Baba in Scrabble and Meaning

• Finder
• Unscrambler
• Dictionary

Valid words made from Baba

Jump to...

• 4 letter words
• 3 letter words
• 2 letter words

Results

4-letter words (2 found)

3-letter words (3 found)

2-letter words (3 found)

You can make 8 words from baba according to the Scrabble US and Canada dictionary.

All 4 letters words made out of baba

baba abba bbaa bbaa abba baba baab abab baab abab aabb aabb bbaa bbaa baba abba baba abba abab baab aabb aabb baab abab

Note: these 'words' (valid or invalid) are all the permutations of the word baba. These words are obtained by scrambling the letters in baba.

Definitions and meaning of baba

baba

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), 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/
• Rhymes: -ɑːbɑː, -ɑːbə, -æbə

Noun

baba (plural babas)

1. A kind of sponge cake soaked in rum-flavoured syrup.
2. (especially among people of East European ancestry) A grandmother.
   • 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.
3. An old woman, especially a traditional old woman from an eastern European culture.
4. (especially among people of Indian or Chinese ancestry) A father.
   • 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.
6. (British India) A baby, child.
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

Further reading

• baba on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• AABB, Abba, abba

Afrikaans

Pronunciation

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/

Noun

babá m (plural baballárë, definite babái)

1. dad, father

   Synonyms: bábë, átë

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

Pronunciation

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

Noun

baba (definite accusative babanı, plural babalar)

1. grandfather

   Coordinate term: nənə

Declension

Basque

Etymology

From Proto-Basque, ultimately from Latin faba.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /baba/, [ba.β̞a]

Noun

baba inan

1. broad bean
2. bean, green bean

   Synonym: babarrun

3. blister

Declension

Derived terms

Further reading

• "baba" in Euskaltzaindiaren Hiztegia [Dictionary of the Basque Academy], euskaltzaindia.eus
• “baba” in Orotariko Euskal Hiztegia [General Basque Dictionary], euskaltzaindia.eus

Bikol Central

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

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

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.bʌ]
• 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

Etymology 2

Compare abaga.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /baˈba/, [bʌˈba]
• 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.

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

Derived terms

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

Related terms

Further reading

• baba in Kartotéka Novočeského lexikálního archivu
• baba in Akademický slovník současné češtiny, 2012-, slovnikcestiny.cz
• baba in Internetová jazyková příručka

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

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

Noun

baba

1. baba, babka (type of cake)

Declension

Further reading

• “baba”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[1] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-02

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ba.ba/

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.

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

Further reading

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

Galician

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.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈbaβɐ]

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

• “baba” in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega, SLI - ILGA 2006–2013.
• “baba” in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega. Santiago: ILG.
• “baba” in Álvarez, Rosario (coord.): Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués, Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega.

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

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

An onomatopoeia. It may be a doublet of báb.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈbɒbɒ]
• 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

Derived terms

Adjective

baba (comparative babább, superlative legbabább)

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

Declension

References

Further reading

• baba in Bárczi, Géza and László Országh. A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (‘The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language’, abbr.: ÉrtSz.). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN
• baba in Ittzés, Nóra (ed.). A magyar nyelv nagyszótára (‘A Comprehensive Dictionary of the Hungarian Language’). 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

Derived terms

Indonesian

Pronunciation

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

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Betawi [Term?].

Noun

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

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, first-person possessive babaku, second-person possessive babamu, third-person possessive babanya)

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, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation — Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic Indonesia, 2016.

Japanese

Romanization

baba

1. Rōmaji transcription of ばば

Kabyle

Noun

baba m

1. father

Kashubian

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *baba.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbaba/
• Syllabification: ba‧ba

Noun

baba f

1. (colloquial, derogatory) woman, wife

Declension

Further reading

• Stefan Ramułt (1893) “baba”, in Słownik języka pomorskiego czyli kaszubskiego‎^[2] (in Kashubian), page 4
• Bernard Sychta (1967-1973) “baba”, in Słownik gwar kaszubskich, volume 1, 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^[3]
• “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

References

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

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 pers (diminutive babka)

1. midwife
2. old woman
3. woman

Declension

Noun

baba f inan (diminutive babka)

1. sponge cake

Declension

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, informal 1st possessive babaku, 2nd possessive babamu, 3rd possessive babanya)

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, informal 1st possessive babaku, 2nd possessive babamu, 3rd possessive babanya)

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 | Malay Literary Reference Centre, 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

• (phonetic) 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

Mwani

Alternative forms

• wawa

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *bààbá.

Noun

baba class 1a (plural wababa)

1. father

Naga Pidgin

Etymology

From Assamese বাবা (baba, “father”), Inherited from Ashokan Prakrit *𑀩𑀸𑀩𑁆𑀩 (*bābba).

Noun

baba (plural babakhan)

1. father, dad

   Synonym: bap

Nefamese

Etymology

From Assamese বাবা (baba, “father”), from Ashokan Prakrit *𑀩𑀸𑀩𑁆𑀩 (*bābba).

Noun

baba

1. father, dad

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 Polish

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *baba, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *bā́ˀbāˀ, from nursery language. First attested in 1393.

Pronunciation

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

Noun

baba f

1. grandma (parent's mother)

   Synonym: babina
2. The meaning of this term is uncertain.
3. grandma (any old woman)
4. woman
5. midwife
6. pear (Pyrus communis)
7. (in the plural, astronomy) Pleiades
8. Corruption of the proper noun Bala.

Derived terms

Descendants

• Polish: baba
• Silesian: baba

References

• B. Sieradzka-Baziur, editor (2011–2015), “baba”, in Słownik pojęciowy języka staropolskiego [Conceptual Dictionary of Old Polish] (in Polish), Kraków: IJP PAN, →ISBN

Phuthi

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *-bába.

Verb

-baba

1. to taste bitter

Inflection

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

Polish

Pronunciation

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

Etymology 1

Inherited from Old Polish baba, 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, somewhat derogatory) woman, crone, hag
2. (colloquial) wife, girlfriend
3. village woman (woman from the village)

   Synonyms: chłopka, wieśniaczka

4. (childish) grandmother

   Synonyms: babcia, babka, babunia

5. village seller (woman who sells things from the village)
6. (derogatory) pansy, big girl's blouse (male of weak or cowardly character)
7. babka (type of cake)

   Synonym: babka

8. (engineering) hydraulic hammer of a pile driver

Declension

Derived terms

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Persian بابا.

Noun

baba m pers

1. (Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism) baba (a holy man, a spiritual leader)

Declension

References

Further reading

• baba in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• baba in Polish dictionaries at PWN
• 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]
• Paweł Kupiszewski (18.07.2022) “BABA”, in Elektroniczny Słownik Języka Polskiego XVII i XVIII Wieku [Electronic Dictionary of the Polish Language of the XVII and XVIII Century]
• Samuel Bogumił Linde (1807–1814) “baba”, in Słownik języka polskiego‎^[12]
• Aleksander Zdanowicz (1861) “baba”, in Słownik języka polskiego, Wilno 1861‎^[13]
• J. Karłowicz, A. Kryński, W. Niedźwiedzki, editors (1900), “baba”, in Słownik języka polskiego‎^[14] (in Polish), volume 1, Warsaw, page 77
• Brückner, Aleksander (1927) “baba”, in Słownik etymologiczny języka polskiego [Etymological Dictionary of the Polish Language] (in Polish), Warsaw: Wiedza Powszechna

Portuguese

Etymology 1

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

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -abɐ
• Hyphenation: ba‧ba

Noun

baba f (plural babas)

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

Etymology 2

Verb

baba

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

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 (Lin), 莲云 (Lianyun) (1985) “baba”, in 撒拉语简志 [A Brief History of Salar]‎^[15], 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], 1st edition, Beijing, →ISBN, page 30

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

Inherited 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, hag
4. (derogatory) female person

Declension

Synonyms

• (grandmother; grandma): báka, nena

References

• “baba” in Hrvatski jezični portal

Shona

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *bààbá.

Noun

babá class 1a (plural vababá class 2)

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

   Synonym: fata

Slovak

Etymology

Inherited 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. (dated) midwife
4. (dated) doll
5. (dated) puppet
6. (dated) hash brown zemiaková baba, now zemiaková placka

Declension

Derived terms

• babský (adj)
• 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, 2024

Slovene

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *baba.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bàːba/

Noun

baba f

1. old woman, hag

Inflection

Derived terms

• bábica

Further reading

• “baba”, in Slovarji Inštituta za slovenski jezik Frana Ramovša ZRC SAZU, portal Fran

Slovincian

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *baba, ultimately from nursery language.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbaba/
• Syllabification: ba‧ba

Noun

baba f

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

Declension

References

• Lorentz, Friedrich (1908) “bãbă”, in Slovinzisches Wörterbuch‎^[16] (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]
• Rhymes: -aba
• Syllabification: ba‧ba

Noun

baba f (plural babas)

1. drool, dribble

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

Derived terms

Related terms

See also

• cieno
• lama

Further reading

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

Swahili

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *bààbá.

Pronunciation

Noun

baba (n class, plural baba)

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.

Pronunciation 1

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /ˈbabaʔ/, [ˈba.bɐʔ]
• Rhymes: -abaʔ
• Syllabification: ba‧ba

Noun

babà (Baybayin spelling ᜊᜊ)

1. (anatomy) chin

   Synonym: (Marinduque) sihang

2. lowness; low height

Derived terms

Pronunciation 2

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

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. downstairs; basement

   Synonyms: ibaba, lapag

4. decrease; lowering (of quantity or measurement)
5. fruit picking in season

Derived terms

Etymology 2

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *baba, from Proto-Austronesian *baba.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog)
  • IPA^(key): /baˈba/, [bɐˈba] (piggyback)
  • IPA^(key): /ˈbaba/, [ˈba.bɐ] (load into a boat)
• Rhymes: (piggyback) -a, (load into a boat) -aba
• Syllabification: ba‧ba

Noun

babá (Baybayin spelling ᜊᜊ)

1. piggyback
2. coitus of animals

   Synonym: kasta

Derived terms

See also

Adjective

babá (Baybayin spelling ᜊᜊ)

1. carried piggyback

Noun

baba (Baybayin spelling ᜊᜊ) (obsolete)

1. loading a person into a boat

   Synonyms: pagsakay, paglulan

Derived terms

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, Manila, 2018
• Noceda, Fr. Juan José de, Sanlucar, Fr. Pedro de (1860) Vocabulario de la lengua tagala, compuesto por varios religiosos doctos y graves‎^[17] (in Spanish), Manila: Ramirez y Giraudier
• Santos, Fr. Domingo de los (1835) Tomas Oliva, editor, Vocabulario de la lengua tagala: primera, y segunda parte.‎^[18] (in Spanish), La imprenta nueva de D. Jose Maria Dayot
• San Buena Ventura, Fr. Pedro de (1613) Juan de Silva, editor, Vocabulario de lengua tagala: El romance castellano puesto primero‎^[19], La Noble Villa de Pila
  • 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 (2010–) “*babaq₁”, in The Austronesian Comparative Dictionary
• Blust, Robert, Trussel, Stephen (2010–) “*baba₁”, in The Austronesian Comparative Dictionary

Taíno

Noun

baba

1. father

Tarifit

Etymology

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

Noun

baba m (Tifinagh spelling ⴱⴰⴱⴰ, plural ibabaten)

1. father

Related terms

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.

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): /bɑˈbɑ/
• Hyphenation: ba‧ba

Noun

baba (definite accusative babayı, plural babalar)

1. father
2. Bektashi saint (as in Gül Baba)
3. bollard
4. (slang) crime boss
5. (slang) penis, dick
6. (Bursa) roundabout

Declension

Derived terms

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: Inceleme ve sözlük (Aydin Kitabevi yayınları. Sözlük dizisi; 1)‎^[20] (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

Upper Sorbian

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *baba.

Pronunciation

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

Noun

baba f (diminutive babka)

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

Declension

Further reading

• “baba” in Soblex

Venda

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *bààbá.

Noun

baba

1. father

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^[21], Pacific linguistics

Yoruba

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bà.bá/

Noun

bàbá

1. father, dad

   Synonyms: baba, àbá, iba, bàá, bà, dádì

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

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

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bà.bà/

Noun

bàbà

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

Derived terms

• bàbàganran (“bronze”)

Etymology 4

Borrowed from English barber.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bá.bà/

Noun

bábà

1. barber

   Synonyms: onígbàjámọ̀, agẹrun, gẹrun-gẹrun

Etymology 5

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

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.”

Source: wiktionary.org