بابا

See also: بابو, بابه, and پاپا

Arabic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /baː.baː/

Etymology 1

From Latin pāpa.

Noun

بَابَا • (bābā) m (plural بَابَوَات (bābawāt) or بَابَاوَات (bābāwāt))

1. (Christianity) pope, patriarch

Usage notes

• The Bishop of Rome is often specified as بَابَا ٱلْفاتِيكان (bābā l-fātīkān, literally “Pope of the Vatican”) to distinguish him from the Coptic pope.

Declension

Declension of noun بَابَا (bābā)

singular	singular invariable
	indefinite	definite	construct
informal	بَابَا bābā	الْبَابَا al-bābā	بَابَا bābā
nominative	بَابَا bābā	الْبَابَا al-bābā	بَابَا bābā
accusative	بَابَا bābā	الْبَابَا al-bābā	بَابَا bābā
genitive	بَابَا bābā	الْبَابَا al-bābā	بَابَا bābā
dual	indefinite	definite	construct
informal	بَابَاوَيْن bābāwayn	الْبَابَاوَيْن al-bābāwayn	بَابَاوَيْ bābāway
nominative	بَابَاوَانِ bābāwāni	الْبَابَاوَانِ al-bābāwāni	بَابَاوَا bābāwā
accusative	بَابَاوَيْنِ bābāwayni	الْبَابَاوَيْنِ al-bābāwayni	بَابَاوَيْ bābāway
genitive	بَابَاوَيْنِ bābāwayni	الْبَابَاوَيْنِ al-bābāwayni	بَابَاوَيْ bābāway
plural	sound feminine plural
	indefinite	definite	construct
informal	بَابَوَات‎; بَابَاوَات bābawāt‎; bābāwāt	الْبَابَوَات‎; الْبَابَاوَات al-bābawāt‎; al-bābāwāt	بَابَوَات‎; بَابَاوَات bābawāt‎; bābāwāt
nominative	بَابَوَاتٌ‎; بَابَاوَاتٌ bābawātun‎; bābāwātun	الْبَابَوَاتُ‎; الْبَابَاوَاتُ al-bābawātu‎; al-bābāwātu	بَابَوَاتُ‎; بَابَاوَاتُ bābawātu‎; bābāwātu
accusative	بَابَوَاتٍ‎; بَابَاوَاتٍ bābawātin‎; bābāwātin	الْبَابَوَاتِ‎; الْبَابَاوَاتِ al-bābawāti‎; al-bābāwāti	بَابَوَاتِ‎; بَابَاوَاتِ bābawāti‎; bābāwāti
genitive	بَابَوَاتٍ‎; بَابَاوَاتٍ bābawātin‎; bābāwātin	الْبَابَوَاتِ‎; الْبَابَاوَاتِ al-bābawāti‎; al-bābāwāti	بَابَوَاتِ‎; بَابَاوَاتِ bābawāti‎; bābāwāti

Related terms

• بَابَوِيّ (bābawiyy)
• بَابَوِيَّة (bābawiyya)

Etymology 2

From baby talk.

Noun

بَابَا • (bābā) m

1. (childish) papa, daddy, father

Declension

Declension of noun بَابَا (bābā)

singular	singular invariable
	indefinite	definite	construct
informal	بَابَا bābā	الْبَابَا al-bābā	بَابَا bābā
nominative	بَابَا bābā	الْبَابَا al-bābā	بَابَا bābā
accusative	بَابَا bābā	الْبَابَا al-bābā	بَابَا bābā
genitive	بَابَا bābā	الْبَابَا al-bābā	بَابَا bābā

Hijazi Arabic

Etymology

From baby talk.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /baː.ba/, [bɑː.bɑ]

Noun

بابا • (bāba) m (plural بَابَوَات (bābāwāt) or بَابَهات (bābāhāt))

1. papa, daddy, father

   Synonyms: أبو (abu), والد (wālid)

Usage notes

The mentioned plurals are rarely used, while the most common plural is أَبَّهات (abbahāt) which stems from the Classical Arabic word أَبْ (ʔab).

Khalaj

Noun

بابا (bâba) (definite accusative باباݧ, plural بابالار)

1. Arabic spelling of bâba (“father”)

Declension

Declension of بابا

	singular	plural
nominative	بابا	بابالار
genitive	باباݧ	بابالارؽݧ
dative	باباقا	بابالارقا
definite accusative	باباݧ	بابالارؽ
locative	باباچا	بابالارچا
ablative	بابادا	بابالاردا
instrumental	بابالا	بابالارلا
equative	باباوارا	بابالاروارا

Old Anatolian Turkish

Noun

بَابَا • (baba)

1. Alternative form of بَبَا (baba)
   • 14th Century, anonymous author, Bursa Manuscript: Kitāb-ı Dedem Ḳorḳud Alā Lisān-ı Tāife-i Oġuzān:

     اُوغُلْ دَخيٖ نَيْلَسُونْ بَابَا اُولُوبْ مَالْ قَالْمَسَه

     oġul daḫı näyläsün baba ölüp māl qalmasa

     what is for a son to do if [his] father dies and leaves no goods

Ottoman Turkish

Etymology

Inherited from Old Anatolian Turkish بَبَا (baba), of onomatopoeic origin.

Noun

بابا • (baba)

1. papa, daddy, father

   Synonyms: پدر (peder), والد (vâlid), آتا (ata)

2. a post of stout timber set upright, a stanchion

Declension

Declension of بابا (baba)

	singular	plural
nominative	بابا (baba)	بابالر (babalar)
genitive	بابانك (babanıñ)	بابالرك (babalarıñ)
dative	بابایه (babaya)	بابالره (babalara)
definite accusative	بابایی (babayı)	بابالری (babaları)
locative	باباده (babada)	بابالرده (babalarda)
ablative	بابادن (babadan)	بابالردن (babalardan)

Possessive forms

1st person singular
	singular	plural
nominative	بابام (babam)	بابالرم (babalarım)
genitive	بابامك (babamıñ)	بابالرمك (babalarımıñ)
dative	بابامه (babama)	بابالرمه (babalarıma)
definite accusative	بابامی (babamı)	بابالرمی (babalarımı)
locative	بابامده (babamda)	بابالرمده (babalarımda)
ablative	بابامدن (babamdan)	بابالرمدن (babalarımdan)
2nd person singular
	singular	plural
nominative	باباك (babañ)	بابالرك (babalarıñ)
genitive	باباكك (babañıñ)	بابالركك (babalarıñıñ)
dative	باباكه (babaña)	بابالركه (babalarıña)
definite accusative	باباكی (babañı)	بابالركی (babalarıñı)
locative	باباكده (babañda)	بابالركده (babalarıñda)
ablative	باباكدن (babañdan)	بابالركدن (babalarıñdan)
3rd person singular
	singular	plural
nominative	باباسی (babası)	بابالری (babaları)
genitive	باباسنك (babasınıñ)	بابالرنك (babalarınıñ)
dative	باباسنه (babasına)	بابالرنه (babalarına)
definite accusative	باباسنی (babasını)	بابالرنی (babalarını)
locative	باباسنده (babasında)	بابالرنده (babalarında)
ablative	باباسندن (babasından)	بابالرندن (babalarından)
1st person plural
	singular	plural
nominative	بابامز (babamız)	بابالرمز (babalarımız)
genitive	بابامزك (babamızıñ)	بابالرمزك (babalarımızıñ)
dative	بابامزه (babamıza)	بابالرمزه (babalarımıza)
definite accusative	بابامزی (babamızı)	بابالرمزی (babalarımızı)
locative	بابامزده (babamızda)	بابالرمزده (babalarımızda)
ablative	بابامزدن (babamızdan)	بابالرمزدن (babalarımızdan)
2nd person plural
	singular	plural
nominative	باباكز (babañız)	بابالركز (babalarıñız)
genitive	باباكزك (babañızıñ)	بابالركزك (babalarıñızıñ)
dative	باباكزه (babañıza)	بابالركزه (babalarıñıza)
definite accusative	باباكزی (babañızı)	بابالركزی (babalarıñızı)
locative	باباكزده (babañızda)	بابالركزده (babalarıñızda)
ablative	باباكزدن (babañızdan)	بابالركزدن (babalarıñızdan)
3rd person plural
	singular	plural
nominative	بابالری (babaları)	بابالری (babaları)
genitive	بابالرنك (babalarınıñ)	بابالرنك (babalarınıñ)
dative	بابالرنه (babalarına)	بابالرنه (babalarına)
definite accusative	بابالرنی (babalarını)	بابالرنی (babalarını)
locative	بابالرنده (babalarında)	بابالرنده (babalarında)
ablative	بابالرندن (babalarından)	بابالرندن (babalarından)

Derived terms

• آق بابا (ak baba, “vulture”)

Related terms

• انا (ana, “mother”)

Descendants

• Turkish: baba
  • → German: baba
• → Albanian: baba
• → Armenian: (Constantinople) պապա (papa), (Van) բաբա (baba)
• → Laz: ბაბა (baba)

Further reading

• Nişanyan, Sevan (2002–) “baba”, in Nişanyan Sözlük
• Redhouse, James W. (1890) “بابا”, in A Turkish and English Lexicon‎^[1], Constantinople: A. H. Boyajian, page 314

Pashto

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɑˈbɑ/

Noun

بابا • (bābā́) m

1. (informal) dad, daddy
2. grandfather

Declension

Declension of بابا

	singular	plural
direct	بابا (bābā)	باباګان (bābāgān)
oblique	بابا (bābā)	باباګانو (bābāgāno)
vocative	بابا (bābā)	باباګانو (bābāgāno)

Synonyms

• (father): پلار

Persian

Alternative forms

• بابو (bâbo) (dialectal, Shiraz)
• ببا (bobâ) (dialectal)
• بوا (bovâ) (dialectal, Kazerun, Bushehr, Khesht, Konartakhteh, Dashtestan)
• ببو (bobo) (dialectal, Abadeh)
• بو (bow) (dialectal, Kazerun)

Etymology

Originally from baby talk, see mama and papa.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [bɑː.ˈβɑː]

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [bɑː.bɑ́ː], [bɑː.bɑ́ːj]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [bɑː.bɑ́ː], [bɑː.bɑ́ːj]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [bɑː.bɑ́ː], [bɑː.bɑ́ːj]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [bɔː.bɔ́ː], [bɔː.bɔ́ːj]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [bɒː.bɒ́ː]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [bɔ.bɔ́]

Readings
Classical reading?	bāḇā
Dari reading?	bābā, bābāy
Iranian reading?	bâbâ
Tajik reading?	bobo

• Audio (Iran):

  (file)

Noun

Dari	بابا
Iranian Persian
Tajik	бобо

بابا • (bâbâ)

1. (colloquial) dad, daddy, father

   Synonym: پدر (pedar, “father”)

   • c. 1260s, Jalāl ad-Dīn Mohammad Rūmī, translated by Reynold A. Nicholson, مثنوی معنوی [Masnavi-ye-Ma'navi], volume III, verse 1174:

     بعد از آن گفتند ای مادر بیا / گور بابا کو تو ما را ره نما

     ba'd az ân goftand ey mâdar biy-â / gur-e bâbâ ku to mâ râ rah namâ

     Afterwards they said, "Come, O mother, where is our father's grave? Do thou show us the way."

2. (colloquial) grandpa, grandfather

   Synonyms: بابابزرگ (bâbâ-bozorg), پدربزرگ (pedar-bozorg, “grandfather”)

3. (colloquial) fellow

Derived terms

• ای بابا (ey bâbâ)
• بابا نوئل (Bâbâ No'el)
• بابابزرگ (bâbâ-bozorg)

Descendants

• → Khalaj: bâba

See also

Iranian Persian dialectal kinship terms

Family member	Standard Iranian Persian	Tehrani dialect	Abadani dialect	Kashani dialect	Shirazi dialect
mother	مادر (mâdar)	مامان (mâmân)	ننه (nene)		مامو (mâmo)
grandmother	مادربزرگ (mâdar-bozorg)	مامان‌بزرگ (mâmân-bozorg)	—	ماجون (mâjun)	—
father	پدر (pedar)	بابا (bâbâ)	دده (dede)	—	بابو (bâbo)
grandfather	پدربزرگ (pedar-bozorg)	بابابزرگ (bâbâ-bozorg)	—
sister	خواهر (xâhar)	آبجی (âbji)	دده (dade)	—	آباجی (âbâji)
older sister	خواهربزرگ (xâhar-bozorg)	—	باجی (bâji)	—
brother	برادر (barâdar)	داداش (dâdâš)	کا (kâ)	وردار (vardâr)	کاکو (kâko)
older brother	برادربزرگ (barâdar-bozorg)	—
maternal aunt (mother's sister)	خاله (xâle)
maternal uncle (mother's brother)	دایی (dâyi)		خالو (xâlu)	—
paternal aunt (father's sister)	عمه (amme)
paternal uncle (father's brother)	عمو (amu)

1. When referring to older family members, both بزرگ (bozorg) and کلان (kalân) are correct, but the former is more common in Iran.

Dari Persian dialectal kinship terms

Family member	Standard Dari	Kabuli dialect	Hazaragi dialect
mother	مادر (mādar)	ننه (nana)	آبه (āba)
grandmother	مادرکلان (mādar-kalān)	بی‌بی (bī-bī)	آجه (āja), بی‌بی (bī-bī)
father	پدر (padar)	بابا (bābā)	آته (āta)
grandfather	پدرکلان (padar-kalān)	آغا (āğā)	بابا (bābā)
sister	خواهر (xāhar)	خوار (xwār, xār)
older sister	خواهرکلان (xāhar-kalān)	—	آغا (āğā), باجی (bājī)
brother	برادر (barādar)	بیادر (biyādar)	برار (birār)
older brother	برادرکلان (barādar-kalān)	لالا (lālā)
maternal aunt (mother's sister)	خاله (xāla)
maternal uncle (mother's brother)	ماما (māmā)		ماما (māmā), تغایی (tağāyī)
paternal aunt (father's sister)	عمه (amma)
paternal uncle (father's brother)	کاکا (kākā)

1. When referring to older family members, both بزرگ (buzurg) and کلان (kalān) are correct, but the latter is more common in Afghanistan.
2. In many dialects, cases of word final ـا (-ā) may be shortened to ـه (-a).
3. In many dialects, all family names ending in ـه (-a) may have an epenthetic ـی (-y) added, e.g. عمه (amma) -> عمی (ammay) (unrelated to ezafe).

South Levantine Arabic

Etymology 1

From Latin pāpa.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bˤaː.bˤa/, [ˈbˤɑː.bˤɑ]

• Audio (Ramallah):

  (file)

Noun

بابا • (ḅāḅa) m

1. (Christianity) pope
2. (popularly) patriarch, priest

Etymology 2

From baby talk.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bˤaː.bˤa/, [ˈbˤɑː.bˤɑ]

• Audio (Ramallah):

  (file)

Noun

بابا • (ḅāḅa) m

1. dad, papa
2. an affectionate form of address used by a father to his child

Alternative forms

• يابا (yāba)

See also

• أب (ʔabb, “father”)
• ماما (ṃāṃa, “mom”)

Urdu

Noun

بابا • (bābā) m (Hindi spelling बाबा)

1. papa, daddy, father

Ushojo

Etymology

From Pashto بابا (bābā).

Noun

بابا (bābā)

1. elder, grandfather