baba

See also: Appendix:Variations of "baba"

Contents

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, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Greek, Marathi, Nepali, Persian, Swahili, Turkish, Yoruba, Shona, Zulu
• grandmother: many Slavic languages (such as Bulgarian, Russian, Czech and Polish), Yiddish, Japanese
• grandfather: Azerbaijani
• 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 (ʾabū) and أَب‎ (ʾab), as well as the Turkish word ata; see also Papak), and is linguistically related to the common European word papa and the word pope, having the same Indo-European origin.

Noun

baba (plural babas)

1. A kind of sponge cake soaked in rum-flavoured syrup.
2. (esp. 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, A Woman's Europe: True Stories, edited by MaryBeth Bond

     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;

3. 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, Food Tourism Around The World: Development, Management and Markets, edited by Colin Michael Hall and Liz Sharples

     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.

4. (esp. among people of Indian 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?"

5. (Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism) A holy man, a spiritual leader.
   • 1995, Hugh J.M. Johnston and 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.

6. (India, dated) 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!

7. 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
• rhumbaba, rum baba
• baba ganoush
• babushka

Translations

flavoured sponge cake

• Finnish: baba (fi)
• Greek: μπαμπάς (el) m (bampás)

• Italian: babà (it) m

holy man, spiritual leader

• Finnish: isä (fi)
• Oriya: ବାବା (or) (baba)
• 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

• AABB, Abba, abab, abba

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Afrikaans

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

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Albanian

Etymology

Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish بابا‎ (baba).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [baba] (Tosk)
• IPA^(key): [bɑba] (Gheg)

Noun

baba m (definite singular babi, definite plural baballarë)

1. father

Synonyms

• atë

Derived terms

• Baba Dimri

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Azerbaijani

Other scripts
Cyrillic	баба
Roman	baba
Perso-Arabic	بابا‎

Pronunciation

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

Noun

baba (definite accusative babanı, plural babalar)

1. grandfather

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

Antonyms

• (with regards to gender): nənə (grandmother)
• (with regards to ancestry): nəvə (grandchild)

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Cebuano

Pronunciation 1

• (General Cebuano) IPA^(key): /baʔbaʔ/
• Rhymes: -aʔ
• Hyphenation: ba‧ba

Noun

baba

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

Pronunciation 2

• (General Cebuano) IPA^(key): /ˈbaba/
• Rhymes: -a
• Hyphenation: ba‧ba

Verb

baba

1. to piggyback; to carry someone on the back
2. to hit, be hit or injured in the mouth

Quotations

For quotations of use of this term, see Citations:baba.

Derived terms

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

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Crimean Tatar

Etymology

Noun

baba

1. father
2. dad

Declension

Declension of baba

nominative	baba
genitive	babanıñ
dative	babağa
accusative	babanı
locative	babada
ablative	babadan

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Czech

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *baba.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /baba/

Noun

baba f

1. crone, hag
2. coward, milksop
3. (informal) girl, chick

Declension

Declension

	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

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

 

Further reading

• baba in Kartotéka Novočeského lexikálního archivu

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Dagbani

Etymology

Unknown.

Noun

baba (plural babanim a)

1. Title of the second chief butcher

Noun

baba

1. plural of babli (a featherless fowl)

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Finnish

Etymology

From Polish baba, probably via French

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: 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 babainrare
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
instructive		—	baboin
abessive		babatta	baboitta
comitative		—	baboineen

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French

Etymology

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.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ba.ba/

Noun

baba m (plural babas)

1. baba (type of cake)
   • baba au rhum ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

References

• “baba” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Further reading

• “baba” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

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German

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aː

Interjection

baba

1. (informal, chiefly in Austria) see you, so long

Usage notes

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

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Hausa

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.

Noun

bā̀bā m (plural bā̀bànni, possessed form bā̀ban)

1. eunuch
2. impotent man

Noun

bābà f (possessed form bābàn)

1. paternal aunt

Noun

bābā m (possessed form bāban)

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

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Hiligaynon

Noun

bába or bâbâ

1. mouth

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Hungarian

Etymology

An onomatopoeia.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈbɒbɒ]

• Audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ba‧ba

Noun

baba (plural babák)

1. doll
2. baby (very young child)

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

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

Compound words

• babakocsi
• babapiskóta
• kisbaba
• próbababa
• rongybaba

 

References

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Japanese

Romanization

baba

1. Rōmaji transcription of ばば

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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

References

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Lower Sorbian

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *baba.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbaba/

Noun

baba f (diminutive babka)

1. midwife
2. old woman
3. woman
4. 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

• baba in Ernst Muka/Mucke (St. Petersburg and Prague 1911–28): Słownik dolnoserbskeje rěcy a jeje narěcow / Wörterbuch der nieder-wendischen Sprache und ihrer Dialekte. Reprinted 2008, Bautzen: Domowina-Verlag.
• baba in Manfred Starosta (1999): Dolnoserbsko-nimski słownik / Niedersorbisch-deutsches Wörterbuch. Bautzen: Domowina-Verlag.

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Luo

Noun

baba

1. father

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Malay

Etymology

Voiced bapa.

Pronunciation

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

Noun

baba (plural baba-baba, informal first-person possessive babaku, informal second-person possessive babamu, third-person possessive babanya)

1. father (male parent)

Synonyms

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

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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)

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Mwani

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *bààbá.

Alternative forms

• wawa

Noun

baba class 1a (plural wababa)

1. father

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Ngarluma

Noun

baba

1. water
2. rain, rainwater

References

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

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Phuthi

Etymology

From Proto-Nguni [Term?], from Proto-Bantu *-bába.

Verb

-baba

1. to taste bitter

Inflection

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

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Polish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈba.ba/

Etymology 1

From Proto-Slavic *baba, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *bā́ˀbāˀ. From nursery language.

Noun

baba f (diminutive babka or babcia, augmentative babsko or babisko)

1. (colloquial) woman
2. (colloquial) wife, girlfriend
3. A type of a cake
4. crone, hag
5. (obsolete) grandmother

Usage notes

For the meaning of "grandmother" see babcia.

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

References

• Brückner, Aleksander (1927) Słownik etymologiczny języka polskiego [Etymological Dictionary of the Polish Language] (in Polish), Warsaw: Wiedza Powszechna, published 1985

Related terms

• (verb) babieć
• (nouns) babcia f, babiniec m, babka f, babon m, babsztyl m, babunia f
• (adjectives) babi, babski

Etymology 2

Noun

baba m pers

1. baba (a holy man, a spiritual leader)

Declension

declension of baba

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

Further reading

• baba in Polish dictionaries at PWN

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Portuguese

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈba.bɐ/
• Rhymes: -aba

Noun

baba f (plural babas)

1. drool, dribble

See also

• babar-se

Verb

baba

1. third-person singular (ele and ela, also used with você and others) present indicative of babar
2. second-person singular (tu, sometimes used with você) affirmative imperative of babar

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Romanian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈba.ba]

Noun

baba

1. definite singular of babă

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Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *baba.

Pronunciation

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

Noun

bȁba f (Cyrillic spelling ба̏ба)

1. (regional) grandmother
2. granny, grandma
3. (usually derogatory) old woman
4. (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

References

• “baba” in Hrvatski jezični portal

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Shona

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *bààbá.

Noun

baba class 1a

1. father

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Slovak

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *baba.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbaba/

Noun

baba f (genitive singular baby, nominative plural baby, genitive plural báb, declension pattern of žena)

1. (colloquial) old woman
2. (colloquial) girl
3. (oldfashioned) midwife
4. (oldfashioned) doll
5. (oldfashioned) puppet
6. (oldfashioned) hash brown zemiaková baba, now zemiaková placka

Declension

Declension of baba

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

Derived terms

• babský (adj)
• babsky (adverb)
• babisko

Further reading

• baba in Slovak dictionaries at korpus.sk

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Slovene

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *baba.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbàːba/
• Tonal orthography: bába

Noun

bába f (genitive bábe, nominative plural bábe)

1. old woman, hag

Declension

Declension of bába (feminine, a-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	bába	bábi	bábe
accusative	bábo	bábi	bábe
genitive	bábe	báb	báb
dative	bábi	bábama	bábam
locative	bábi	bábah	bábah
instrumental	bábo	bábama	bábami

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Spanish

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbaba/, [ˈbaβa]

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.

Related terms

• babear
• babero
• babosa
• baboso

 

See also

• cieno
• lama

Further reading

• “baba” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.

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Swahili

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *bààbá.

Noun

baba (n class, plural baba)

1. father (male parent)

Coordinate terms

• mama

Derived terms

• ubaba

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Swazi

Etymology

From Proto-Nguni [Term?], from Proto-Bantu *-bába.

Verb

-bába

1. (intransitive) to taste bitter

Inflection

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

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Tagalog

Etymology 1

Adverb

baba

1. low

Noun

baba

1. (anatomy) chin

Verb

baba

1. to descend

Etymology 2

From Cebuano baba.

Verb

baba

1. to piggyback

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Turkish

Etymology

Likely from reduplication of ba, from child speak. May be related to ata.

Pronunciation

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

Noun

baba (definite accusative babayı, plural babalar)

1. father
2. Saint (as in Gül Baba)

Declension

Inflection
Nominative	baba
Definite accusative	babayı
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	baba	babalar
Definite accusative	babayı	babaları
Dative	babaya	babalara
Locative	babada	babalarda
Ablative	babadan	babalardan
Genitive	babanın	babaların
Possessive forms 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
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

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

 

Further reading

• baba in Turkish dictionaries at Türk Dil Kurumu

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Upper Sorbian

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *baba.

Noun

baba f

1. old woman, grandmother
2. midwife
3. dough, pastry
4. pelican (bird)

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Zulu

Etymology 1

From Proto-Nguni [Term?], 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	—	ngingezubaba
2nd singular	uzobaba	ozobaba	uzobaba	awuzubaba	—	ungezubaba
1st plural	sizobaba	esizobaba	sizobaba	asizubaba	—	singezubaba
2nd plural	nizobaba	enizobaba	nizobaba	anizubaba	—	ningezubaba
Class 1	uzobaba	ozobaba	ezobaba	akazubaba	—	engezubaba
Class 2	bazobaba	abazobaba	bezobaba	abazubaba	—	bengezubaba
Class 3	uzobaba	ozobaba	uzobaba	awuzubaba	—	ungezubaba
Class 4	izobaba	ezobaba	izobaba	ayizubaba	—	ingezubaba
Class 5	lizobaba	elizobaba	lizobaba	alizubaba	—	lingezubaba
Class 6	azobaba	azobaba	ezobaba	awazubaba	—	engezubaba
Class 7	sizobaba	esizobaba	sizobaba	asizubaba	—	singezubaba
Class 8	zizobaba	ezizobaba	zizobaba	azizubaba	—	zingezubaba
Class 9	izobaba	ezobaba	izobaba	ayizubaba	—	ingezubaba
Class 10	zizobaba	ezizobaba	zizobaba	azizubaba	—	zingezubaba
Class 11	luzobaba	oluzobaba	luzobaba	aluzubaba	—	lungezubaba
Class 14	buzobaba	obuzobaba	buzobaba	abuzubaba	—	bungezubaba
Class 15	kuzobaba	okuzobaba	kuzobaba	akuzubaba	—	kungezubaba
Class 17	kuzobaba	okuzobaba	kuzobaba	akuzubaba	—	kungezubaba
	Remote future
	Positive absolute	Positive relative	Positive participial	Negative absolute	Negative relative	Negative participial
1st singular	ngiyobaba	engiyobaba	ngiyobaba	angiyubaba	—	ngingeyubaba
2nd singular	uyobaba	oyobaba	uyobaba	awuyubaba	—	ungeyubaba
1st plural	siyobaba	esiyobaba	siyobaba	asiyubaba	—	singeyubaba
2nd plural	niyobaba	eniyobaba	niyobaba	aniyubaba	—	ningeyubaba
Class 1	uyobaba	oyobaba	eyobaba	akayubaba	—	engeyubaba
Class 2	bayobaba	abayobaba	beyobaba	abayubaba	—	bengeyubaba
Class 3	uyobaba	oyobaba	uyobaba	awuyubaba	—	ungeyubaba
Class 4	iyobaba	eyobaba	iyobaba	ayiyubaba	—	ingeyubaba
Class 5	liyobaba	eliyobaba	liyobaba	aliyubaba	—	lingeyubaba
Class 6	ayobaba	ayobaba	eyobaba	awayubaba	—	engeyubaba
Class 7	siyobaba	esiyobaba	siyobaba	asiyubaba	—	singeyubaba
Class 8	ziyobaba	eziyobaba	ziyobaba	aziyubaba	—	zingeyubaba
Class 9	iyobaba	eyobaba	iyobaba	ayiyubaba	—	ingeyubaba
Class 10	ziyobaba	eziyobaba	ziyobaba	aziyubaba	—	zingeyubaba
Class 11	luyobaba	oluyobaba	luyobaba	aluyubaba	—	lungeyubaba
Class 14	buyobaba	obuyobaba	buyobaba	abuyubaba	—	bungeyubaba
Class 15	kuyobaba	okuyobaba	kuyobaba	akuyubaba	—	kungeyubaba
Class 17	kuyobaba	okuyobaba	kuyobaba	akuyubaba	—	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 main entry.

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.”