באָבע
Yiddish
editAlternative forms
editEtymology
editEither inherited from eastern Middle High German bābe (“old woman”) or independently borrowed from a Slavic language. In both cases eventually from Proto-Slavic *baba (“old woman”).
Pronunciation
editNoun
editבאָבע • (bobe) f, plural באָבעס (bobes)
- granny, grandmother
- Synonyms: פֿראַלע (frale), אָמאַ (oma), גראָסמאַמאַ (grosmama), גראָסמוטער (grosmuter), גרויסמוטער (groysmuter)
Usage notes
editThis is one of few Yiddish nouns to inflect, optionally becoming באָבען (boben) in the dative, and באָבעס (bobes) in the possessive.
Derived terms
edit- באָבע־מעשׂה f (bobe-mayse, “tall story, fairy tale”)
- אור־באָבע f (ur-bobe), עלטער־באָבע f (elter-bobe, “great-grandmother”)
Related terms
edit- באָבעשי f (bobeshi, “granny”)