Where does “babai” come from?

babai (Tausug) comes from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian ba-bahi, from Proto-Austronesian ba-bahi, from Proto-Austronesian bahi — female, woman.

babai (Tausug): woman

Definitions

  1. woman

Ancestry of “babai”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Malayo-Polynesianba-bahiwoman
2Proto-Austronesianba-bahiwoman; female
3Proto-Austronesianbahifemale, woman
Every word from Proto-Austronesian bahi →Every word from Proto-Austronesian ba-bahi →Every word from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian ba-bahi →