Where does “baba” come from?
baba (Swahili) comes from Arabic بابا, from Latin papa, from Ancient Greek παπᾶς, from Old Norse súla, from Proto-Germanic sūliz, from Proto-Indo-European ḱsewl-, from Proto-Indo-European ḱsew-.
baba (Swahili): father
Ancestry of “baba”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Arabic | بابا | papa, daddy, father; pope, patriarch; indefinite... |
| 2 | Latin | papa | an infant's cry for food; father; bishop |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | παπᾶς | priest |
| 4 | Old Norse | súla | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | sūliz | beam, post; column, pillar |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱsewl- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱsew- | — |
Words derived from “baba”