baba

See also: Appendix:Variations of "baba"

Languages (76)

English

---

Afrikaans • Albanian • Atong (India) • Azerbaijani • Basque • Betawi • Bikol Central • Cebuano • Crimean Tatar • Czech • Dagbani • Ewe • Fanagalo • Finnish • French • Galician • Garo • German • Hausa • Higaonon • Hiligaynon • Hungarian • Ilocano • Indonesian • Japanese • Kabyle • Kankanaey • Kashubian • Kikuyu • Latgalian • Lower Sorbian • Luo • Malay • Mansaka • Marshallese • Matal • Mwani • Naga Pidgin • Nefamese • Ngarluma • Nkonya • Old Czech • Old Polish • Peranakan Indonesian • Phuthi • Polish • Portuguese • Ratagnon • Romanian • Salar • Serbo-Croatian • Shona • Silesian • Slovak • Slovene • Slovincian • Southern Ndebele • Spanish • Swahili • Swazi • Tagalog • Taíno • Tarifit • Ternate • Tswana • Tumbuka • Turkish • Turkmen • Upper Sorbian • Venda • Wajarri • West Makian • Woiwurrung • Yoruba • Zulu

---

Page categories

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; a doublet of bubbe), 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/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑːbɑː, -ɑːbə, -æbə

Noun

baba (plural babas)

2. A kind of sponge cake soaked in rum-flavoured syrup.
3. (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;

4. 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.

5. (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?"

6. (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.

7. (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!

8. 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
• baba ganoush
• Baba Yaga
• babulya
• babushka
• babusia
• babusya
• rum baba

Translations

flavoured sponge cake

Catalan: babà m Finnish: baba (fi) Greek: μπαμπάς (el) m (bampás) Italian: babà (it) m Polish: baba (pl) f

holy man, spiritual leader

Bengali: বাবা (bn) (baba) Finnish: isä (fi) Kazakh: баба (kk) (baba) Marathi: बाबा m (bābā) Odia: ବାବା (or) (bābā) Polish: baba (pl) m Telugu: బాబా (te) (bābā) Turkish: baba (tr), peder (tr), pederler pl, babalar (tr) pl, peder (tr)

Further reading

• baba on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• ABBA, AABB, Abba, abba

Afrikaans

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

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/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

babá m (plural baballárë, definite babái)

1. dad, father

   Synonyms: bábë, átë

Declension

Declension of baba

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	baba	babai	baballarë	baballarët
accusative		babanë
dative	babai	babait	baballarëve	baballarëve
ablative			baballarësh

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

Other scripts

Cyrillic		баба
Abjad		بابا

Pronunciation

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

• Audio (Baku):

  (file)

Noun

baba (definite accusative babanı, plural babalar)

1. grandfather

   Coordinate term: nənə

2. term of address for old men

Declension

Declension of baba

	singular	plural
nominative	baba	babalar
definite accusative	babanı	babaları
dative	babaya	babalara
locative	babada	babalarda
ablative	babadan	babalardan
definite genitive	babanın	babaların

Possessive forms of baba

	nominative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	babam	babalarım
sənin (“your”)	baban	babaların
onun (“his/her/its”)	babası	babaları
bizim (“our”)	babamız	babalarımız
sizin (“your”)	babanız	babalarınız
onların (“their”)	babası or babaları	babaları
	accusative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	babamı	babalarımı
sənin (“your”)	babanı	babalarını
onun (“his/her/its”)	babasını	babalarını
bizim (“our”)	babamızı	babalarımızı
sizin (“your”)	babanızı	babalarınızı
onların (“their”)	babasını or babalarını	babalarını
	dative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	babama	babalarıma
sənin (“your”)	babana	babalarına
onun (“his/her/its”)	babasına	babalarına
bizim (“our”)	babamıza	babalarımıza
sizin (“your”)	babanıza	babalarınıza
onların (“their”)	babasına or babalarına	babalarına
	locative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	babamda	babalarımda
sənin (“your”)	babanda	babalarında
onun (“his/her/its”)	babasında	babalarında
bizim (“our”)	babamızda	babalarımızda
sizin (“your”)	babanızda	babalarınızda
onların (“their”)	babasında or babalarında	babalarında
	ablative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	babamdan	babalarımdan
sənin (“your”)	babandan	babalarından
onun (“his/her/its”)	babasından	babalarından
bizim (“our”)	babamızdan	babalarımızdan
sizin (“your”)	babanızdan	babalarınızdan
onların (“their”)	babasından or babalarından	babalarından
	genitive
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	babamın	babalarımın
sənin (“your”)	babanın	babalarının
onun (“his/her/its”)	babasının	babalarının
bizim (“our”)	babamızın	babalarımızın
sizin (“your”)	babanızın	babalarınızın
onların (“their”)	babasının or babalarının	babalarının

Basque

Etymology

From Proto-Basque, ultimately from Latin faba.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /baba/ [ba.β̞a]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aba, -a
• Hyphenation: ba‧ba

Noun

baba inan

1. broad bean
2. bean, green bean

   Synonym: babarrun

3. blister

Declension

Declension of baba (inanimate, ending in -a)

	indefinite	singular	plural
absolutive	baba	baba	babak
ergative	babak	babak	babek
dative	babari	babari	babei
genitive	babaren	babaren	baben
comitative	babarekin	babarekin	babekin
causative	babarengatik	babarengatik	babengatik
benefactive	babarentzat	babarentzat	babentzat
instrumental	babaz	babaz	babez
inessive	babatan	baban	babetan
locative	babatako	babako	babetako
allative	babatara	babara	babetara
terminative	babataraino	babaraino	babetaraino
directive	babatarantz	babarantz	babetarantz
destinative	babatarako	babarako	babetarako
ablative	babatatik	babatik	babetatik
partitive	babarik	—	—
prolative	babatzat	—	—

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 (Urban Jakarta)

Etymology

Borrowed from Hokkien 爸爸 (pa-pa), perhaps reinforced by the form aba. Sense 2 might be a semantic loan from Arabic بَابَا (bābā).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /baba/
• Rhymes: -a
• Hyphenation: ba‧ba

Noun

baba

1. father

   Synonyms: aba, abi, ayah, bapa'

2. (Roman Catholicism, rare) pope

   Synonym: paus

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

• hababa
• ibaba
• kababan
• magbaba

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.bɐ]
• 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

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

Etymology 2

Compare abaga.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /baˈba/ [bɐˈba]
• 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

Declension of baba

	singular	plural
nominative	baba	babalar
genitive	babanıñ	babalarnıñ
dative	babağa	babalarğa
accusative	babanı	babalarnı
locative	babada	babalarda
ablative	babadan	babalardan

Derived terms

• babaca
• babacasına
• babalıq
• babasız
• babasızlıq

References

• “baba”, in Luğatçıq (in Russian)

Czech

Czech Wikipedia has an article on:

baba

Wikipedia ^cs

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

Declension of baba (hard feminine)

	singular	plural
nominative	baba	baby
genitive	baby	bab
dative	babě	babám
accusative	babu	baby
vocative	babo	baby
locative	babě	babách
instrumental	babou	babami

Related terms

adjectives

• babí
• babský
• zbabělý

nouns

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

verbs

• zbabět

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)

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

• Fiagã, Kwasi (1976), Grammaire eʋe: Eʋegbe ŋutinunya‎ (in French), Lomé: Institut national de la recherche scientifique, page 101

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
• Hyphenation^(key): ba‧ba

Noun

baba

1. baba, babka (type of cake)

Declension

Inflection of baba (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)
nominative		baba	babat
genitive		baban	babojen
partitive		babaa	baboja
illative		babaan	baboihin
		singular	plural
nominative		baba	babat
accusative	nom.	baba	babat
	gen.	baban
genitive		baban	babojen babain rare
partitive		babaa	baboja
inessive		babassa	baboissa
elative		babasta	baboista
illative		babaan	baboihin
adessive		baballa	baboilla
ablative		babalta	baboilta
allative		baballe	baboille
essive		babana	baboina
translative		babaksi	baboiksi
abessive		babatta	baboitta
instructive		—	baboin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

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 2 July 2023

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ba.ba/

• Audio (France (Vosges)):

  (file)

• Audio (France):

  (file)

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
   • 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^(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

• 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

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

   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^(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