# baba
## 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, 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: (variously) /ˈbɑːbɑː/, /ˈbɑːbə/, /ˈbæbə/
* Audio (Southern England):(file)
* Rhymes: -ɑːbɑː, -ɑːbə, -æbə

### Noun

baba (plural babas)
* A kind of sponge cake soaked in rum-flavoured syrup.
* (especially 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, MaryBeth Bond, editor, A Woman's Europe: True Stories: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;
* 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, Colin Michael Hall, Liz Sharples, editors, Food Tourism Around The World: Development, Management and Markets: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.
* (especially among people of Indian or Chinese 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?"
* (Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism) A holy man, a spiritual leader.
** 1995, Hugh J.M. Johnston, 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.
* (British India) 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!
* 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

#### Further reading

* baba on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

### Anagrams

* ABBA, AABB, Abba, abba

## Afrikaans
### Pronunciation

* Audio:(file)

### Noun

baba (plural babas)
* baby

#### Related terms

* babetjie

### Verb

baba (present baba, present participle babaende, past participle gebaba)
* to treat with gentle care, to coddle

## Albanian
### Etymology 1

From Ottoman Turkish بابا (baba), whence Turkish baba.

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: /baˈba/
* Audio:(file)

#### Noun

babá m (plural baballárë, definite babái)
* dad, father
    Synonyms: bábë, átë

##### Derived terms

* Baba Dimri

### Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈbaba/

#### Noun

bába
* inflection of bábë:
** definite nominative singular
** indefinite nominative/accusative plural

## Atong (India)
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /baba/

### Noun

baba (Bengali script বাবা)
* father
* paternal uncle
* 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: [bɑˈbɑ]
* Hyphenation: ba‧ba
* Audio (Baku):(file)

### Noun

baba (definite accusative babanı, plural babalar)
* grandfather
    Coordinate term: nənə
* term of address for old men

#### Declension
## Basque
### Etymology

From Proto-Basque, ultimately from Latin faba.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /baba/, [ba.β̞a]
* Audio:(file)

### Noun

baba inan
* broad bean
* bean, green bean
    Synonym: babarrun
* blister

#### Derived terms

* baba beltz
* baba gorri
* baba handi
* baba zuri
* babak eltzetik atera
* babalarrutu
* babalasto
* babaolore
* babarrun
* babatsu
* babatu
* babazorro

### Further reading

* “baba”, in Euskaltzaindiaren Hiztegia [Dictionary of the Basque Academy] (in Basque), Euskaltzaindia [Royal Academy of the Basque Language]
* “baba”, in Orotariko Euskal Hiztegia [General Basque Dictionary], Euskaltzaindia, 1987–2005

## Betawi
### Alternative forms

* babè (Meester)

### Noun

baba
* father
    Synonyms: aba, abi, ayah, bapa'

## Bikol Central
### Etymology 1

Inherited from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *babaq, from Proto-Austronesian *babaq.

#### Pronunciation 1

* Hyphenation: ba‧ba
* IPA: /baˈbaʔ/ [baˈbaʔ]

#### Adjective

babâ (Basahan spelling ᜊᜊ)
* downstairs
    Antonym: taas

#### Noun

babâ (Basahan spelling ᜊᜊ)
* shortness, lowness (based on height)
    Antonym: langkaw
* (dialectal) bottom; below
    Antonym: babaw
* descent
    Synonym: palos
* disembarkment
    Synonym: lusad
* act of going downstairs
    Synonym: hilig
* decrease; lowering of quantity or measurement
    Synonym: ina

##### Derived terms

* hababa
* ibaba
* kababan
* magbaba

#### Pronunciation 2

* Hyphenation: ba‧ba
* IPA: /ˈbabaʔ/ [ˈba.baʔ]

#### Noun

babà (Basahan spelling ᜊᜊ)
* (anatomy) chin
    Synonym: kuko

### Etymology 2

From padaba (“loved one, term of endearment”).

#### Pronunciation

* Hyphenation: ba‧ba
* IPA: /ˈbabaʔ/ [ˈba.baʔ]

#### Noun

babà (Basahan spelling ᜊᜊ)
* (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: /ˈbaʔba/ [ˈbaʔ.bɐ]
* Rhymes: -aʔ
* Hyphenation: ba‧ba

#### Noun

bâbâ (Badlit spelling ᜊᜊ)
* (anatomy) mouth
* mouth of a river
* outlet; aperture; orifice
* talk; empty boasting, promises or claims

#### Verb

bâbâ (Badlit spelling ᜊᜊ)
* to hit, be hit or injured in the mouth

##### Derived terms

* baba sa atay
* babaan
* babaon
* sa baba sa buaya

### Etymology 2

Compare abaga.

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: /baˈba/ [bɐˈba]
* Rhymes: -a
* Hyphenation: ba‧ba

#### Verb

babá (Badlit spelling ᜊᜊ)
* 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
* father
* dad

#### Derived terms

* babaca
* babacasına
* babalıq
* babasız
* babasızlıq

### References

* “baba”, in Luğatçıq (in Russian)

## Czech
### Alternative forms

* bába

### Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *baba.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈbaba]
* Rhymes: -aba

### Noun

baba f
* crone, hag
* coward, milksop
    Synonym: zbabělec
* (informal) girl, chick

#### Related terms

* babička
* babizna
* babí
* babka
* bába
* bábi

### Further reading

* “baba”, in Kartotéka Novočeského lexikálního archivu (in Czech)
* “baba” in Akademický slovník současné češtiny, 2012–2025, slovnikcestiny.cz
* “baba”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2025

## Dagbani
### Etymology

Unknown.

### Noun

baba (plural babanima)
* Title of the second chief butcher

### Noun

baba
* plural of babli (a featherless fowl)

### Noun

baba
* Father

## Ewe
### Noun

baba
* termite, white ant

### References

* ↑ Fiagã, Kwasi (1976). Grammaire eʋe: Eʋegbe ŋutinunya. Lomé: Institut national de la recherche scientifique, p. 101.

## Fanagalo
### Etymology

From Zulu ubaba, from Proto-Bantu *bààbá.

### Noun

baba
* father

## Finnish
### Etymology

From Polish baba, probably via French.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈbɑbɑ/, [ˈbɑ̝bɑ̝]
* Rhymes: -ɑbɑ
* Hyphenation: ba‧ba

### Noun

baba
* baba, babka (type of cake)

#### Declension

Possessive forms of baba (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation) :
first-person singular possessor
singular
plural
nominative
babani
babani
accusative
nom.
babani
babani
gen.
babani
genitive
babani
babojeni babaini $^{rare}$
partitive
babaani
babojani
inessive
babassani
baboissani
elative
babastani
baboistani
illative
babaani
baboihini
adessive
baballani
baboillani
ablative
babaltani
baboiltani
allative
baballeni
baboilleni
essive
babanani
baboinani
translative
babakseni
baboikseni
abessive
babattani
baboittani
instructive
comitative
—baboineni
second-person singular possessor
singular
plural
nominative
babasi
babasi
accusative
nom.
babasi
babasi
gen.
babasi
genitive
babasi
babojesi babaisi $^{rare}$
partitive
babaasi
babojasi
inessive
babassasi
baboissasi
elative
babastasi
baboistasi
illative
babaasi
baboihisi
adessive
baballasi
baboillasi
ablative
babaltasi
baboiltasi
allative
baballesi
baboillesi
essive
babanasi
baboinasi
translative
babaksesi
baboiksesi
abessive
babattasi
baboittasi
instructive
comitative
—baboinesi
first-person plural possessor
singular
plural
nominative
babamme
babamme
accusative
nom.
babamme
babamme
gen.
babamme
genitive
babamme
babojemme babaimme $^{rare}$
partitive
babaamme
babojamme
inessive
babassamme
baboissamme
elative
babastamme
baboistamme
illative
babaamme
baboihimme
adessive
baballamme
baboillamme
ablative
babaltamme
baboiltamme
allative
baballemme
baboillemme
essive
babanamme
baboinamme
translative
babaksemme
baboiksemme
abessive
babattamme
baboittamme
instructive
comitative
—baboinemme
second-person plural possessor
singular
plural
nominative
babanne
babanne
accusative
nom.
babanne
babanne
gen.
babanne
genitive
babanne
babojenne babainne $^{rare}$
partitive
babaanne
babojanne
inessive
babassanne
baboissanne
elative
babastanne
baboistanne
illative
babaanne
baboihinne
adessive
baballanne
baboillanne
ablative
babaltanne
baboiltanne
allative
baballenne
baboillenne
essive
babananne
baboinanne
translative
babaksenne
baboiksenne
abessive
babattanne
baboittanne
instructive
comitative
—baboinenne
third-person possessor
singular
plural
nominative
babansa
babansa
accusative
nom.
babansa
babansa
gen.
babansa
genitive
babansa
babojensa babainsa $^{rare}$
partitive
babaansa
babojaan babojansa
inessive
babassaan babassansa
baboissaan baboissansa
elative
babastaan babastansa
baboistaan baboistansa
illative
babaansa
baboihinsa
adessive
baballaan baballansa
baboillaan baboillansa
ablative
babaltaan babaltansa
baboiltaan baboiltansa
allative
baballeen baballensa
baboilleen baboillensa
essive
babanaan babanansa
baboinaan baboinansa
translative
babakseen babaksensa
baboikseen baboiksensa
abessive
babattaan babattansa
baboittaan baboittansa
instructive
comitative
—baboineen baboinensa :

### Further reading

* “baba”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎ (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: /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)
* baba (type of cake)
    baba au rhum ― rum baba

### Etymology 2

Onomatopoeic.

#### Adjective

baba (plural babas)
* (colloquial) flabbergasted
** 1999, Anna Gavalda, “Ambre”, in Je voudrais que quelqu'un m'attende quelque part, →ISBN:C’était un Argentin qui mesurait au moins deux mètres, il souriait tout les temps. J’étais baba devant ses tatouages.He was an Argentinian who was at least six foot six. He was always smiling. I was stunned by his tattoos.

### 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: [ˈbaβɐ]

#### Noun

baba f (plural babas)
* drool
    Synonym: baballa
* slime (mucus-like substance which exudes from the bodies of certain animals)
    Synonyms: baballa, limo

##### Derived terms

* baballa
* babar
* babexar

#### References

* Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “baba”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
* Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “baba”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
* Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “baba”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

### Etymology 2
#### Verb

baba
* inflection of babar:
** third-person singular present indicative
** second-person singular imperative

## Garo
### Etymology

Likely from Bengali বাবা (baba).

### Noun

baba
* 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: /baˈbaː/, (Austria) [b̥aˈb̥aː]
* Rhymes: -aː

#### Interjection

baba
* (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: /ˈbaba/

#### Adjective

baba (indeclinable, predicative only)
* (slang) boss, rad, fly
    Synonyms: Bombe, geisteskrank
    Diese Jacke sieht richtig baba aus.This jacket looks bare nang.
    Ich finde den Schnitt baba.I deem the fit thrilling.

## Hausa
### Etymology 1

A widespread areal word.

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: /bàː.bá/
** (Standard Kano Hausa) IPA: [bàː.bə́]

#### Noun

bā̀ba m (possessed form bā̀ban)
* father
* 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: /bàː.báː/
** (Standard Kano Hausa) IPA: [bàː.báː]

#### Noun

bā̀bā m (plural bā̀bànni, possessed form bā̀ban)
* eunuch
* impotent man

### Etymology 3

Probably an early borrowing from Kanuri báwà (“paternal aunt”).

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: /báː.bà/
** (Standard Kano Hausa) IPA: [báː.bə̀]

#### Noun

bābà f (possessed form bābàr̃)
* 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: /báː.báː/
** (Standard Kano Hausa) IPA: [báː.báː]

#### Noun

bābā m (possessed form bāban)
* indigo (the plant, or the dye from it)

## Higaonon
### Noun

baba
* mouth

## Hiligaynon
### Noun

bába or bâbâ
* mouth

## Hungarian
### Etymology

Onomatopoeic. It may be a doublet of báb.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈbɒbɒ]
* Audio:(file)
* Hyphenation: ba‧ba
* Rhymes: -bɒ

### Noun

baba (plural babák)
* doll (toy in the form of a human)
* baby, infant (very young human child, particularly from birth until walking is mastered)
    Synonyms: csecsemő, kisbaba, bébi
* (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

#### Derived terms

* babázik
* babaarc
* bababútor
* babacipő
* babacsörgő
* babafej
* babahajtű
* babaház
* babakelengye
* babaklinika
* babakocsi
* babamérleg
* babapiskóta
* babarózsa
* babaruha
* babaszappan
* babaszoba
* alvóbaba
* autóbaba
* cicababa
* csinibaba
* fababa
* földbaba
* gülbaba
* kabalababa
* karakterbaba
* kaucsukbaba
* kirakatbaba
* kisbaba
* lencsibaba
* öltöztetőbaba
* próbababa
* rongybaba
* játék baba

### Adjective

baba (comparative babább, superlative legbabább)
* (slang) swell, neat (exceptionally good, pleasing or enjoyable)

#### Declension
### References

* ↑ baba in Zaicz, Gábor (ed.). Etimológiai szótár: Magyar szavak és toldalékok eredete (‘Dictionary of Etymology: The origin of Hungarian words and affixes’). Budapest: Tinta Könyvkiadó, 2006, →ISBN. (See also its 2nd edition.)

### 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 Nóra Ittzés, editor, A magyar nyelv nagyszótára [A Comprehensive Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (Nszt.), 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: /baˈba/, [bɐˈba]

### Adverb

baba
* below
    Adda idiay babaIt's down there.

#### Derived terms

* bumaba
* ibaba

## Indonesian
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈba.ba/
* Rhymes: -ba, -a
* Hyphenation: ba‧ba

### Etymology 1

Borrowed from Betawi [Term?].

#### Noun

baba (plural baba-baba)
* 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)
* (nautical) rat

### Etymology 3

Cognate of Cebuano babá (“to piggyback”).

#### Verb

baba
* 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 of Indonesia, 2016.

## Japanese
### Romanization

baba
* Rōmaji transcription of ばば

## Kabyle
### Noun

baba m
* father

## Kankanaey
### Pronunciation

* (tree) IPA: /ˈbaba/ [ˈbaː.bʌ]
** Rhymes: -aba
* (herb) IPA: /baˈba/ [bʌˈba]
** Rhymes: -a
* Syllabification: ba‧ba

### Noun

bába
* Eugenia mananquil Blanco (a myrtaceous tree with an edible fruit)

### Noun

babá
* Laggera alata (a common composite herb with pinkish flowers)

#### Derived terms

* manbaba

### References

* Morice Vanoverbergh (1933) “baba”, in A Dictionary of Lepanto Igorot or Kankanay. As it is spoken at Bauco (Linguistische Anthropos-Bibliothek; XII)‎, Mödling bei Wien, St. Gabriel, Österreich: Verlag der Internationalen Zeitschrift „Anthropos“, →OCLC, page 51

## Kashubian
### Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *baba.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈba.ba/
* Rhymes: -aba
* Syllabification: ba‧ba

### Noun

baba f
* (colloquial, derogatory) woman, wife
* (humorous) Synonym of akùszerka (“accoucheuse, midwife”)

#### Declension
### Further reading

* Stefan Ramułt (1893) “baba”, in Słownik języka pomorskiego czyli kaszubskiego (in Kashubian), page 4
* Sychta, Bernard (1967) “baba”, in Słownik gwar kaszubskich [Dictionary of Kashubian dialects] (in Polish), volumes 1 (A – Ǵ), Wrocław: Ossolineum, 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
* “baba”, in Internetowi Słowôrz Kaszëbsczégò Jãzëka [Internet Dictionary of the Kashubian Language], Fundacja Kaszuby, 2022

## Kikuyu
### Alternative forms

* baaba

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /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
* my father, dad

#### See also

* (thy) thoguo; (his/her) ithe

### References

* ↑ “baba” in Benson, T.G. (1964). Kikuyu-English dictionary, p. 21. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
* ↑ Yukawa, Yasutoshi (1981). "A Tentative Tonal Analysis of Kikuyu Nouns: A Study of Limuru Dialect." In Journal of Asian and African Studies, No. 22, 75–123.
* 1 2 Kagaya, Ryohei (1982). "Tonal Analysis of Kikuyu Nouns in Three Dialects: Murang'a, Nyeri and Ndia." In Journal of Asian and African Studies, No. 24, 1–42.

## Latgalian
### Etymology

Borrowed from a Slavic language, from Proto-Slavic *baba. Doublet of buoba.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈbaba]
* Hyphenation: ba‧ba

### Noun

baba f (diminutive babeņa)
* grandmother

#### Declension

$^{1)}$ dialectal

#### 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: /ˈbaba/

### Noun

baba f (diminutive babka)
* midwife
* old woman
* woman

#### Declension
### Noun

baba f (diminutive babka)
* 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
* father

## Malay
### Pronunciation

* (Johor-Selangor) IPA: /babə/
* (Riau-Lingga) IPA: /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)
* 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)
* A colonial Straits-born European, Eurasian, or Chinese man (as opposed to immigrant Chinese or European males)
* (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
* below

### Etymology 2

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *baqbaq.

#### Noun

baba
* mouth

### Etymology 3

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *baba, compare Malay bawa.

#### Verb

baba
* to carry

## Marshallese
### Pronunciation

* (phonetic) IPA: [pˠɑːbˠɑ], (enunciated) [pˠɑ pˠɑ]
* (phonemic) IPA: /pˠæɰpˠæɰ/
* Bender phonemes: {bahbah}

### Noun

baba
* father
* daddy

### References

* Marshallese–English Online Dictionary

## Matal
### Noun

baba
* 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)

## Mwani
### Alternative forms

* wawa

### Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *bààbá.

### Noun

baba class 1a (plural wababa)
* father

## Naga Pidgin
### Etymology

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

### Noun

baba (plural babakhan)
* father, dad
    Synonym: bap

## Nefamese
### Etymology

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

### Noun

baba
* father, dad

## Ngarluma
### Noun

baba
* water
* rain, rainwater

### References

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

## Nkonya
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /babaʔ/

### Noun

baba (plural ababa)
* termite

## Old Czech
### Pronunciation

* IPA: (13th CE) /ˈbaba/
* IPA: (15th CE) /ˈbaba/

### Noun

baba f
* Alternative form of bába

#### Declension
### Further reading

* Jan Gebauer (1903–1916) “baba”, in Slovník staročeský (in Czech), Prague: Česká grafická společnost "unie", Česká akademie císaře Františka Josefa pro vědy, slovesnost a umění

## Old Polish
### Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *baba. First attested in 1393.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: (10th–15th CE) /baba/
* IPA: (15th CE) /baba/

### Noun

baba f (diminutive babka)
* (attested in Greater Poland) grandma (parent's mother)
    Synonym: babina
** 1888 [1393], Romuald Hube, editor, Zbiór rot przysiąg sądowych poznańskich, kościańskich, kaliskich, sieradzkich, piotrkowskich i dobrzyszyckich z końca wieku XIV i pierwszych lat wieku XV‎, Greater Poland, page 67:Meczko bliszszi po swe babe ku te dzedzine[Miec(z)ko bliższy po swe babie ku te dziedzinie]
* The meaning of this term is uncertain.
** 1868 [1472], Akta grodzkie i ziemskie z czasów Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej : z archiwum tak zwanego bernardyńskiego we Lwowie w skutek fundacyi śp. Alexandra hr. Stadnickiego‎, volume XII, page 347:Que sibi cessit post matrem suam al. po babye[Que sibi cessit post matrem suam al. po babie]
* (attested in Greater Poland) grandma (any old woman)
** 1930 [c. 1455], “Gen”, in Ludwik Bernacki, editor, Biblia królowej Zofii (Biblia szaroszpatacka)‎, 18, 13:Dopyoro bødø rodzycz, yusz bødøczi babø (num vere paritura sum anus)?[Dopioro będę rodzić już będęcy babą (num vere paritura sum anus)?]
** c. 1500, Wokabularz lubiński, Lubiń: inkunabuł Archiwum Archidiecezjalnego w Gnieźnie, sygn. Inc. 78d., page 11r:Anus eyn weyp vel culus; versus: dum se curuat anus bąba, retro sibi sibilat anus - posterior pars alterius rzycz[Anus eyn weyp vel culus; versus: dum se curuat anus baba, retro sibi sibilat anus - posterior pars alterius rzyć]
* (attested in Greater Poland) woman
** 1907 [c. 1470], Jakub Parkoszowic, edited by Jan Łoś, Traktat o ortografii polskiej‎, Żurawica, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, Krakow, page 404:Babø bik bodze[Babę byk bodzie]
** 1895 [1412], Archiwum Komisji Prawniczej. Collectanea ex Archivo Collegii Iuridici‎, volume X, page 347:Baba stara[Baba stara]
* midwife
** Middle of the 15th century, Rozmyślanie o żywocie Pana Jezusa‎, page 63:Jozef... wyszedł barzo rącze, chcąc wezwać... baby albo panie (obstetrices cupiens vocare)[Jozef... wyszedł barzo rącze, chcąc wezwać... baby albo panie (obstetrices cupiens vocare)]
* pear (Pyrus communis)
** 1900 [1472], Józef Rostafiński, editor, Symbola ad historiam naturalem medii aevi = Średniowieczna historya naturalna w Polsce. Ps 2‎, number 206:Baba pira[Baba pira]
* (attested in Sieradz-Łęczyca) (in the plural, astronomy) Pleiades
** 1874-1891 [1466], Rozprawy i Sprawozdania z Posiedzeń Wydziału Filologicznego Akademii Umiejętności‎, volume XXII, Łęczyca, page 22:Baby pliades[Baby pliades]
* Corruption of the proper noun Bala.
** 1930 [c. 1455], “Gen”, in Ludwik Bernacki, editor, Biblia królowej Zofii (Biblia szaroszpatacka)‎, 35, 22:Spal z zonø otcza swego, ktoreyze to Baba rzekla (dormivit cum Bala)[Spał z żoną otca swego, ktorejże to Baba rzeczono (dormivit cum Bala)]

#### Derived terms

* babczany
* babin
* babczyzna
* babica
* babimór
* babina
* babizna
* babka
* wieszcza baba

#### Descendants

* Polish: baba
* Silesian: baba

### References

* Boryś, Wiesław (2005) “baba”, in Słownik etymologiczny języka polskiego (in Polish), Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literackie, →ISBN
* Mańczak, Witold (2017) “baba”, in Polski słownik etymologiczny (in Polish), Kraków: Polska Akademia Umiejętności, →ISBN
* Bańkowski, Andrzej (2000) “baba”, in Etymologiczny słownik języka polskiego [Etymological Dictionary of the Polish Language] (in Polish)
* Sławski, Franciszek (1958-1965) “baba”, in Jan Safarewicz, Andrzej Siudut, editors, Słownik etymologiczny języka polskiego [Etymological dictionary of the Polish language] (in Polish), Kraków: Towarzystwo Miłośników Języka Polskiego
* B. Sieradzka-Baziur, Ewa Deptuchowa, Joanna Duska, Mariusz Frodyma, Beata Hejmo, Dorota Janeczko, Katarzyna Jasińska, Krystyna Kajtoch, Joanna Kozioł, Marian Kucała, Dorota Mika, Gabriela Niemiec, Urszula Poprawska, Elżbieta Supranowicz, Ludwika Szelachowska-Winiarzowa, Zofia Wanicowa, Piotr Szpor, Bartłomiej Borek, editors (2011–2015), “baba”, in Słownik pojęciowy języka staropolskiego [Conceptual Dictionary of Old Polish] (in Polish), Kraków: IJP PAN, →ISBN
* Ewa Deptuchowa, Mariusz Frodyma, Katarzyna Jasińska, Magdalena Klapper, Dorota Kołodziej, Mariusz Leńczuk, Ludwika Szelachowska-Winiarzowa, Zofia Wanicowa, editors (2023), “baba”, in Rozariusze z polskimi glosami. Internetowa baza danych [Dictionaries of Polish glosses, an Internet database] (in Polish), Kraków: Pracownia Języka Staropolskiego Instytut Języka Polskiego Polskiej Akademii Nauk

## Peranakan Indonesian
### Etymology

Borrowed from Betawi [Term?].

### Noun

baba
* greetings for Chinese people (male)

## Phuthi
### Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *-bába.

### Verb

-baba
* to taste bitter

#### Inflection

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

## Polish
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈba.ba/
* (Middle Polish) IPA: /ˈba.ba/
* (Masovia):
** (Far Masovian) IPA: /ˈba.ba/
* Audio:(file)
* Rhymes: -aba
* Syllabification: ba‧ba

### Etymology 1

Inherited from Old Polish baba.

#### Noun

baba f (diminutive babka or babcia, augmentative babsko or babisko)
* (colloquial, somewhat derogatory) woman, crone, hag (female person)
* (colloquial or dialectal, Far Masovian) wife, girlfriend (female romantic partner)
* village woman (woman from the village)
    Synonyms: chłopka, wieśniaczka
* (childish) grandmother
    Synonyms: babcia, babka, babunia
* village seller (woman who sells things from the village)
* (derogatory) pansy, big girl's blouse (male of weak or cowardly character)
* babka (type of cake)
    Synonym: babka
* (engineering) ram (hydraulic hammer)
* (obsolete) witch; spellcaster
* (obsolete) female beggar (woman who begs)
    Coordinate term: dziad
* (obsolete) midwife
    Synonyms: akuszerka, położna
* (obsolete, dialectal, agriculture) large sheaf of strangely decorated grain tied at the end of a harvest
* (obsolete, dialectal, spinning) thick, round part attached to a screw next to a stool of a spinning wheel (Is there an English equivalent to this definition?)
* (obsolete, dialectal) bunch of rags placed on a stick to block the lower outlet of a chimney above a fireplace
* (obsolete, timber rafting) wooden block carved in the shape of a human head given to new rafters to kiss by rafters who are helping the new rafters with the rafting for the first time
* (obsolete, fishing) narrow barrel with a pole through it, used for winding a seine line while fishing (Is there an English equivalent to this definition?)
* (obsolete, sports) starting peg (peg that starts a game of croquet)
* (obsolete, engineering) oak block with a handle used for tamping when laying stones, spreading gravel on road surfaces, etc. (Is there an English equivalent to this definition?)
* (obsolete, art) leather pillow for applying paint in manual printing of canvases
* (obsolete) female hireling; female worker
* (obsolete) female pimp
    Synonym: stręczycielka
* (obsolete) snowwoman
    Synonym: bałwanica
* (obsolete) bogie (booger)
    Synonym: babok
* (obsolete) bundle of hay used as a blockade for dangerous passages
* (obsolete) rag on a stick or pole for sweeping
* (obsolete) wooden mold for ironing clothes
* (obsolete, sailing) boathook
* (obsolete, sailing) knot on a mast twist that raftsmen can't undo
* (obsolete, hunting) Eurasian jay (Garrulus glandarius)
    Synonym: sójka
* (obsolete) type of wild duck
* (obsolete, university slang, games) leather ball
* (obsolete) pelican (seabird of the family Pelecanidae)
    Synonym: pelikan
* (obsolete) any of various freshwater sculpins of the genus Cottus
    Synonym: głowacz
* (obsolete) tuna (fish of the genus Thunnus)
    Synonym: tuńczyk
* (Middle Polish) female mourner, griever (woman who cries over someone's death at a funeral)
    Synonym: płaczka
* (Middle Polish) whipping block
* (Middle Polish) common pear, (Pyrus communis)
* (Middle Polish) cannon; gun
    Synonyms: armata, działo
* (Middle Polish, chess) queen
    Synonyms: dama, hetman, królowa
* (Middle Polish) quack; herbalist (woman who heals with herbs, especially incompetently)

##### Derived terms

* babciny
* babciowy
* babczany
* babi
* babkowaty
* babski
* babsko
* Baba Jaga
* baba-chłop
* babcia
* babeczka
* babiarz
* babie lato
* babimór
* babina
* babiniec
* babinka
* babizna
* babka
* babka bycza
* babka lancetowata
* babka piaskowa
* babkowate
* babochłop
* baboholik
* babol
* babon
* babskość
* babstwo
* babsztyl
* babula
* babuleńka
* babulina
* babulinka
* babulka
* babunia
* babus
* babusia
* babuśka
* chłopobaba
* cioteczna babka
* ciuciubabka
* herod-baba
* pies na baby
* rżana baba
* stryjeczna babka
* ślepa babka
* baba z wozu, koniom lżej
* dziad swoje, baba swoje
* gdzie diabeł nie może, tam babę pośle
* masz babo placek
* na dwoje babka wróżyła
* nie miała baba kłopotu, kupiła sobie prosię
* babieć impf
* zbabieć pf

### Etymology 2

Borrowed from Persian بابا (bâbâ).

#### Noun

baba m pers
* (Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism) baba (holy man, a spiritual leader)

##### Declension
### Etymology 3

Borrowed from Turkish baba.

#### Noun

baba f
* stone figure used in cult or spiritual functions
* (Middle Polish) jail; dungeon

##### Declension
### 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
* Aleksander Zdanowicz (1861) “baba”, in Słownik języka polskiego, Wilno 1861
* J. Karłowicz, A. Kryński, W. Niedźwiedzki, editors (1900), “baba”, in Słownik języka polskiego (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
* Wojciech Grzegorzewicz (1894) “baba”, in “O języku ludowym w powiecie przasnyskim”, in Sprawozdania Komisji Językowej Akademii Umiejętności (in Polish), volume 5, Krakow: Akademia Umiejętności, page 102

## Portuguese
### Etymology 1

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

#### Pronunciation

* (Brazil) IPA: /ˈba.bɐ/
* (Brazil) IPA: /ˈba.bɐ/
** (Southern Brazil) IPA: /ˈba.ba/
* (Portugal) IPA: /ˈba.bɐ/ [ˈba.βɐ]
* Rhymes: -abɐ
* Hyphenation: ba‧ba

#### Noun

baba f (plural babas)
* drool, dribble, slobber
* (Brazil, vulgar) Cowper's fluid; pre-ejaculate

##### Derived terms

* baba de camelo
* babar
* baboso

### Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

#### Verb

baba
* inflection of babar:
** third-person singular present indicative
** second-person singular imperative

### Further reading

* “baba”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2025

## Ratagnon
### Noun

baba
* mouth

## Romanian
### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈba.ba]

### Noun

baba
* definite singular of babă

## Salar
### Etymology

Cognate with Azerbaijani baba.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [pɑpɑ]

### Noun

baba
* grandfather

### References

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

## Serbo-Croatian
### Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *baba. First attested in the 15th century.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /bâba/
* Hyphenation: ba‧ba

### Noun

bȁba f (Cyrillic spelling ба̏ба, augmentative babetina)
* (regional) grandmother
* granny, grandma
* (usually derogatory) old woman, hag
* (derogatory) female person

#### Synonyms

* (grandmother; grandma): báka, nena

### References

* ↑ Matasović, Ranko (2016–2021) “baba”, in Dubravka Ivšić Majić, Tijmen Pronk, editors, Etimološki rječnik hrvatskoga jezika [Etymological dictionary of the Croatian language] (in Serbo-Croatian), Zagreb: Institut za hrvatski jezik i jezikoslovlje, page 35

### Further reading

* “baba”, in Hrvatski jezični portal [Croatian language portal] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2006–2025

## Shona
### Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *bààbá.

### Noun

babá class 1a (plural vababá class 2)
* father
* (Christianity) father (priest)
    Synonym: fata

## Silesian
### Etymology

Inherited from Old Polish baba.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈba.ba/
* Audio:(file)
* Rhymes: -aba
* Syllabification: ba‧ba

### Noun

baba f (diminutive babka)
* (sometimes derogatory) woman; old woman (female person, especially an older one)
    Synonyms: kobiyta, niywiasta, (Cieszyn) żyńskŏ
* wife; girlfriend (female romantic partner)
    Synonyms: ślubnŏ, żōna
* midwife
    Synonym: hebama
* grandma (mother of a parent)
* female beggar (woman who begs)
* female quack (female incompetent doctor)
* female herbalist (woman who deals with herbs)
* female matchmaker (woman who sets up couples)
* narrowleaf plantain (Plantago lanceolata)
* pile driver (machine for forcing a pile, a long beam, into the ground)
* (derogatory) pansy, big girl's blouse (male of weak or cowardly character)
* babka (type of cake)
* scarecrow; female effigy
* common pear, (Pyrus communis)
    Synonym: babka
* large wooden hammer
* pipe running from an oven to a chimney
* (mining) hammer for mining
* roof over the hearth of a furnace that discharges smoke into the chimney
* chimney with a bulging, spherical shape
* (forging) small anvil for striking a scythe or a sickle
    Synonym: babka
* (agriculture) group of sheaves of grain next to each other covered in another sheaf

#### Declension
### Further reading

* baba in dykcjonorz.eu
* baba in silling.org
* Bogdan Kallus (2020) “baba”, in Słownik Gōrnoślōnskij Gŏdki, IV edition, Chorzów: Pro Loquela Silesiana, →ISBN, page 234
* Henryk Jaroszewicz (2022) “baba”, in Zasady pisowni języka śląskiego (in Polish), Siedlce: Wydawnictwo Naukowe IKR[i]BL, page 62
* Aleksandra Wencel (2023) “baba”, in Dykcjůnôrz ślų̊sko-polski, page 32

## Slovak
### Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *baba.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈbaba]

### Noun

baba f
* (colloquial) old woman
* (colloquial) girl
* (dated) midwife
* (dated) doll
    Synonym: bábika
* (dated) puppet
    Synonym: maňuška
* (dated) hash brown
    Synonyms: zemiaková placka, zemiaková baba

#### 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, 2003–2025

## Slovene
### Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *baba.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /bàːba/

### Noun

baba f
* old woman, hag

#### Derived terms

* bábica

### Further reading

* “baba”, in Slovarji Inštituta za slovenski jezik Frana Ramovša ZRC SAZU (in Slovene), 2014–2025

## Slovincian
### Etymology

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

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈba.ba/
* Rhymes: -aba
* Syllabification: ba‧ba

### Noun

baba f (diminutive babjina, augmentative babjiszczô or babskô, related adjective babjy, possessive adjective babjyn)
* old woman
* (derogatory) woman, broad
* female animal

#### Derived terms

* babskjy

#### Related terms

* babjynka
* babjoc impf, zbabjoc pf

### References

* Lorentz, Friedrich (1908) “bãbă”, in Slovinzisches Wörterbuch‎ (in German), volume 1, Saint Petersburg: ОРЯС ИАН, page 10

## Southern Ndebele
### Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *-bába.

### Verb

-bába
* 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: /ˈbaba/ [ˈba.β̞a]
* Audio (Venezuela):(file)
* Rhymes: -aba
* Syllabification: ba‧ba

### Noun

baba f (plural babas)
* drool, dribble
    La chacha lavaba, y mientras lavaba, la baba se le caía.The maid washed, and as she washed, she drooled.
* slime
* (Venezuela) baby alligator, caiman or crocodile

#### Derived terms

* de baba

#### Related terms

* babear
* babero
* babosa
* baboso

#### See also

* cieno
* lama

### Further reading

* “baba”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10

## Swahili
### Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *bààbá.

### Pronunciation

* Audio (Kenya):(file)

### Noun

baba class IX (plural baba class X)
* 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
* (intransitive) to taste bitter

#### Inflection

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

## Tagalog
### Etymology 1

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *babaq, from Proto-Austronesian *babaq (“lower surface, below, bottom”). Cognate with Malay bawah (“under, below”).

#### Pronunciation

* (Standard Tagalog)
** IPA: /ˈbabaʔ/ [ˈbaː.bɐʔ] (“chin; lowness”)
*** Rhymes: -abaʔ
** IPA: /baˈbaʔ/ [bɐˈbaʔ] (“descent; getting off; downstairs; decrease; fruit picking in season”)
*** Rhymes: -aʔ
* Syllabification: ba‧ba

#### Noun

babà (Baybayin spelling ᜊᜊ)
* lowness; low height
* (anatomy) chin
    Synonym: (Marinduque) sihang

##### Derived terms

* alog na ang baba
* ambaba
* babaan
* bumaba
* ibong mababa ang lipad
* kababaan
* kababaan ng loob
* kababaang-loob
* kalapating mababa ang lipad
* kalumbaba
* mababa
* mababa ang luha
* mababain
* mababang kapulungan
* mababang paaralan
* mababang-loob
* magpakababa
* napakababa
* ngalumbaba
* pababain
* pagpapababa
* pagpapakababa
* pakababain
* pangangalumbaba
* pinakamababa
* salumbaba

#### Noun

babâ (Baybayin spelling ᜊᜊ)
* descent; going down
    Synonyms: lapag, lunsad, lusong, (of stairs) panaog
* getting off; alighting (from a vehicle or animal)
* stepping down; abdication; resignation from office
    Synonyms: bitiw, abdika, dimiti
* downstairs; basement
    Synonyms: ibaba, lapag
* decrease; lowering (of quantity or measurement)
* fruit picking in season
* putting down the phone; hanging up on a phone call

##### Derived terms

* baba sandata
* babaan
* bumaba
* ibaba
* ibinaba
* ipababa
* magbaba
* magpababa
* magpakumbaba
* pababa
* pababain
* pagbaba
* pagbaba-pagtaas
* pagbababa
* paibaba
* pakumbaba
* pangayumbaba
* tagababa
* talababa

### Etymology 2

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *baba, from Proto-Austronesian *baba (“to carry (a person piggyback)”). Cognate with Malay bawa (“to carry”).

#### Pronunciation

* (Standard Tagalog)
** IPA: /baˈba/ [bɐˈba] (“piggyback”, noun; “carried piggyback”, adjective)
*** Rhymes: -a
** IPA: /ˈbaba/ [ˈbaː.bɐ] (“(obsolete) loading into a boat”, noun)
*** Rhymes: -aba
* Syllabification: ba‧ba

#### Noun

babá (Baybayin spelling ᜊᜊ)
* piggyback
* coitus of animals
    Synonym: kasta

##### Derived terms

* babahan
* babahin
* babhin
* bumaba
* ibaba
* kababa
* maba
* mababahan
* magbaba
* pagbababa
* palababahan

##### See also

* pasan

#### Adjective

babá (Baybayin spelling ᜊᜊ)
* carried piggyback
    Baba ko siya.I am carrying him piggyback.

#### Noun

baba (Baybayin spelling ᜊᜊ) (obsolete)
* loading a person into a boat
    Synonyms: pagsakay, paglulan

##### Derived terms

* babahan
* babahin
* mamaba
* mapababa

### Etymology 3
#### Pronunciation

* (Standard Tagalog) IPA: /baˈbaʔ/ [bɐˈbaʔ]
* Rhymes: -aʔ
* Syllabification: ba‧ba

#### Noun

babâ (Baybayin spelling ᜊᜊ) (obsolete)
* 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 (in Spanish), Manila: Ramirez y Giraudier
* Santos, Fr. Domingo de los (1835) Tomas Oliva, editor, Vocabulario de la lengua tagala: primera, y segunda parte.‎ (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, 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; et al. (2023) “*babaq₁”, in the CLDF dataset from The Austronesian Comparative Dictionary (2010–), →DOI
* Blust, Robert; Trussel, Stephen; et al. (2023) “*baba₁”, in the CLDF dataset from The Austronesian Comparative Dictionary (2010–), →DOI

## Taíno
### Noun

baba
* 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)
* father

#### Related terms

* mmi (“son”)
* yemma (“mother”)
* yeǧi (“daughter”)

## Ternate
### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈba.ba]

### Noun

baba
* father
    Synonym: aba

#### References

* Rika Hayami-Allen (2001). A Descriptive Study of the Language of Ternate, the Northern Moluccas, Indonesia. University of Pittsburgh.

## Tswana
### Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *-bába.

### Verb

-bába
* (intransitive) to taste hot, spicy
* (intransitive) to taste bitter
* (intransitive) to itch

## 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: /baˈba/
* Hyphenation: ba‧ba
* Audio:(file)

### Noun

baba (definite accusative babayı, plural babalar)
* father
* bollard
* (Bektashism) saint
* (slang) crime boss
* (slang) penis, dick
* (Bursa) roundabout

#### Declension

singular
plural
nominative
baba
babalar
definite accusative
babayı
babaları
dative
babaya
babalara
locative
babada
babalarda
ablative
babadan
babalardan
genitive
babanın
babaların
Possessive forms
nominative
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
definite accusative
singular
plural
1st singular
babamı
babalarımı
2nd singular
babanı
babalarını
3rd singular
babasını
babalarını
1st plural
babamızı
babalarımızı
2nd plural
babanızı
babalarınızı
3rd plural
babalarını
babalarını
dative
singular
plural
1st singular
babama
babalarıma
2nd singular
babana
babalarına
3rd singular
babasına
babalarına
1st plural
babamıza
babalarımıza
2nd plural
babanıza
babalarınıza
3rd plural
babalarına
babalarına
locative
singular
plural
1st singular
babamda
babalarımda
2nd singular
babanda
babalarında
3rd singular
babasında
babalarında
1st plural
babamızda
babalarımızda
2nd plural
babanızda
babalarınızda
3rd plural
babalarında
babalarında
ablative
singular
plural
1st singular
babamdan
babalarımdan
2nd singular
babandan
babalarından
3rd singular
babasından
babalarından
1st plural
babamızdan
babalarımızdan
2nd plural
babanızdan
babalarınızdan
3rd plural
babalarından
babalarından
genitive
singular
plural
1st singular
babamın
babalarımın
2nd singular
babanın
babalarının
3rd singular
babasının
babalarının
1st plural
babamızın
babalarımızın
2nd plural
babanızın
babalarınızın
3rd plural
babalarının
babalarının
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

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

### Adjective

baba
* (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)‎ (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

## Turkmen
### Etymology

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

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [baːba]
* IPA: [baːβa]

### Noun

baba
* maternal grandfather
* term of address for old men

#### Derived terms

* babadaş (“distant relative”)

### Further reading

* “baba” in Enedilim.com
* “baba” in Webonary.org

## Upper Sorbian
### Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *bàba.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈbaba/
* Rhymes: -aba
* Hyphenation: ba‧ba
* Syllabification: ba‧ba

### Noun

baba f (diminutive babka)
* midwife (woman who attends births, helping women in labor)
* bundt cake
* old woman (elderly woman)

#### Declension
### References

* “baba” in Soblex

## Venda
### Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *bààbá.

### Noun

baba
* father

## West Makian
### Etymology

Together with the polite yaya (“mother”), likely borrowed from Ternate baba (“father”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈba.ba/

### Noun

baba
* 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, Pacific linguistics

## Woiwurrung
### Alternative forms

* bâboop

### Noun

baba
* mother

### References

* ↑ https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/27/The_aborigines_of_Victoria_-_with_notes_relating_to_the_habits_of_the_natives_of_other_parts_of_Australia_and_Tasmania_%28IA_b24885228_0002%29.pdf
* ↑ https://deadlystory.com/page/aboriginal-country-map/Aboriginal_Country_Completed/Wurundjeri/Wurundjeri_Language

## Yoruba
### Etymology 1
#### Pronunciation

* IPA: /bà.bá/

#### Noun

bàbá
* father, dad
    Synonyms: baba, àbá, iba, bàá, bà
* A term of respect or endearment for an older man, male relative, or a higher ranking man.
* 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

* bàbá-àgbà (“grandfather”)
* bàbá-ìyá (“maternal grandfather”)
* bàbábàbá (“paternal grandfather”)
* Ikú bàbá-yèyé! (“A hailing of the Alaafin of Oyo”)

### Etymology 2
#### Pronunciation

* IPA: /bā.bā/

#### Noun

baba
* father
    Synonym: bàbá
* elderly man of wisdom, sage, elder
    Synonym: bàbá
* revered or senior leader or entity
    ògòǹgò, baba ẹyẹ ― The ostrich, the most revered of all the birds
* male ancestor
    Synonym: baba-ńlá
* 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

* baba-kékeré (“uncle”)
* baba-nígbẹ̀ẹ́jọ́ (“godfather”)
* Baba-ìṣègùn (“chief healer of a town”)
* Baba-ìyajì (“A prince of the Oyo royal family”)
* baba-ńlá (“male ancestor”)
* babababa (“grandfather”)
* babaláwo (“Ifa priest”)
* Babájídé
* Babánùmí
* Babárímisá
* Babátúndé
* Balógun
* baálẹ̀
* baálé (“head of the household”)

### Etymology 3
#### Pronunciation

* IPA: /bà.bà/

#### Noun

bàbà
* copper (chemical element, Cu, atomical number 29)

##### Derived terms

* bàbàganran (“bronze”)

### Etymology 4

Borrowed from English barber.

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: /bá.bà/

#### Noun

bábà
* 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: /bà.bà/

#### Noun

bàbà
* sorghum, millet, (in particular) Sorghum bicolor
    Synonyms: ọkà bàbà, jéró
* dark red color, in comparison to the color of sorghum
    Synonym: ẹpọ́n

### Etymology 6

Adjective sense derives from ideophone sense

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: /bà.bà/, /bá.bá/

#### Ideophone

bàbà or bábá
* (of an object) to be quickly and rapidly hovering

##### Derived terms

* rá bàbà (“to hover”)

#### Adjective

bábá
* plentiful
    bábá owó ― Plentiful amount of money

##### Derived terms

* ìbàábá (“secrecy, privacy”)

## Zulu
### Etymology 1

From Proto-Bantu *-bába.

#### Verb

-bába
* (intransitive) to taste hot, spicy
* (intransitive) to taste bitter

##### Inflection
### Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

#### Noun

baba
* 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.”