: Domowina-Verlag, 2008
• Starosta, Manfred (1999), “baba”, in Dolnoserbsko-nimski słownik / Niedersorbisch-deutsches Wörterbuch (in German), Bautzen: Domowina-Verlag

Luo

Noun

baba

1. father

Malay

Pronunciation

• (Johor-Selangor) IPA^(key): /babə/
• (Riau-Lingga) IPA^(key): /baba/
• Rhymes: -abə, -bə, -ə

Etymology 1

Voiced bapa.

Noun

baba (Jawi spelling باب, plural baba-baba or baba²)

1. father (male parent)

Synonyms

• bapa (bapanda, bapai, bapak, bapang, papa)
• ayah (ayahanda, aya, yah)
• abah (aba, bah)
• rama

Etymology 2

Possibly borrowed from Persian بابا (bâbâ). See Baba (honorific).

Alternative forms

• babah

Noun

baba (Jawi spelling باب, plural baba-baba or baba²)

1. A colonial Straits-born European, Eurasian, or Chinese man (as opposed to immigrant Chinese or European males)
2. (archaic) Respectful term of address for a Portuguese gentleman

See also

• Baba

Further reading

• "baba" in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu (PRPM) [Malay Literary Reference Centre (PRPM)] (in Malay), Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017
• Wilkinson, Richard James (1901), “باب baba”, in A Malay-English dictionary, Hong Kong: Kelly & Walsh limited, pages 72-73
• Wilkinson, Richard James (1932), “baba”, in A Malay-English dictionary (romanised), volume II, Mytilene, Greece: Salavopoulos & Kinderlis, page 59

Mansaka

Etymology 1

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *babaq.

Adverb

baba

1. below

Etymology 2

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *baqbaq.

Noun

baba

1. mouth

Etymology 3

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *baba, compare Malay bawa.

Verb

baba

1. to carry

Marshallese

Pronunciation

• (phonetics) IPA^(key): [pˠɑːbˠɑ], (enunciated) [pˠɑ pˠɑ]
• (phonemic) IPA^(key): /pˠæɰpˠæɰ/
• Bender phonemes: {bahbah}

Noun

baba

1. father
2. daddy

References

• Marshallese–English Online Dictionary

Matal

Noun

baba

1. father

   La katskats tasàk à kəslah iyaw aŋatà à ahəŋ la baba aŋatà gà, tanəfà Yesu. (Mata 4:22)

   And immediately they left the boat and their father and followed Jesus. (Matthew 4:22)

Mwani

Alternative forms

• wawa

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *bààbá.

Noun

baba class 1a (plural wababa)

1. father

Naga Pidgin

Etymology

Inherited from Assamese বাবা (baba).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ba.ba/

Noun

baba

1. father, baba

   Synonym: bap

Further reading

• Shreedar, M.V. (1985), Standardized Grammar of Naga Pidgin‎^[10], Mysore: Central Institute of Indian Languages

Nefamese

Etymology

From Assamese বাবা (baba).

Noun

baba

1. father, baba

Ngarluma

Noun

baba

1. water
2. rain, rainwater

References

• Aboriginal Languages of the Pilbara: Ngarluma (1990); HG

Nkonya

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /babaʔ/

Noun

baba (plural ababa)

1. termite

Old Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (13^th CE) /ˈbaba/
• IPA^(key): (15^th CE) /ˈbaba/

Noun

baba f

1. alternative form of bába

Declension

Declension of baba (hard a-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	baba	babě	baby
genitive	baby	babú	bab
dative	babě	babama	babám
accusative	babu	babě	baby
vocative	babo	babě	baby
locative	babě	babú	babách
instrumental	babú	babama	babami

This table shows the most common forms around the 13th century.

Further reading

• Jan Gebauer (1903–1916), “baba”, in Slovník staročeský (in Czech), Prague: Česká grafická společnost "unie", Česká akademie císaře Františka Josefa pro vědy, slovesnost a umění

Old Polish

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Balto-Slavic *bā́ˀbāˀ

Proto-Slavic *bàba

Old Polish baba

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *bàba. First attested in 1393.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (10^th–15^th CE) /baba/
• IPA^(key): (15^th CE) /baba/
• Homophone: Baba

Noun

baba f (related adjective babin)

1. (attested in Greater Poland, Sieradz-Łęczyca, Masovia) grandma (parent's mother)
   • 1888 [1393], Romuald Hube, editor, Zbiór rot przysiąg sądowych poznańskich, kościańskich, kaliskich, sieradzkich, piotrkowskich i dobrzyszyckich z końca wieku XIV i pierwszych lat wieku XV‎^[11], Greater Poland, page 67:

     Meczko bliszszi po swe babe ku te dzedzine

     [Miec(z)ko bliższy po swe babie ku te dziedzinie]

   • 1888 [1401], Romuald Hube, editor, Zbiór rot przysiąg sądowych poznańskich, kościańskich, kaliskich, sieradzkich, piotrkowskich i dobrzyszyckich z końca wieku XIV i pierwszych lat wieku XV‎^[12], Greater Poland, page 49:

     Yacoszmi Yana s W[o]yczechem o yego babi pusczinø

     [Jakośmy Jana z W[o]jciechem ujednali o jego baby puścinę]

   • 1902 [1404], “Wybór zapisek sądowych grodzkich i ziemskich wielkopolskich z XV wieku”, in Franciszek Piekosiński, editor, Studia, rozprawy i materiały z dziedziny historii polskiej i prawa polskiego‎^[13], volume 6, Poznań, Pyzdry, Kościan, Gniezno, page 224:

     Vichna zaplaczila swim szestrzeniczam […] szeszczdzeszanth grziwen posagu po gich babe

     [Wichna zapłaciła swym siestrzenicam […] sześćdziesiąt grzywien posagu po jich babie]

   • 1974 [1407], Henryk Kowalewicz, Władysław Kuraszkiewicz, editors, Wielkopolskie roty sądowe XIV-XV wieku, Roty kaliskie‎^[14], volume IV, number 243, Kalisz:

     Iaco Micolay sabiw Catherzinina baba y wrzuczil sza w yey possag

     [Jako Mikołaj zabiw Katerzynina babę i wrzucił sie w jej posag]

   • 1888 [1411], Romuald Hube, editor, Zbiór rot przysiąg sądowych poznańskich, kościańskich, kaliskich, sieradzkich, piotrkowskich i dobrzyszyckich z końca wieku XIV i pierwszych lat wieku XV‎^[15], Greater Poland, page 56:

     Yego baba s tego clenota visla

     [Jego baba z tego klenota wyszła]

   • 1910-2024 [1411], Rocznik Towarzystwa Heraldycznego we Lwowie‎^[16], volume VI, page 25:

     Yego baba s tego clenotha iest

     [Jego baba z tego klenota jest]

   • 1856-1870 [1411], Antoni Zygmunt Helcel, editor, Starodawne Prawa Polskiego Pomniki‎^[17], volume VII, number 478:

     Iego baba s tego clenota uisla y nassey krwe yest

     [Jego baba z tego klenota wyszła i naszej krwie jest]

   • 1897 [1418], Teki Adolfa Pawińskiego‎^[18], volume V, number II38:

     Maczey y *Margorzantha poszwaly Greta y Lena po szmercy Margorzacyne gich baby

     [Maciej i Margorzanta pozwali Greta i Lena po śmierci Margorzacinie jich baby]

   • 1895 [1421], Archiwum Komisji Prawniczej. Collectanea ex Archivo Collegii Iuridici‎^[19], volume VIIIa, page 155:

     Thych dzeczy baba seczdzesanth grzywen wnosla u Lubczą grossow

     [Tych dzieci baba sześćdziesiąt grzywien wniosła u Lubca grosow]

   • 1856-1870 [1441], Antoni Zygmunt Helcel, editor, Starodawne Prawa Polskiego Pomniki‎^[20], volume VII, number 362:

     Post auam al. babye

     [Post auam al. babie]

   • 1915 [1448], Stanisław Kozierowski, editor, Nieznane zapiski heraldyczne‎^[21], volume I, number 34, Greater Poland:

     Post matrem patris al. po babye

     [Post matrem patris al. po babie]

   • 1915 [1448], Stanisław Kozierowski, editor, Nieznane zapiski heraldyczne‎^[22], volume I, number 34, Greater Poland:

     Post matrem matris […] al. po babye

     [Post matrem matris […] al. po babie]

   • 1912-1930 [1449], Monumenta Iuris cura praepositorum Chartophylacio Maximo Varsoviensi, volume III, page 176:

     Post auam eiusdem filie vlg. po babye

     [Post auam eiusdem filie vlg. po babie]

   • 1868 [1469], Akta grodzkie i ziemskie z czasów Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej : z archiwum tak zwanego bernardyńskiego we Lwowie w skutek fundacyi śp. Alexandra hr. Stadnickiego‎^[23], volume VI (quotation in Old Polish; overall work in Polish, Latin, and Old Polish), page 110:

     Iure propinquitatis post manum mortuam nobilis Iachne olim ave al. po babye […] filii sui Stanislai

     [Iure propinquitatis post manum mortuam nobilis Iachne olim ave al. po babie […] filii sui Stanisław]

   • 1908-1939 [1453-1471], Władysław Semkowicz, editor, Miesięcznik Heraldyczny‎^[24], volume XIV, Łęczyca Land, page 131:

     Post awam vlg. po babye

     [Post awam vlg. po babie]

   • 1950 [1474], Władysław Kuraszkiewicz, Adam Wolff, editors, Zapiski i roty polskie XV-XVI wieku z ksiąg sądowych ziemi warszawskiej, number 1433, Warsaw:

     Jacowa nye wzyąla ssta kop […] po babye Vychnye

     [Jakowa nie wzięła sta kop […] po babie Wichnie]

   • 1950 [1478], Władysław Kuraszkiewicz, Adam Wolff, editors, Zapiski i roty polskie XV-XVI wieku z ksiąg sądowych ziemi warszawskiej, number 1207, Warsaw:

     Jakom ya nye pomloczyl dwv brogv […] anym przedal krowy […] , any […] ovyecz, kthorich brogow y krowj, y ovyecz polovicza sluzy […] na nye yako y na czya po babye gych ny[e]gdy Machnye blyskosczya

     [Jakom ja nie pomłodził dwu brogu […] anim przedał krowy […] , ani […] owiec, ktorych brogow i krowy, i owiec połowica służy […] na nie jako i na cię po babie jich ni[e]gdy Machnie błyskoszczą]

   • 1950 [1478], Władysław Kuraszkiewicz, Adam Wolff, editors, Zapiski i roty polskie XV-XVI wieku z ksiąg sądowych ziemi warszawskiej, number 1208, Warsaw:

     Jacom ya nye pozal gwaltem zytha y psenicze y yaczmyenyv any ovscha na wyenye olim Jachny baby gych […] , anym thego wyozl w dom swoy w wasznosczy na gych czyansch […] yako dwye kopye po baby[e] gych

     [Jakom ja nie pożął gwałtem żyta i pszenice i jęczmieniu ani owsa nie wienie olim Jachny baby jich […] , anim tego wiozł w dom swoj w ważność na jich część […] jako dwie kopie po babi[e] jich]

   • 1887 [1482-1483], Wacław Ubogi z Brodni, edited by Lucjan Malinowski, Modlitwy Wacława. Zabytek języka polskiego z wieku XV odkryty i skopjowany przez Aleksandra Przezdzieckiego wydał i objaśnił Lucyjan Malinowski‎^[25], Krakow, Brodnia, page 45b:

     Iesztesczie pana y boga naszego Jesu Crista ieden dziadem, druga babø

     [Jesteście Pana i Boga naszego Jezu Krysta jeden dziadem, druga babą]

   • 1950 [1488], Władysław Kuraszkiewicz, Adam Wolff, editors, Zapiski i roty polskie XV-XVI wieku z ksiąg sądowych ziemi warszawskiej, number 1632, Warsaw:

     Jako my tho wyemy, ysze Barbara thako yesth blysska kv pvsczynye po Gedwidze babye yako y Anna

     [Jako my to wiemy, iże Barbara tako jest błyska ku puścinie po Gewidze babie jako i Anna]

   1. (hapax legomenon) The meaning of this term is uncertain.
      • 1868 [1472], Akta grodzkie i ziemskie z czasów Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej : z archiwum tak zwanego bernardyńskiego we Lwowie w skutek fundacyi śp. Alexandra hr. Stadnickiego‎^[26], volume XII (quotation in Old Polish; overall work in Polish, Latin, and Old Polish), page 347:

        Que sibi cessit post matrem suam al. po babye

        [Que sibi cessit post matrem suam al. po babie]

2. (attested in Greater Poland) grandma (any old woman)
   • 1930 [c. 1455], “Gen”, in Ludwik Bernacki, editor, Biblia królowej Zofii (Biblia szaroszpatacka)‎^{transliteration, transcription}, 18, 13:

     Dopyoro bødø rodzycz, yusz bødøczi babø (num vere paritura sum anus)?

     [Dopioro będę rodzić już będęcy babą?]

   • 1930 [c. 1455], “Ruth”, in Ludwik Bernacki, editor, Biblia królowej Zofii (Biblia szaroszpatacka)‎^{transliteration, transcription}, 1, 13:

     Bo aczbich mogla tey to noci poczøcz sini y porodzicz, a wi chcyele czekacz, doiød bi nye wirozli z dzecynskich lyat, drzewyey bødzeta babye, nyszly swadzbi s nymy doczekacye

     [Bo aczbych mogła tej to nocy począć syny i porodzić a wy chciele czekać, dojąd by nie wyrośli z dziecińskich lat, drzewiej będzieta babie, niżli swadźby s nimi doczekacie]

   • c. 1500, Wokabularz lubiński, Lubiń: inkunabuł Archiwum Archidiecezjalnego w Gnieźnie, sygn. Inc. 78d., page 11r:

     Anus eyn weyp vel culus; versus: dum se curuat anus bąba, retro sibi sibilat anus - posterior pars alterius rzycz

     [Anus eyn weyp vel culus; versus: dum se curuat anus baba, retro sibi sibilat anus - posterior pars alterius rzyć]

3. (attested in Lesser Poland) woman
   • 1874-1891 [1447], Rozprawy i Sprawozdania z Posiedzeń Wydziału Filologicznego Akademii Umiejętności‎^{[27], [28], [29]}, volume XXII, Lublin, page 55:

     *Babia mulier

     [Baba mulier]

   • 1907 [c. 1470], Jakub Parkoszowic, edited by Jan Łoś, Traktat o ortografii polskiej‎^[30], Żurawica, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, Krakow, page 404:

     Babø bik bodze

     [Babę byk bodzie]

   • 1895 [1412], Archiwum Komisji Prawniczej. Collectanea ex Archivo Collegii Iuridici‎^[31], volume X, page 347:

     Baba stara

     [Baba stara]

4. (hapax legomenon) midwife
   • Middle of the 15th century, Rozmyślanie o żywocie Pana Jezusa‎^[32], page 63:

     Vyschedl barzo rącze, chczącz vezvacz k temv baby albo panye

     [Wyszedł barzo rącze, chcąc wezwać ku temu baby albo panie]

5. (hapax legomenon) pear (Pyrus communis)
   • 1900 [1472], Józef Rostafiński, editor, Symbola ad historiam naturalem medii aevi = Średniowieczna historya naturalna w Polsce. Ps 2‎^[33], number 206:

     Baba pira

     [Baba pira]

6. (attested in Sieradz-Łęczyca, in the plural, astronomy, hapax legomenon) Pleiades
   • 1874-1891 [1466], Rozprawy i Sprawozdania z Posiedzeń Wydziału Filologicznego Akademii Umiejętności‎^{[34], [35], [36]}, volume XXII, Łęczyca, page 22:

     Baby pliades

     [Baby pliades]

7. (hapax legomenon) Corruption of the proper noun Bala.
   • 1930 [c. 1455], “Gen”, in Ludwik Bernacki, editor, Biblia królowej Zofii (Biblia szaroszpatacka)‎^{transliteration, transcription}, 35, 22:

     Spal z zonø otcza swego, ktoreyze to Baba rzekla

     [Spał z żoną otca swego, ktorejże to Baba rzeczono]

Declension

Declension of baba

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	baba	babie	—
genitive	baby	—	—
dative	—	—	—
accusative	babę	—	baby
instrumental	babą	—	—
locative	babie	—	—
vocative	—	—	—

Derived terms

nouns

• babica
• babimór
• babina
• babizna
• babka
• morzybaba
• prababa
• wieszcza baba

proper nouns

• Baba
• Babik
• Babirad
• Babiuch
• Babusz

Related terms

adjectives

• babczany

nouns

• babczyzna

proper nouns

• Babczyca
• Babi Dyjabeł
• Babic
• Babicski
• Babiński
• Babka
• Babko
• Baboszewski
• Babski
• Babszyński

Descendants

• Polish: baba
• Silesian: baba

References

• Boryś, Wiesław (2005), “baba”, in Słownik etymologiczny języka polskiego (in Polish), Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literackie, →ISBN
• Mańczak, Witold (2017), “baba”, in Polski słownik etymologiczny (in Polish), Kraków: Polska Akademia Umiejętności, →ISBN
• Bańkowski, Andrzej (2000), “baba”, in Etymologiczny słownik języka polskiego [Etymological Dictionary of the Polish Language] (in Polish)
• Sławski, Franciszek (1958-1965), “baba”, in Jan Safarewicz, Andrzej Siudut, editors, Słownik etymologiczny języka polskiego [Etymological dictionary of the Polish language] (in Polish), Kraków: Towarzystwo Miłośników Języka Polskiego
• Krystyna Długosz-Kurczabowa (2021), “baba”, in Wielki słownik etymologiczno-historyczny języka polskiego, →ISBN
• Brückner, Aleksander (1927), “baba”, in Słownik etymologiczny języka polskiego [Etymological Dictionary of the Polish Language] (in Polish), Warsaw: Wiedza Powszechna
• K. Nitsch, editor (1953), “baba”, in Słownik staropolski (in Polish), volume 1, Warsaw: Polish Academy of Sciences, page 49
• B. Sieradzka-Baziur, Ewa Deptuchowa, Joanna Duska, Mariusz Frodyma, Beata Hejmo, Dorota Janeczko, Katarzyna Jasińska, Krystyna Kajtoch, Joanna Kozioł, Marian Kucała, Dorota Mika, Gabriela Niemiec, Urszula Poprawska, Elżbieta Supranowicz, Ludwika Szelachowska-Winiarzowa, Zofia Wanicowa, Piotr Szpor, Bartłomiej Borek, editors (2011–2015), “baba”, in Słownik pojęciowy języka staropolskiego [Conceptual Dictionary of Old Polish] (in Polish), Kraków: IJP PAN, →ISBN
• Ewa Deptuchowa, Mariusz Frodyma, Katarzyna Jasińska-Różycka, Magdalena Klapper, Tomasz Kolowca, Dorota Kołodziej, Mariusz Leńczuk, Joanna Duska, Maria Bugajska, Jan German, Beata Hejmo, Iwona Nobis, Dariusz Piwowarczyk, Ludwika Szelachowska-Winiarzowa, editors (2024), “baba”, in Baza Leksykalna Średniowiecznej Polszczyzny [Lexical Base of Medieval Polish] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego Polskiej Akademii Nauk
• Ewa Deptuchowa, Mariusz Frodyma, Katarzyna Jasińska, Magdalena Klapper, Dorota Kołodziej, Mariusz Leńczuk, Ludwika Szelachowska-Winiarzowa, Zofia Wanicowa, editors (2023), “baba”, in Rozariusze z polskimi glosami. Internetowa baza danych [Dictionaries of Polish glosses, an Internet database] (in Polish), Kraków: Pracownia Języka Staropolskiego Instytut Języka Polskiego Polskiej Akademii Nauk

Peranakan Indonesian

Etymology

Borrowed from Betawi baba.

Noun

baba

1. greetings for Chinese people (male)

Phuthi

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *-bába.

Verb

-baba

1. to taste bitter

Inflection

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

Polish

baby (etymology 1 sense 1)

baba (etymology 1 sense 3)

baba (etymology 1 sense 4)

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /ˈba.ba/

• (Middle Polish) IPA^(key): /ˈba.ba/
• (Greater Poland):
  • (Kociewie) IPA^(key): [ˈba.ba]
  • (Krajna) IPA^(key): [ˈba.ba]
  • (Kuyavia) IPA^(key): [ˈba.ba]
  • (Northern Greater Poland) IPA^(key): [ˈba.ba]
  • (Central Greater Poland) IPA^(key): [ˈba.ba]
• (Masovia):
  • (Ostróda) IPA^(key): [ˈba.ba]
  • (Warmia) IPA^(key): [ˈba.ba]
  • (Masuria) IPA^(key): [ˈbæ.bæ], [ˈba.ba]
  • (Kurpie) IPA^(key): [ˈba.ba]
  • (Near Masovian) IPA^(key): [ˈba.ba]
  • (Far Masovian) IPA^(key): [ˈba.ba]
  • (Podlachia) IPA^(key): [ˈba.ba]
  • (Suwałki) IPA^(key): [ˈba.ba]
  • (Łowicz) IPA^(key): [ˈba.ba]
• (Lesser Poland):
  • (Sieradz) IPA^(key): [ˈba.ba]
  • (Kielce) IPA^(key): [ˈba.ba]
  • (Western Kraków) IPA^(key): [ˈba.ba]
  • (Eastern Kraków) IPA^(key): [ˈba.ba]
  • (Lasovia) IPA^(key): [ˈba.ba]
  • (Western Lublin) IPA^(key): [ˈba.ba]
  • (Eastern Lublin) IPA^(key): [ˈba.ba]
  • (Przemyśl) IPA^(key): [ˈba.ba]
  • (Goral):
    • (Sącz) IPA^(key): [ˈba.ba]
    • (Żywiec) IPA^(key): [ˈba.ba]
    • (Podhale) IPA^(key): [ˈba.ba]
    • (Kliszczacy) IPA^(key): [ˈba.ba]
    • (Babia Góra) IPA^(key): [ˈba.ba]
• (Borderlands):
  • (Southern Borderlands) IPA^(key): [ˈba.ba]
  • (Northern Borderlands) IPA^(key): [ˈba.ba]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aba
• Syllabification: ba‧ba

Etymology 1

Etymology tree

Proto-Balto-Slavic *bā́ˀbāˀ

Proto-Slavic *bàba

Old Polish baba

Polish baba

Inherited from Old Polish baba.

Alternative forms

• boba (“type of hat”) (Central Greater Poland, Września County, Poznań)

Noun

baba f (diminutive babka or babcia, augmentative babsko or babisko, related adjective babi or babski)

2. (colloquial, somewhat derogatory or dialectal, Kuyavia, Radziejów, Suwałki, Augustów, Bory Tucholskie, Northern Borderlands, Southern Borderlands, Kociewie, Zagórze, Kielce, Ostróda, Warmia, Masuria, Northern Greater Poland) woman, crone, hag (female person; often one causing problems or one that is old)
   1. (colloquial or dialectal, Przemyśl, San river, Western Kraków, Sącz, Łącko, Zabrzeż, Babia Góra, Skawica, Kliszczak, Osielec, Podhale, Skawa, Zakopane, Lasovia, Tarnobrzeg, Kuyavia, Inowrocław, Kurpie, Łowicz, Far Masovian, Northern Borderlands, Southern Borderlands, Zagórze, Kielce, Masuria, Northern Greater Poland) woman; wife; girlfriend (female romantic partner, especially married)
   2. (childish or dialectal, Northern Borderlands, Southern Borderlands, Warmia, Masuria) grandmother (mother of one's mother or father)

      Synonyms: babcia, babka, babunia

   3. (colloquial, derogatory) female teacher

      Synonym: nauczycielka

   4. village woman (woman from a village)

      Synonyms: chłopka, wieśniaczka

   5. village seller (woman who sells things from a village)
   6. (Kurpie, used in folk tales) hag (evil female character)
   7. (Kociewie) grain hag (demon in the form of an old woman who scares children not to go into the grain)
   8. (Kociewie, obsolete) hag (unspecified, mythical figure of a woman in Grzybek on the Black Water Bridge, whose buttocks must be kissed by all who go to Osie for the first time)
   9. (obsolete) hag; witch, spellcaster

      Synonyms: czarownica, wiedźma

   10. (obsolete or dialectal, Ostróda, Warmia, Masuria, Northern Greater Poland) female beggar (woman who begs)

       Coordinate term: dziad

   11. (obsolete or dialectal, Podhale, Western Kraków, Southern Borderlands, Kamianets-Podilskyi, Drohobych, Near Masovian, Wilanów, obstetrics, Zagórze) midwife

       Synonyms: akuszerka, położna

   12. (obsolete) female hireling; female worker
   13. (obsolete) female pimp

       Synonym: stręczycielka

   14. (obsolete) snowwoman

       Synonym: bałwanica

   15. (Middle Polish or dialectal, Zagórze) synonym of znachorka
   16. (Middle Polish) synonym of płaczka (“mourner, griever”)
   17. (Middle Polish, chess) queen

       Synonyms: dama, hetman, królowa

   18. (Middle Polish) idol (female-shaped pillar representing a deity, an object of worship)
3. (derogatory) pansy, big girl's blouse (male of weak or cowardly character)
5. babka (cake in the shape of a truncated cone, with a round base, baked in a large, special form)

   Synonym: babka

7. (engineering) ram (hydraulic hammer)
   1. (Western Lublin, Janów Lubelski County, Podlachia, Tykocin, Central Greater Poland, Kalisz) driver (thick piece of wood for driving piles, pressing oil, etc.)
8. (Western Kraków, Pińczów, Kociewie, Więckowy, Near Masovian, Międzyrzec Podlaski) large sheaf

   Hypernym: snop

9. (Podlachia, Tykocin) coal opening (hole in a stove for coals poured in to heat the room more quickly)
10. (Kuyavia) star (luminous celestial body)

    Synonym: gwiazda

11. (Podlachia, Tykocin, Western Kraków, Rudawa, Far Masovian, Ciechanów, Eastern Kraków, Tarnów, Northern Greater Poland, in the plural, astronomy) Pleiades

    Synonym: Plejady

12. (Podlachia, Tykocin) old, thick pine

    Hypernym: sosna

13. (Podlachia, Tykocin, Łowicz, Masuria, spinning) stool circle (short, thick, wooden circle in a spinning wheel attached to a screw at the stool)
14. (Suwałki, Augustów Governorate) any of various freshwater sculpins of the genus Cottus

    Synonym: głowacz

15. (Łowicz) chimney side (side channel in a brick chimney)
16. (Southern Borderlands) Christmas bundle (bundle of straw placed on the floor on Christmas Eve)

    Hypernym: wiązka

17. (Southern Borderlands) blunt end (wider end of an egg)
18. (Kociewie, Ostróda) end (last sheaf of grain)

    Synonym: pępek

19. (Kociewie) end (last potato bush)
20. (Kociewie) horsing around (playing around with grain equipment)
21. (Kociewie) nimbus (dark cloud)
22. (Kociewie) net windlass (manual windlass for pulling nets out the water)

    Hypernym: kołowrót

23. (Central Greater Poland, Kłecko) stack center (structural element of a grain or hay stack; the central, inner part of the stack)
24. (Masuria) potato cake (baked good made with potatoes)
25. (Warmia) hag (person in disguise taking part in the ritual round of houses before the Epiphany)
26. (Ostróda) sliver (bundle of unspun fibres)

    Synonym: kądziel

27. (Masuria, Skorupki) batlet (stick for washing laundry in a river or pond)

    Synonym: kijanka

28. (Masuria, Laski Wielkie, Ełk County) scarecrow

    Synonym: strach

29. (Warmia, Masuria) type of dance, considered the most famous
30. (Northern Greater Poland, chiefly in the plural) smoke exhaust (hole in the ceiling through which smoke escapes into the chimney)
31. (Northern Greater Poland) pocket (air under thin ice)
32. (obsolete, timber rafting) kissing block (wooden block carved in the shape of a human head given to new rafters to kiss by rafters who are helping the new rafters with the rafting for the first time)
33. (obsolete or dialectal, Krajna, Wyrzysk County, Far Masovian, Ciechanów, Bory Tucholskie, Masuria, Northern Greater Poland, fishing) seine barrel (narrow barrel with a pole through it, used for winding a seine line while fishing later placed on a sled on ice)
34. (obsolete, sports) starting peg (peg that starts a game of croquet)
35. (obsolete, engineering) tamping block (oak block with a handle used for tamping when laying stones, spreading gravel on road surfaces, etc.)
36. (obsolete, art) painting pillow (leather pillow for applying paint in manual printing of canvases)
37. (obsolete or dialectal, Central Greater Poland, Kielce, Opoczno County, Eastern Lublin, Żywiec, Podlachia, Międzyrzec Podlaski, Far Masovian, Ciechanów, Sieradz, Wieluń, Radomsko, Suwałki, Augustów Governorate, Podhale) plug (bundle of rags, wooden board for plugging the cavity of a stove or chimney)
38. (obsolete or dialectal, Kurpie) bogie (booger)

    Synonym: babok

39. (obsolete) hay block (bundle of hay used as a blockade for dangerous passages)
40. (obsolete) hat form (a wooden form on which hats are ironed and shaped)

    Hypernym: forma

41. (obsolete, sailing) boathook
42. (obsolete) plantain (any plant of the genus Plantago)

    Synonym: babka

43. (obsolete or dialectal, Biecz, Ropczyce-Sędziszów County, Podlachia, Tykocin, Northern Greater Poland) type of bulbous pear
44. (obsolete, sailing) tight knot (knot on a mast twist that raftsmen can't undo)
45. (obsolete, sailing) raft block (bundle of straw that will be placed in dangerous places on rivers to prevent the raft from running aground)
46. (obsolete, mining) synonym of posułt
47. (obsolete, hunting) Eurasian jay (Garrulus glandarius)

    Synonym: sójka

48. (obsolete, hunting) type of wild duck
49. (obsolete, university slang, games) leather ball
50. (obsolete) pelican (seabird of the family Pelecanidae)

    Synonym: pelikan

51. (obsolete) tuna (fish of the genus Thunnus)

    Synonym: tuńczyk

52. (Middle Polish) whipping block
53. (Middle Polish) type of cannon; gun

    Hypernyms: armata, działo

Declension

Declension of baba

	singular	plural
nominative	baba	baby
genitive	baby	bab
dative	babie	babom
accusative	babę	baby
instrumental	babą	babami
locative	babie	babach
vocative	babo	baby

Derived terms

nouns

• Baba Jaga
• baba-chłop
• babiarz
• babie lato
• babimór
• babina
• babiniec
• babizna
• babochłop
• baboholik
• babol
• babon
• babstwo
• babsztyl
• babula
• babus
• babusia
• chłopobaba
• herod-baba
• pies na baby
• rżana baba

phrases

• baba z wozu, koniom lżej
• dziad swoje, baba swoje
• gdzie diabeł nie może, tam babę pośle
• jak się chłop z babą nie wyśpi, to jej żaden garniec na blasze nie pasuje
• masz babo placek
• nie miała baba kłopotu, kupiła sobie prosię

verbs

• babieć impf, zbabieć pf

verbs

• (dialectal) chôdzić pô babach impf

Related terms

adjectives

• babciny
• babciowy
• babczany
• babkowaty

adverbs

• babsko

nouns

• babeczka
• babinka
• babka bycza
• babka lancetowata
• babka piaskowa
• babkowate
• babskość
• babuleńka
• babulina
• babulinka
• babulka
• babunia
• babuśka
• cioteczna babka
• ciuciubabka
• stryjeczna babka
• ślepa babka

Etymology 2

Etymology tree

Old Anatolian Turkish بَبَا (baba)

Ottoman Turkish بابا (baba)

Turkish bababor.

Polish baba

Borrowed from Turkish baba. First attested in 1633, but in common usage only as of the 20th century.

Noun

baba f

1. balbal (stone figure used in cult or spiritual functions)
2. (Middle Polish) jail; dungeon

Declension

Declension of baba

	singular	plural
nominative	baba	baby
genitive	baby	bab
dative	babie	babom
accusative	babę	baby
instrumental	babą	babami
locative	babie	babach
vocative	babo	baby

Further reading

• baba in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• baba in Polish dictionaries at PWN
• Maciej Czeszewski (2006), “baba”, in Monika Szewczyk, editor, Słownik polszczyzny potocznej, 1 edition, Warsaw: Polish Scientific Publishers PWN, →ISBN, page 22
• “baba”, in Słownik gramatyczny języka polskiego [Grammatical Dictionary of Polish], 2022
• Maria Renata Mayenowa; Stanisław Rospond; Witold Taszycki; Stefan Hrabec; Władysław Kuraszkiewicz (2010-2023), “baba”, in Słownik Polszczyzny XVI Wieku [A Dictionary of 16th Century Polish]
• Samuel Bogumił Linde (1807–1814), “baba”, in Słownik języka polskiego
• Aleksander Zdanowicz (1861), “baba”, in Słownik języka polskiego, Wilno 1861
• J. Karłowicz, A. Kryński, W. Niedźwiedzki, editors (1900), “baba”, in Słownik języka polskiego (in Polish), volume 1, Warsaw, page 77
• Jan Karłowicz (1900), “baba”, in Słownik gwar polskich [Dictionary of Polish dialects] (in Polish), volume 1: A do E, Kraków: Akademia Umiejętności, page 27
• Halina Świderska (1929), “baba”, in Dialekt Księstwa Łowickiego (in Polish), Warsaw, →ISBN, page 344
• Adam Tomaszewski (1930), “baba”, in Gwara Łopienna i okolicy w północnej Wielkopolsce‎^[37] (in Polish), Kraków: Polska Akademia Umiejętności, page 104
• Bernard Sychta (1980), “baba”, in Hanna Taborska, Anna Cieślarowa, editors, Słownictwo kociewskie na tle kultury ludowej (in Polish), volume 1, Wrocław, Warsaw, Krakow, Gdańsk: Polska Akadamia Nauk, →ISBN, page 7
• Zofia Stamirowska (1987-2024), “baba”, in Anna Basara, editor, Słownik gwar Ostródzkiego, Warmii i Mazur, volume 1, Zakład Narodowy im. Ossolińskich Wydawnictwo Polskiej Akademii Nauk, →ISBN, page 137
• Józefa Kobylińska (2001), “baba”, in Marian Kucała, editor, Słownik gwary gorczańskiej (zagórzańskiej)‎^[38] (in Polish), Kraków: Wydawnictwo Naukowe Akademii Pedagogicznej, →ISBN, page 2
• Władysław Paryl (2004), “baba I-VI”, in Słownik gwary przesiedleńców ze wsi Tuligłowy koło Komarna; Polskie Słownictwo Kresowe (in Polish), Kraków: Wydawnictwo Lexis, page 22
• Stanisław Cygan (2018), “baba”, in Słownik gwary opoczyńskiej‎^[39] (in Polish), Opoczno, page 32
• Henryk Gadomski (2022), “baba”, in Mirosław Grzyb, Krystyna Łaszczych, Tadeusz Grec, editors, Słownik dialektu kurpiowskiego (in Polish), Ostrołęka: Związek Kurpiów, →ISBN, page 52
• Günter Donder (2011), “bäbä”, in Kleines masurisches Wörterbuch mit Lesestücken und einen Tonträger‎^[40] (in German), archived from the original on 10/12/2023, page 11
• baba in Słownik Gwary Borowiackiej
• baba in Słownik Wyrazów Dyferencjalnych
• Justyna Kobus, Krystyna Wilkosz, editors (2024), “baba”, in Słownik języka mieszkańców okolic Kłecka, Praca na roli i w gospodarstwie‎^[41] (in Polish), Poznań: Wydawnictwo „Poznańskie Studia Polonistyczne”, →ISBN, page 51

Portuguese

Etymology 1

From the hypothesized Vulgar Latin *baba, ultimately imitative of children speech on the pattern of the repeated syllable ba. Compare French bave.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈba.bɐ/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈba.bɐ/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈba.ba/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈba.bɐ/ [ˈba.βɐ]

• Rhymes: -abɐ
• Hyphenation: ba‧ba

Noun

baba f (plural babas)

1. drool, dribble, slobber
2. (Brazil, vulgar) Cowper's fluid; pre-ejaculate

Derived terms

• baba de camelo
• babar
• baboso

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

baba

1. inflection of babar:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Further reading

• “baba”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “baba”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Ratagnon

Noun

baba

1. mouth

Romanian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈba.ba]

Noun

baba

1. definite singular of babă

Salar

Etymology

Cognate with Azerbaijani baba.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [pɑpɑ]

Noun

baba

1. grandfather

References

• 林莲云 [Lin Lianyun] (1985), “baba”, in 撒拉语简志 [A Brief History of Salar]‎^[42], Beijing: 民族出版社: 琴書店, →OCLC, page 126
• Ma, Chengjun; Han, Lianye; Ma, Weisheng (December 2010), “baba”, in 米娜瓦尔 艾比布拉 (Minavar Abibra), editor, 撒维汉词典 (Sāwéihàncídiǎn) [Salar-Uyghur-Chinese dictionary] (in Chinese), 1st edition, Beijing, →ISBN, page 30

Senhaja de Srair

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Berber, from Proto-Afroasiatic *ʔab-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /baba/

Noun

baba m (usually uncountable, Tifinagh spelling ⴱⴰⴱⴰ)

1. (my) father

   Synonym: lwalid

   Aryaz-iyya d baba. ― This man is my father.

See also

• yemma (“mother”)

References

• Gutova, Evgeniya; Byler, Jonathan (2025), “Senhaja de Srair - English Dictionary”, in Webonary‎^[43], retrieved 2025
• Gutova, Evgeniya (2021) Senhaja Berber Varieties: Phonology, Morphology, and Morphosyntax (Thesis)‎^[44], Paris, France: HAL

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *baba. First attested in the 15th century.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bâba/
• Hyphenation: ba‧ba

Noun

bȁba f (Cyrillic spelling ба̏ба, augmentative babetina)

1. (regional) grandmother

   Da je (moja) baba muško, zvala bi se Duško. ― If my grandmother were a man, her name would be Duško. (a rhyming expression about impossible conditions)

2. (usually derogatory) old woman, hag
3. (derogatory) female person

Declension

Declension of baba

	singular	plural
nominative	bȁba	babe
genitive	babe	bȃbā
dative	babi	babama
accusative	babu	babe
vocative	babo	babe
locative	babi	babama
instrumental	babom	babama

Synonyms

• (grandmother; grandma): báka, nena

Further reading

• “baba”, in Hrvatski jezični portal [Croatian language portal] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2006–2026

Shona

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *bààbá.

Noun

babá class 1a (plural vababá class 2)

1. father
2. (Christianity) father (priest)

   Synonym: fata

Silesian

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Balto-Slavic *bā́ˀbāˀ

Proto-Slavic *bàba

Old Polish baba

Silesian baba

Inherited from Old Polish baba.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈba.ba/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aba
• Syllabification: ba‧ba

Noun

baba f

1. (sometimes derogatory) woman; old woman (female person, especially an older one)

   Synonyms: kobiyta, niywiasta, (Cieszyn) żyńskŏ

2. wife; girlfriend (female romantic partner)

   Synonyms: moja, ślubnŏ, żōna

3. midwife

   Synonym: hebama

4. grandma (mother of a parent)
5. female beggar (woman who begs)
6. female quack (female incompetent doctor)
7. female herbalist (woman who deals with herbs)
8. female matchmaker (woman who sets up couples)
9. narrowleaf plantain (Plantago lanceolata)
10. pile driver (machine for forcing a pile, a long beam, into the ground)
11. (derogatory) pansy, big girl's blouse (male of weak or cowardly character)
12. babka (type of cake)
13. scarecrow; female effigy
14. common pear, (Pyrus communis)

    Synonym: babka

15. large wooden hammer
16. pipe running from an oven to a chimney
17. (mining) hammer for mining
18. roof over the hearth of a furnace that discharges smoke into the chimney
19. chimney with a bulging, spherical shape
20. (forging) small anvil for striking a scythe or a sickle

    Synonym: babka

21. (agriculture) group of sheaves of grain next to each other covered in another sheaf

Declension

Declension of baba

	singular	plural
nominative	baba	baby
genitive	baby	bŏb/babōw
dative	babie	babōm
accusative	babã	baby
instrumental	babōm	babami/babōma
locative	babie	babach
vocative	babo	baby

Further reading

• baba in dykcjonorz.eu
• baba in silling.org
• Bogdan Kallus (2020), “baba”, in Słownik Gōrnoślōnskij Gŏdki, IV edition, Chorzów: Pro Loquela Silesiana, →ISBN, page 234
• Henryk Jaroszewicz (2022), “baba”, in Zasady pisowni języka śląskiego (in Polish), Siedlce: Wydawnictwo Naukowe IKR[i]BL, page 62
• Eugeniusz Kosmała (2023), Dykcjōnôrz Polsko-Ślonskiy (in Silesian), b, page 1
• Barbara Podgórska; Adam Podgóski (2008), “+”, in Słownik gwar śląskich [A dictionary of Silesian dialects] (in Polish), Katowice: Wydawnictwo KOS, →ISBN, page 28
• Aleksandra Wencel (2023), “baba”, in Dykcjůnôrz ślų̊sko-polski, page 32
• Michał Przywara (c. 1900), “baba”, in Narzecza śląskie napisał ks. Michał Przywara. C. Słownik‎^[45]

Slovak

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *baba.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /baba/, [ˈbaba]
• Rhymes: -aba
• Hyphenation: ba‧ba

Noun

baba f

1. (colloquial) old woman
2. (colloquial) girl
3. (dated) midwife
4. (dated) doll

   Synonym: bábika

5. (dated) puppet

   Synonym: maňuška

6. (dated) hash brown

   Synonyms: zemiaková placka, zemiaková baba

Declension

Declension of baba
(pattern žena)

	singular	plural
nominative	baba	baby
genitive	baby	báb
dative	babe	babám
accusative	babu	baby
locative	babe	babách
instrumental	babou	babami

Derived terms

• babský (adjective)
• babsky (adverb)
• babisko

Further reading

• “baba”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2003–2026

Slovene

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *baba. First attested in the 16th century

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bàːba/

Noun

baba f

1. old woman, hag

Declension

The diacritics used in this section of the entry are non-tonal. If you are a native tonal speaker, please help by adding the tonal marks.

Feminine, a-stem
nom. sing.	bába
gen. sing.	bábe
	singular	dual	plural
nominative (imenovȃlnik)	bába	bábi	bábe
genitive (rodȋlnik)	bábe	báb	báb
dative (dajȃlnik)	bábi	bábama	bábam
accusative (tožȋlnik)	bábo	bábi	bábe
locative (mẹ̑stnik)	bábi	bábah	bábah
instrumental (orọ̑dnik)	bábo	bábama	bábami

Derived terms

• bábica

Further reading

• “baba”, in Slovarji Inštituta za slovenski jezik Frana Ramovša ZRC SAZU (in Slovene), 2014–2026

Slovincian

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Balto-Slavic *bā́ˀbāˀ

Proto-Slavic *bàba

Slovincian baba

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *bàba.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈba.ba/
• Rhymes: -aba
• Syllabification: ba‧ba

Noun

baba f (diminutive babjina, augmentative babjiszczô or babskô, related adjective babjy, possessive adjective babjyn)

1. old woman
2. (derogatory) woman, broad
3. female animal

Declension

Declension of baba

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	baba	babjê	babë
genitive	babë	—	bob
dative	babjê	babôma	babóm
accusative	babã	—	babë
instrumental	babõ	babôma	babamy
locative	babjê	—	babach
vocative	—	—	—

Derived terms

adjectives

• babskjy

Related terms

nouns

• babjynka

verbs

• babjoc impf, zbabjoc pf

References

• Lorentz, Friedrich (1908), “bãbă”, in Slovinzisches Wörterbuch‎^[46] (in German), volume 1, Saint Petersburg: ОРЯС ИАН, page 10

Southern Ndebele

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *-bába.

Verb

-bába

1. to be bitter

Inflection

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

Spanish

Etymology

From the hypothesized Vulgar Latin *baba (“drooling, infantile talk”), ultimately imitative of children's speech on the pattern of the repeated syllable ba.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbaba/ [ˈba.β̞a]

• Audio (Venezuela):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aba
• Syllabification: ba‧ba

Noun

baba f (plural babas)

1. drool, dribble

   La chacha lavaba, y mientras lavaba, la baba se le caía.

   The maid washed, and as she washed, she drooled.

2. slime
3. (Venezuela) baby alligator, caiman or crocodile

Derived terms

• caérsele la baba
• de baba

Related terms

• babear
• babero
• babosa
• baboso

See also

• cieno
• lama

Further reading

• “baba”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025

Swahili

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *bààbá. Likely reinforced by Arabic بابا (bābā) and Persian بابا (bâbâ).

Pronunciation

• Audio (Kenya):

  (file)

Noun

baba class IX (plural baba class X)

1. father (male parent)

Coordinate terms

• mama

Derived terms

• baba mkwe (“father-in-law”)
• baba wa kambo (“stepfather”)
• ubaba

Swazi

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *-bába.

Verb

-bába

1. (intransitive) to taste bitter

Inflection

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

Tagalog

Etymology 1

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *babaq, from Proto-Austronesian *babaq (“lower surface, below, bottom”). Cognate with Malay bawah (“under, below”).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog)
  • IPA^(key): /ˈbabaʔ/ [ˈbaː.bɐʔ] (“chin; lowness”)
    • Rhymes: -abaʔ
  • IPA^(key): /baˈbaʔ/ [bɐˈbaʔ] (“descent; getting off; downstairs; decrease; fruit picking in season”)
    • Rhymes: -aʔ
• Syllabification: ba‧ba

Noun

babà (Baybayin spelling ᜊᜊ)

1. lowness; low height
2. (anatomy) chin

   Synonym: (Marinduque) sihang

Derived terms

• alog na ang baba
• ambaba
• babaan
• bumaba
• ibaba
• ibong mababa ang lipad
• kababaan
• kababaan ng loob
• kababaang-loob
• kalapating mababa ang lipad
• kalumbaba
• mababa
• mababa ang luha
• mababain
• mababang kapulungan
• mababang paaralan
• mababang-loob
• magpakababa
• napakababa
• ngalumbaba
• pababain
• pagpapababa
• pagpapakababa
• pakababain
• pangangalumbaba
• pinakamababa
• salumbaba

Noun

babâ (Baybayin spelling ᜊᜊ)

1. descent; going down

   Synonyms: lapag, lunsad, lusong, (of stairs) panaog

2. getting off; alighting (from a vehicle or animal)
3. stepping down; abdication; resignation from office

   Synonyms: bitiw, abdika, dimiti

4. downstairs; basement

   Synonyms: ibaba, lapag

5. decrease; lowering (of quantity or measurement)
6. fruit picking in season
7. putting down the phone; hanging up on a phone call

Derived terms

• baba sandata
• babaan
• bumaba
• ibaba
• ibinaba
• ipababa
• magbaba
• magpababa
• magpakumbaba
• pababa
• pababain
• pagbaba
• pagbaba-pagtaas
• pagbababa
• paibaba
• pakumbaba
• pangayumbaba
• tagababa
• talababa

Etymology 2

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *baba, from Proto-Austronesian *baba (“to carry (a person piggyback)”). Cognate with Malay bawa (“to carry”).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog)
  • IPA^(key): /baˈba/ [bɐˈba] (“piggyback”, noun; “carried piggyback”, adjective)
    • Rhymes: -a
  • IPA^(key): /ˈbaba/ [ˈbaː.bɐ] (“(obsolete) loading into a boat”, noun)
    • Rhymes: -aba
• Syllabification: ba‧ba

Noun

babá (Baybayin spelling ᜊᜊ)

1. piggyback
2. coitus of animals

   Synonym: kasta

Derived terms

• babahan
• babahin
• babhin
• bumaba
• ibaba
• kababa
• maba
• mababahan
• magbaba
• pagbababa
• palababahan

See also

• pasan

Adjective

babá (Baybayin spelling ᜊᜊ)

1. carried piggyback

   Baba ko siya.

   I am carrying him piggyback.

Noun

baba (Baybayin spelling ᜊᜊ) (obsolete)

1. loading a person into a boat

   Synonyms: pagsakay, paglulan

Derived terms

• babahan
• babahin
• mamaba
• mapababa

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /baˈbaʔ/ [bɐˈbaʔ]
• Rhymes: -aʔ
• Syllabification: ba‧ba

Noun

babâ (Baybayin spelling ᜊᜊ) (obsolete)

1. name of the Baybayin letter ᜊ (ba), corresponding to "ba"

See also

• ba

Further reading

• “baba”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, 2018
• Noceda, Fr. Juan José de; Sanlucar, Fr. Pedro de (1860), Vocabulario de la lengua tagala, compuesto por varios religiosos doctos y graves, y coordinado por…, ultimamente aumentado y corregido por varios religiosos de la Orden de Agustinos calzados.‎^[47] (overall work in Spanish and Classical Tagalog), Manila: Ramírez y Giraudier.
• Santos, Fr. Domingo de los (1835), Vocabulario de la lengua Tagala, primera y segunda parte. En la primera, se pone primero el Castellano, y despues el Tagalo. Y en la segunda al contrario, que son las raíces simples con sus acentos.‎^[48] (overall work in Spanish and Classical Tagalog), Manila: La Imprenta nueva de D. José María Dayot, por Tomás Oliva.
• San Buena Ventura, Fr. Pedro de (1613), Vocabulario de lengua tagala. El romance castellano puesto primero. Primera, y segunda parte.‎^[49] (overall work in Early Modern Spanish and Classical Tagalog), as directed by Gov. Gen. Juan de Silva, Pila, Laguna: La noble Villa de Pila, por Tomás Pinpin y Domingo Loag.
  • page 2: “Abajar) Baba [(pc)] lo q̃ eſta alto”
  • page 99: “B) Baba (pc) aſi llaman eſtos [a nueſtra]. B. nombrandola .|. babayaon .|. ᜊ. baba ang maſoſonor dito. B. [eſta que] aqui ſe a de ſeguir. Pero ſi la eſcriven o pronunçian es [ſimplemente]. B. vſanla ſiempre conſonante como noſotros q̃ yere en la bocal como, bata, bang̃is, bago, &c.”
  • page 101: “Bajo) Baba (pc) no alto, mababa, ad) cualquier coſa baja”
  • page 103: “Barba) Baba (pp) la carne [y no] el pelo o barba ſin pelo [como la] dela muger”
  • page 147: “Carga) Baba (pc) de alguna coſa”
  • page 147: “Cargar) Baba (pc) enlas eſpaldas algo”
  • page 359: “Humillarſe) Baba (pp) y ſujetarſe [en lo] interior”
  • page 398: “Lleuar) Baba [(pc) en barco] a alguna perſona”
  • page 405: “Mano) Baba (pp) tener pueſta en la mejilla”
  • page 414: “Melancolico) Baba [(pp)] eſtar pueſta la mano en la mejilla”
• Blust, Robert; Trussel, Stephen; et al. (2023) “*babaq₁”, in the CLDF dataset from The Austronesian Comparative Dictionary (2010–), →DOI
• Blust, Robert; Trussel, Stephen; et al. (2023) “*baba₁”, in the CLDF dataset from The Austronesian Comparative Dictionary (2010–), →DOI

Taíno

Noun

baba

1. father

Tarifit

Alternative forms

• aba

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Berber, from Proto-Afroasiatic *ʔab-.

Noun

baba m (plural ibabaten, Tifinagh spelling ⴱⴰⴱⴰ)

1. (my) father

   Synonym: lwalid

Related terms

• mmi (“son”)
• yemma (“mother”)
• yeǧi (“daughter”)

Ternate

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈba.ba]

Noun

baba

1. father

   Synonym: aba

References

• Rika Hayami-Allen (2001). A Descriptive Study of the Language of Ternate, the Northern Moluccas, Indonesia. University of Pittsburgh.

Tswana

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *-bába.

Verb

-bába

1. (intransitive) to taste hot, spicy
2. (intransitive) to taste bitter
3. (intransitive) to itch

Tumbuka

Verb

-baba (infinitive kubaba)

1. to give birth
2. to beget (of men)
3. to bear, to carry on one's back

Derived terms

• -babika (“to be born”)
• -babiwa (“to be born”)
• cibabiro (“womb”)

References

• William Y. Turner (1996), Tumbuka/Tonga-English and English - Tumbuka/Tonga Dictionary‎^[50], Central Africana Limited, page 4

Turkish

Etymology

From Ottoman Turkish بابا. First attested in 13th century. Nişanyan suggests the current word is a result of onomatopoeia found commonly in many languages. (In that respect, compare also papa and mama as translingual phenomena for father and mother.)

Cognate with Southern Altai баабый (baabïy, “small baby”), папа (papa), Kazakh баба (baba), Bashkir баба (baba), Uzbek bobo, Uyghur بابا (baba), بوۋا (bowa), Turkmen baba, Azerbaijani baba (“grandfather”), etc.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /baˈba/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ba‧ba

Noun

baba (definite accusative babayı, plural babalar)

1. father
2. (Bektashism) saint
3. (slang) crime boss
4. (slang) penis, dick
5. (Bursa) roundabout
6. ellipsis of iskele babası (“bollard, bitt”)

Declension

Declension of baba

singular plural nominative baba babalar definite accusative babayı babaları dative babaya babalara locative babada babalarda ablative babadan babalardan genitive babanın babaların Possessive forms nominative singular plural 1st singular babam babalarım 2nd singular baban babaların 3rd singular babası babaları 1st plural babamız babalarımız 2nd plural babanız babalarınız 3rd plural babaları babaları definite accusative singular plural 1st singular babamı babalarımı 2nd singular babanı babalarını 3rd singular babasını babalarını 1st plural babamızı babalarımızı 2nd plural babanızı babalarınızı 3rd plural babalarını babalarını dative singular plural 1st singular babama babalarıma 2nd singular babana babalarına 3rd singular babasına babalarına 1st plural babamıza babalarımıza 2nd plural babanıza babalarınıza 3rd plural babalarına babalarına locative singular plural 1st singular babamda babalarımda 2nd singular babanda babalarında 3rd singular babasında babalarında 1st plural babamızda babalarımızda 2nd plural babanızda babalarınızda 3rd plural babalarında babalarında ablative singular plural 1st singular babamdan babalarımdan 2nd singular babandan babalarından 3rd singular babasından babalarından 1st plural babamızdan babalarımızdan 2nd plural babanızdan babalarınızdan 3rd plural babalarından babalarından genitive singular plural 1st singular babamın babalarımın 2nd singular babanın babalarının 3rd singular babasının babalarının 1st plural babamızın babalarımızın 2nd plural babanızın babalarınızın 3rd plural babalarının babalarının Predicative forms singular plural 1st singular babayım babalarım 2nd singular babasın babalarsın 3rd singular baba babadır babalar babalardır 1st plural babayız babalarız 2nd plural babasınız babalarsınız 3rd plural babalar babalardır

Derived terms

• Âdem baba
• ağababa
• ana baba
• Arap Baba
• baba adam
• baba bucağı
• baba evi
• baba hindi
• baba mirası
• baba nasihati
• baba ocağı
• Baba Oruç
• baba tatlısı
• baba yadigârı
• baba yurdu
• babaanne
• babacan
• babayiğit
• ballıbaba
• büyük baba
• dağ babası
• dedebaba
• devlet baba
• efendibaba
• Gani Baba
• Gül Baba
• Haçkalı Baba
• iskele babası
• kayın baba
• Mimi Baba
• Noel baba
• paşa baba
• Somuncu Baba
• Şam Baba
• üvey baba

Adjective

baba

1. (slang) top-notch, high-quality, very good

Descendants

• → German: baba

Further reading

• “baba”, in Turkish dictionaries, Türk Dil Kurumu
• Aktunç, Hulki (1998), “baba”, in Türkçenin büyük argo sözlüğü (tanıklarıyla) [Great Dictionary of Turkish Argot (with Attestations)] (in Turkish), Istanbul: YKY, page 55a
• Devellioğlu, Ferit (1980), “baba”, in Türk argosu: İnceleme ve sözlük (Aydin Kitabevi yayınları. Sözlük dizisi; 1)‎^[51] (in Turkish), 6th edition, Ankara: Aydın Kitabevi, page 62a
• Püsküllüoğlu, Ali (2021), “baba”, in Türkçenin Argo Sözlüğü [Turkish Slang Dictionary] (in Turkish), 4th edition, Ankara: Arkadaş, →ISBN, page 35

Turkmen

Other scripts
Latin	baba‍
Cyrillic	баба‍
Arabic	بابا

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /baːˈba/, [bɑ̝ːˈbɑ̝], [-ˈβɑ̝]
• Hyphenation: bā‧ba

Noun

baba

1. maternal grandfather
2. term of address for old men

Declension

Declension of baba

	singular	plural
nominative	baba	babalar
accusative	babany	babalary
genitive	babanyň	babalaryň
dative	babā	babalara
locative	babada	babalarda
ablative	babadan	babalardan

Derived terms

• babadaş (“distant relative”)

Further reading

• “baba” in Enedilim.com
• “baba” in Webonary.org

Upper Sorbian

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *bàba.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbaba/
• Rhymes: -aba
• Hyphenation: ba‧ba
• Syllabification: ba‧ba

Noun

baba f (diminutive babka)

1. midwife (woman who attends births, helping women in labor)
2. bundt cake
3. old woman (elderly woman)

Declension

Declension of baba (feminine hard stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	baba	babje	baby
genitive	baby	babow	babow
dative	babje	babomaj	babam
accusative	babu	babje	baby
instrumental	babu	babomaj	babami
locative	babje	babomaj	babach
vocative	baba	babje	baby

Further reading

• “baba”, in Mudra corpus [Upper Sorbian–Czech dictionary] (in Czech), 2024–2026
• “baba” in Soblex

Venda

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *bààbá.

Noun

baba

1. father

Wajarri

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /papa/

Noun

baba

1. water (not including sea water), rain

West Makian

Etymology

Together with the polite yaya (“mother”), likely borrowed from Ternate baba (“father”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈba.ba/

Noun

baba

1. father

Usage notes

The term baba is used for addressing one's father, whereas the term fao is used for referring to a father.

References

• Clemens Voorhoeve (1982), The Makian languages and their neighbours‎^[52], Pacific linguistics

Woiwurrung

Alternative forms

• bâboop
• babeb
• papa
• baban (“mother”)
• pa-pa
• babep (“mother”)

Noun

baba

1. mother

Derived terms

• ba-bourn marnang (“thumb”)
• bababi-djinang (“big toe”)

Yoruba

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bà.bá/

Noun

bàbá

1. father, dad

   Synonyms: baba, àbá, iba, bàá, bà

2. A term of respect or endearment for an older man, male relative, or a higher ranking man.
3. A title for a man of a specific occupation (ex. bàbá-alágbẹ̀dẹ (“blacksmith”)).

Usage notes

While bàbá is generally synonymous with baba, bàbá is a more restricted definition.

Coordinate terms

• ìyá (“mother”)

Derived terms

• bàbá-àgbà (“grandfather”)
• bàbá-ìyá (“maternal grandfather”)
• bàbábàbá (“paternal grandfather”)
• Ikú bàbá-yèyé! (“A hailing of the Alaafin of Oyo”)

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bā.bā/

Noun

baba

1. father

   Synonym: bàbá

2. elderly man of wisdom, sage, elder

   Synonym: bàbá

3. revered or senior leader or entity

   ògòǹgò, baba ẹyẹ ― The ostrich, the most revered of all the birds

4. male ancestor

   Synonym: baba-ńlá

5. A prefix for given names in the class orúkọ àmútọ̀runwá, given to children who are believed to be reincarnations of a male ancestor. (ex. Babájídé, Babátúndé).

Derived terms

• baba-kékeré (“uncle”)
• baba-nígbẹ̀ẹ́jọ́ (“godfather”)
• Baba-ìṣègùn (“chief healer of a town”)
• Baba-ìyajì (“a prince of the Oyo royal family”)
• baba-ńlá (“male ancestor”)
• babababa (“grandfather”)
• babaláwo (“Ifa priest”)
• babalórìṣà (“Orisha priest”)
• Babájídé
• Babánùmí
• Babárímisá
• Babátúndé
• Balógun
• baálẹ̀
• baálé (“head of the household”)

Etymology 3

Àwọn nǹkan oníbàbà

Chemical element
Cu
Previous: níkùlù (Ni)
Next: síǹkì (Zn)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bà.bà/

Noun

bàbà

1. copper (chemical element, Cu, atomical number 29)

Derived terms

• bàbàganran (“bronze”)

Etymology 4

Bábà

Borrowed from English barber.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bá.bà/

Noun

bábà

1. barber

   Synonyms: onígbàjámọ̀, agẹrun, gẹrun-gẹrun

Etymology 5

Bàbà

Possibly from Etymology 3 (bàbà (“copper”)), in reference to the copper-like color of sorghum

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bà.bà/

Noun

bàbà

1. sorghum, millet, (in particular) Sorghum bicolor

   Synonyms: ọkà bàbà, jéró

2. dark red color, in comparison to the color of sorghum

   Synonym: ẹpọ́n

Etymology 6

Adjective sense derives from ideophone sense

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bà.bà/, /bá.bá/

Ideophone

bàbà or bábá

1. (of an object) to be quickly and rapidly hovering

Derived terms

• rá bàbà (“to hover”)

Adjective

bábá

1. plentiful

   bábá owó ― Plentiful amount of money

Derived terms

• ìbàábá (“secrecy, privacy”)

Zulu

Etymology 1

From Proto-Bantu *-bába.

Verb

-bába

1. (intransitive) to taste hot, spicy
2. (intransitive) to taste bitter

Inflection

tone H (infinitive ukubaba)

	positive	negative
infinitive	ukubaba	ukungababi
imperative
	simple	+ object concord
singular	baba	-babe
plural	babani	-babeni
present
	positive absolute	positive relative	positive participial	negative absolute	negative relative	negative participial
1st singular	ngiyababa, ngibaba	engibabayo, engibaba	ngibaba	angibabi	engingababi	ngingababi
2nd singular	uyababa, ubaba	obabayo, obaba	ubaba	awubabi	ongababi	ungababi
1st plural	siyababa, sibaba	esibabayo, esibaba	sibaba	asibabi	esingababi	singababi
2nd plural	niyababa, nibaba	enibabayo, enibaba	nibaba	anibabi	eningababi	ningababi
class 1	uyababa, ubaba	obabayo, obaba	ebaba	akababi	ongababi	engababi
class 2	bayababa, bababa	abababayo, abababa	bebaba	abababi	abangababi	bengababi
class 3	uyababa, ubaba	obabayo, obaba	ubaba	awubabi	ongababi	ungababi
class 4	iyababa, ibaba	ebabayo, ebaba	ibaba	ayibabi	engababi	ingababi
class 5	liyababa, libaba	elibabayo, elibaba	libaba	alibabi	elingababi	lingababi
class 6	ayababa, ababa	ababayo, ababa	ebaba	awababi	angababi	engababi
class 7	siyababa, sibaba	esibabayo, esibaba	sibaba	asibabi	esingababi	singababi
class 8	ziyababa, zibaba	ezibabayo, ezibaba	zibaba	azibabi	ezingababi	zingababi
class 9	iyababa, ibaba	ebabayo, ebaba	ibaba	ayibabi	engababi	ingababi
class 10	ziyababa, zibaba	ezibabayo, ezibaba	zibaba	azibabi	ezingababi	zingababi
class 11	luyababa, lubaba	olubabayo, olubaba	lubaba	alubabi	olungababi	lungababi
class 14	buyababa, bubaba	obubabayo, obubaba	bubaba	abubabi	obungababi	bungababi
class 15	kuyababa, kubaba	okubabayo, okubaba	kubaba	akubabi	okungababi	kungababi
class 17	kuyababa, kubaba	okubabayo, okubaba	kubaba	akubabi	okungababi	kungababi
recent past
	positive absolute	positive relative	positive participial	negative absolute	negative relative	negative participial
1st singular	ngibabile, ngibabē	engibabile, engibabē	ngibabile, ngibabē	angibabanga	engingababanga	ngingababanga
2nd singular	ubabile, ubabē	obabile, obabē	ubabile, ubabē	awubabanga	ongababanga	ungababanga
1st plural	sibabile, sibabē	esibabile, esibabē	sibabile, sibabē	asibabanga	esingababanga	singababanga
2nd plural	nibabile, nibabē	enibabile, enibabē	nibabile, nibabē	anibabanga	eningababanga	ningababanga
class 1	ubabile, ubabē	obabile, obabē	ebabile, ebabē	akababanga	ongababanga	engababanga
class 2	bababile, bababē	abababile, abababē	bebabile, bebabē	abababanga	abangababanga	bengababanga
class 3	ubabile, ubabē	obabile, obabē	ubabile, ubabē	awubabanga	ongababanga	ungababanga
class 4	ibabile, ibabē	ebabile, ebabē	ibabile, ibabē	ayibabanga	engababanga	ingababanga
class 5	libabile, libabē	elibabile, elibabē	libabile, libabē	alibabanga	elingababanga	lingababanga
class 6	ababile, ababē	ababile, ababē	ebabile, ebabē	awababanga	angababanga	engababanga
class 7	sibabile, sibabē	esibabile, esibabē	sibabile, sibabē	asibabanga	esingababanga	singababanga
class 8	zibabile, zibabē	ezibabile, ezibabē	zibabile, zibabē	azibabanga	ezingababanga	zingababanga
class 9	ibabile, ibabē	ebabile, ebabē	ibabile, ibabē	ayibabanga	engababanga	ingababanga
class 10	zibabile, zibabē	ezibabile, ezibabē	zibabile, zibabē	azibabanga	ezingababanga	zingababanga
class 11	lubabile, lubabē	olubabile, olubabē	lubabile, lubabē	alubabanga	olungababanga	lungababanga
class 14	bubabile, bubabē	obubabile, obubabē	bubabile, bubabē	abubabanga	obungababanga	bungababanga
class 15	kubabile, kubabē	okubabile, okubabē	kubabile, kubabē	akubabanga	okungababanga	kungababanga
class 17	kubabile, kubabē	okubabile, okubabē	kubabile, kubabē	akubabanga	okungababanga	kungababanga
remote past
	positive absolute	positive relative	positive participial	negative absolute	negative relative	negative participial
1st singular	ngābaba	engābaba	ngābaba	angibabanga	engingababanga	ngingababanga
2nd singular	wābaba	owābaba	wābaba	awubabanga	ongababanga	ungababanga
1st plural	sābaba	esābaba	sābaba	asibabanga	esingababanga	singababanga
2nd plural	nābaba	enābaba	nābaba	anibabanga	eningababanga	ningababanga
class 1	wābaba	owābaba	ābaba	akababanga	ongababanga	engababanga
class 2	bābaba	abābaba	bābaba	abababanga	abangababanga	bengababanga
class 3	wābaba	owābaba	wābaba	awubabanga	ongababanga	ungababanga
class 4	yābaba	eyābaba	yābaba	ayibabanga	engababanga	ingababanga
class 5	lābaba	elābaba	lābaba	alibabanga	elingababanga	lingababanga
class 6	ābaba	ābaba	ābaba	awababanga	angababanga	engababanga
class 7	sābaba	esābaba	sābaba	asibabanga	esingababanga	singababanga
class 8	zābaba	ezābaba	zābaba	azibabanga	ezingababanga	zingababanga
class 9	yābaba	eyābaba	yābaba	ayibabanga	engababanga	ingababanga
class 10	zābaba	ezābaba	zābaba	azibabanga	ezingababanga	zingababanga
class 11	lwābaba	olwābaba	lwābaba	alubabanga	olungababanga	lungababanga
class 14	bābaba	obābaba	bābaba	abubabanga	obungababanga	bungababanga
class 15	kwābaba	okwābaba	kwābaba	akubabanga	okungababanga	kungababanga
class 17	kwābaba	okwābaba	kwābaba	akubabanga	okungababanga	kungababanga
potential
	positive absolute	positive relative	positive participial	negative absolute	negative relative	negative participial
1st singular	ngingababa	—	ngingababa	ngingebabe	—	ngingebabe
2nd singular	ungababa	—	ungababa	ungebabe	—	ungebabe
1st plural	singababa	—	singababa	singebabe	—	singebabe
2nd plural	ningababa	—	ningababa	ningebabe	—	ningebabe
class 1	angababa	—	engababa	angebabe	—	engebabe
class 2	bangababa	—	bengababa	bangebabe	—	bengebabe
class 3	ungababa	—	ungababa	ungebabe	—	ungebabe
class 4	ingababa	—	ingababa	ingebabe	—	ingebabe
class 5	lingababa	—	lingababa	lingebabe	—	lingebabe
class 6	angababa	—	engababa	angebabe	—	engebabe
class 7	singababa	—	singababa	singebabe	—	singebabe
class 8	zingababa	—	zingababa	zingebabe	—	zingebabe
class 9	ingababa	—	ingababa	ingebabe	—	ingebabe
class 10	zingababa	—	zingababa	zingebabe	—	zingebabe
class 11	lungababa	—	lungababa	lungebabe	—	lungebabe
class 14	bungababa	—	bungababa	bungebabe	—	bungebabe
class 15	kungababa	—	kungababa	kungebabe	—	kungebabe
class 17	kungababa	—	kungababa	kungebabe	—	kungebabe
immediate future
	positive absolute	positive relative	positive participial	negative absolute	negative relative	negative participial
1st singular	ngizobaba	engizobaba	ngizobaba	angizubaba	engingezubaba	ngingezubaba
2nd singular	uzobaba	ozobaba	uzobaba	awuzubaba	ongezubaba	ungezubaba
1st plural	sizobaba	esizobaba	sizobaba	asizubaba	esingezubaba	singezubaba
2nd plural	nizobaba	enizobaba	nizobaba	anizubaba	eningezubaba	ningezubaba
class 1	uzobaba	ozobaba	ezobaba	akazubaba	ongezubaba	engezubaba
class 2	bazobaba	abazobaba	bezobaba	abazubaba	abangezubaba	bengezubaba
class 3	uzobaba	ozobaba	uzobaba	awuzubaba	ongezubaba	ungezubaba
class 4	izobaba	ezobaba	izobaba	ayizubaba	engezubaba	ingezubaba
class 5	lizobaba	elizobaba	lizobaba	alizubaba	elingezubaba	lingezubaba
class 6	azobaba	azobaba	ezobaba	awazubaba	angezubaba	engezubaba
class 7	sizobaba	esizobaba	sizobaba	asizubaba	esingezubaba	singezubaba
class 8	zizobaba	ezizobaba	zizobaba	azizubaba	ezingezubaba	zingezubaba
class 9	izobaba	ezobaba	izobaba	ayizubaba	engezubaba	ingezubaba
class 10	zizobaba	ezizobaba	zizobaba	azizubaba	ezingezubaba	zingezubaba
class 11	luzobaba	oluzobaba	luzobaba	aluzubaba	olungezubaba	lungezubaba
class 14	buzobaba	obuzobaba	buzobaba	abuzubaba	obungezubaba	bungezubaba
class 15	kuzobaba	okuzobaba	kuzobaba	akuzubaba	okungezubaba	kungezubaba
class 17	kuzobaba	okuzobaba	kuzobaba	akuzubaba	okungezubaba	kungezubaba
remote future
	positive absolute	positive relative	positive participial	negative absolute	negative relative	negative participial
1st singular	ngiyobaba	engiyobaba	ngiyobaba	angiyubaba	engingeyubaba	ngingeyubaba
2nd singular	uyobaba	oyobaba	uyobaba	awuyubaba	ongeyubaba	ungeyubaba
1st plural	siyobaba	esiyobaba	siyobaba	asiyubaba	esingeyubaba	singeyubaba
2nd plural	niyobaba	eniyobaba	niyobaba	aniyubaba	eningeyubaba	ningeyubaba
class 1	uyobaba	oyobaba	eyobaba	akayubaba	ongeyubaba	engeyubaba
class 2	bayobaba	abayobaba	beyobaba	abayubaba	abangeyubaba	bengeyubaba
class 3	uyobaba	oyobaba	uyobaba	awuyubaba	ongeyubaba	ungeyubaba
class 4	iyobaba	eyobaba	iyobaba	ayiyubaba	engeyubaba	ingeyubaba
class 5	liyobaba	eliyobaba	liyobaba	aliyubaba	elingeyubaba	lingeyubaba
class 6	ayobaba	ayobaba	eyobaba	awayubaba	angeyubaba	engeyubaba
class 7	siyobaba	esiyobaba	siyobaba	asiyubaba	esingeyubaba	singeyubaba
class 8	ziyobaba	eziyobaba	ziyobaba	aziyubaba	ezingeyubaba	zingeyubaba
class 9	iyobaba	eyobaba	iyobaba	ayiyubaba	engeyubaba	ingeyubaba
class 10	ziyobaba	eziyobaba	ziyobaba	aziyubaba	ezingeyubaba	zingeyubaba
class 11	luyobaba	oluyobaba	luyobaba	aluyubaba	olungeyubaba	lungeyubaba
class 14	buyobaba	obuyobaba	buyobaba	abuyubaba	obungeyubaba	bungeyubaba
class 15	kuyobaba	okuyobaba	kuyobaba	akuyubaba	okungeyubaba	kungeyubaba
class 17	kuyobaba	okuyobaba	kuyobaba	akuyubaba	okungeyubaba	kungeyubaba
present subjunctive
	positive	negative
1st singular	ngibabe	ngingababi
2nd singular	ubabe	ungababi
1st plural	sibabe	singababi
2nd plural	nibabe	ningababi
class 1	ababe	angababi
class 2	bababe	bangababi
class 3	ubabe	ungababi
class 4	ibabe	ingababi
class 5	libabe	lingababi
class 6	ababe	angababi
class 7	sibabe	singababi
class 8	zibabe	zingababi
class 9	ibabe	ingababi
class 10	zibabe	zingababi
class 11	lubabe	lungababi
class 14	bubabe	bungababi
class 15	kubabe	kungababi
class 17	kubabe	kungababi
past subjunctive
	positive	negative
1st singular	ngababa	ngangababa, angababa, angangababa
2nd singular	wababa	wangababa, awababa, awangababa
1st plural	sababa	sangababa, asababa, asangababa
2nd plural	nababa	nangababa, anababa, anangababa
class 1	wababa	wangababa, akababa, akangababa
class 2	bababa	bangababa, abababa, abangababa
class 3	wababa	wangababa, awababa, awangababa
class 4	yababa	yangababa, ayababa, ayangababa
class 5	lababa	langababa, alababa, alangababa
class 6	ababa	angababa, awababa, awangababa
class 7	sababa	sangababa, asababa, asangababa
class 8	zababa	zangababa, azababa, azangababa
class 9	yababa	yangababa, ayababa, ayangababa
class 10	zababa	zangababa, azababa, azangababa
class 11	lwababa	lwangababa, alwababa, alwangababa
class 14	bababa	bangababa, abababa, abangababa
class 15	kwababa	kwangababa, akwababa, akwangababa
class 17	kwababa	kwangababa, akwababa, akwangababa

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Noun

baba

1. simple singular of ubaba

References

• C. M. Doke; B. W. Vilakazi (1972), “ɓaɓa”, in Zulu-English Dictionary, →ISBN: “ɓaɓa (3.9) v.”
• C. M. Doke; B. W. Vilakazi (1972), “ɓaɓa”, in Zulu-English Dictionary, →ISBN: “ɓaɓa (3-5.4) voc. interj.”