Where does “tuubab” come from?
tuubab (Wolof) comes from French toubib, from Arabic طَبِيب, from Arabic ب, from Arabic طَابَق, from Middle Persian tʾp̄k', from Proto-Iranian tāpaka-, from Proto-Iranian tap-, from Proto-Indo-European tep- — to be warm, be hot.
Ancestry of “tuubab”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | French | toubib | medic, doc |
| 2 | Arabic | طَبِيب | doctor |
| 3 | Arabic | ب | Abbreviation of باب; with, by; with |
| 4 | Arabic | طَابَق | — |
| 5 | Middle Persian | tʾp̄k' | frying pan |
| 6 | Proto-Iranian | tāpaka- | heater {{non-gloss definition|or}} baking place... |
| 7 | Proto-Iranian | tap- | to warm up, heat; flat |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | tep- | to be warm, be hot |
Words derived from “tuubab”