# ܐܒܐ
## Assyrian Neo-Aramaic
### Etymology

From Aramaic אַבָּא (ʾaḇā), from Proto-Semitic *ʔabw-; compare Arabic أَب (ʔab), Hebrew אָב (áv) and אַבָּא (ába). Doublet of ܒܵܒܵܐ (bābā).

### Pronunciation

* (Standard) IPA: [ʔawɑː]
* (Urmia) IPA: [ʔavɑː]

### Noun

ܐܲܒ݂ܵܐ • (aḇā) m sg (plural ܐܲܒ݂ܵܗܹ̈ܐ (aḇāhē) or ܐܲܒ݂ܵܗܵܬܹ̈ܐ (aḇāhātē) or ܐ̈ܲܒ݂ܵܬ݂ܵܐ (aḇāṯā), feminine ܝܸܡܵܐ (yimmā))
* (formal or dated) father (male parent who begets a child)
* (in the plural) parents
* (figuratively) forefather, ancestor, progenitor
* monk, abbot; bishop
* chief, leader
    Synonym: ܪܹܝܫܵܐ (rēšā)
* (figuratively) author, originator, founder, inventor
    Synonyms: ܡܵܘܠܕܵܢܵܐ (māwldānā), ܫܲܬܐܸܣܵܢܵܐ (šatˀissānā), ܒܵܪܝܵܢܵܐ (bāryānā)
* teacher
    Synonym: ܡܲܠܦܵܢܵܐ (malpānā)

#### Usage notes

* The plural ܐܲܒ݂ܵܗܹ̈ܐ (aḇāhē) is used in literal senses (ie, parents) while the plural ܐܲܒ݂ܵܗܵܬܹ̈ܐ (aḇāhātē) is used in figurative senses (ie. ancestors).

#### Derived terms

* ܐܲܒ݂ܵܗܵܝܵܐ (aḇāhāyā, “parental, fatherly”)
* ܐܲܒ݂ܵܗܘܼܬܵܐ (aḇāhūtā, “parentage, parenthood, paternity, fatherhood”)

## Classical Syriac
### Etymology 1

From Proto-Semitic *ʔabw-.

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ʔăvɑ]

#### Noun

ܐܒܐ • (ʾăḇā) m (plural ܐܒܗܬܐ or ܐܒܗܐ, singular feminine counterpart ܐܡܐ)
* father
    Synonym: ܒܒܐ
* (in the plural) parents
* (figuratively) forefather, ancestor, progenitor
* monk, abbot; bishop
* chief, leader
    Synonym: ܪܝܫܐ
* (figuratively) author, originator, founder, inventor
* teacher
    Synonym: ܡܠܦܢܐ

##### Usage notes

* Usually, the plural ܐܒܗܐ (ʾăḇāhē) is used for literal senses while ܐܒܗܬܐ (ʾăḇāhāṯā) is used for figurative senses.
* The word ܐܒܐ is one of only three nouns in the entire language that have an irregular possessive stem ending in the letter Waw; the other two being ܐܚܐ (ʾăḥā, “brother”) and ܚܡܐ (ḥəmā, “father-in-law”).

##### Derived terms

* ܐܒܗܘܬܐ (ʾăḇāhūṯā)
* ܐܒܘܬܐ (ʾăḇūṯā)
* ܐܒܝܐ (ʾăḇāyā)

##### Descendants

* → Ancient Greek: ἀββα (abba), ἀββά (abbá), ἀββᾶ (abbâ), ἀββᾶς (abbâs)
** Greek: αββάς (avvás), αβάς (avás)

### Etymology 2

Probably from an earlier uncontracted form ܐܢܒܐ (ʾenbā), possibly from Akkadian 𒄧 (inbum). Compare Hebrew אֵב (ʾēḇ).

#### Alternative forms

* ܐܒܒܐ

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ʔɛbbɑ], [ʔabbɑ] (singular)
* IPA: [ʔɛbbe], [ʔabbe], [ʔɛbbɑne], [ʔabbɑne] (plural)

#### Noun

ܐܒܐ • (ʾebbā, ʾabbā) m (plural ܐܒܢܐ or ܐܒܐ)
* produce, fruit, vegetable

##### Synonyms

* ܝܘܪܩܐ
* ܝܪܩܐ

### Etymology 3

A dialect variation of ܥܒܐ (/⁠ʿabbā⁠/, “spiny-tailed lizard”), from Proto-Semitic *ṣ́abb- (“a type of lizard or reptile; creature that cleaves to the ground”). Compare Arabic ضَبّ (ḍabb, “spiny-tailed lizard”) and Hebrew צַב (ṣaḇ, “turtle”).

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ʔabbɑ] (singular)
* IPA: [ʔabbe] (plural)

#### Noun

ܐܒܐ • (ʾabbā) m (plural ܐܒܐ)
* crocodile

##### Synonyms

* ܝܪܠܐ

### References

* “ˀb”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–, retrieved 2008-11-10
* Costaz, Louis (2002) Dictionnaire syriaque-français ∙ Syriac–English Dictionary ∙ قاموس سرياني-عربي, 3rd edition, Beirut: Dar El-Machreq, page 1a
* Payne Smith, Jessie (1903) A Compendious Syriac Dictionary Founded Upon the Thesaurus Syriacus of R. Payne Smith, D.D., Oxford: Clarendon Press, pages 1b–2a
* Sokoloff, Michael (2009) A Syriac Lexicon: A Translation from the Latin, Correction, Expansion, and Update of C. Brockelmann's Lexicon Syriacum, Winona Lake, Indiana, Piscataway, New Jersey: Eisenbrauns; Gorgias Press, page 1