English Online Dictionary. What means ba? What does ba mean?
Translingual
Symbol
ba
- (international standards) ISO 639-1 language code for Bashkir.
English
Etymology 1
Borrowed from Egyptian bꜣ,
Noun
ba (plural bas)
- (Egyptian mythology) A being's soul or personality, represented as a bird-headed figure, which survives after death but must be sustained with offerings of food.
Etymology 2
The sound is very commonly made by infants, and is interpreted by parents as a reference to themselves.
Noun
ba (plural bas) (not generally used in the plural)
- (colloquial and in direct address) Father, baba.
Etymology 3
Alternative forms
- ba'
Noun
ba (uncountable)
- (historical) A medieval football game played in parts of Scotland around Christmas and New Year.
Etymology 4
Noun
ba (plural bas)
- Abbreviation of bathroom.
- 2 beds, 1 ba
Usage notes
Commonly found in apartment listings.
Anagrams
- -ab, A&B, A.B., A/B, AB, Ab, a.b., ab, ab-, ab.
Akan
Verb
ba
- (Fante) come
References
- Rose-Juliet Anyanwu, Fundamentals of Phonetics, Phonology and Tonology (2008)
Anguthimri
Noun
ba
- (Mpakwithi) island
References
- Terry Crowley, The Mpakwithi dialect of Anguthimri (1981), page 184
Bakung
Noun
ba
- water (clear liquid H₂O)
- water (mineral water)
Bambara
Etymology 1
Noun
ba
- mother
Synonyms
- bamuso
- ma
Etymology 2
Noun
bà
- goat
Etymology 3
Noun
bá
- river, stream, lake
Etymology 4
Numeral
bà
- one thousand
Synonyms
- waa
Basque
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ba/, [ba]
Etymology 1
Particle
ba
- Alternative form of ba-
- Ba al zatoz? ― Are you coming?
- Ba ote al dago inor etxean? ― Is anyone home?
- Ba omen zegoen bidea ezagutzen zuen norbait. ― There was someone who knew the way.
Usage notes
See usage notes at ba-.
Etymology 2
Clipping of bada (“it is”)
Particle
ba
- so, then, well
- Ez nizun ba esan. ― Well, I didn't tell you.
Etymology 3
Clipping of bai (“yes”).
Particle
ba
- (Northern) yes
Etymology 4
Probably from Spanish bah.
Interjection
ba
- Indicates disdain or unbelief.
Further reading
- "ba" in Euskaltzaindiaren Hiztegia [Dictionary of the Basque Academy], euskaltzaindia.eus
- “ba” in Orotariko Euskal Hiztegia [General Basque Dictionary], euskaltzaindia.eus
Borôro
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈbaː/
Noun
ba
- egg
Buhi'non Bikol
Etymology
From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *bahaq, from Proto-Austronesian *baSaq.
Noun
bâ
- flood
Cebuano
Pronunciation 1
- (General Cebuano) IPA(key): /ˈba/
- Rhymes: -a
Particle
ba
- interrogative particle
- Kini ba ang Kabisay-an? ― Is this the Visayas?
- Kamao ka ba molangoy? ― Do you know how to swim?
Pronunciation 2
- (General Cebuano) IPA(key): /ˈbaː/
- Rhymes: -a
Etymology
Short for baba.
Verb
ba
- to piggyback; to carry someone on the back
Chichewa
Etymology
From Proto-Bantu *-jíba.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɓa/
Verb
-ba (infinitive kubá)
- steal
Derived terms
- Verbal derivations:
- Applicative: -bera
- Other formations: -ba mawu (“eavesdrop”)
- Nominal derivations:
- wakuba (“thief”)
Chickasaw
Conjunction
ba
- Alternative spelling of ba'
Cimbrian
Alternative forms
- bo
Etymology
From Middle High German wā, from Old High German wār, hwār, from Proto-West Germanic *hwār, from Proto-Germanic *hwar (“where”). Cognate with German wo, English where.
Pronoun
ba
- (Sette Comuni, relative) that; which; who
- dar faff ba de pridighet ― the priest who preaches
Adverb
ba (dative bannont)
- (Sette Comuni, interrogative) where
Adverb
ba
- (Sette Comuni, attributive only) how (modifier used to express suprise, delight, etc.)
- Ba khalt! ― How cold!
Related terms
- éppadabaa
References
- “ba” in Martalar, Umberto Martello; Bellotto, Alfonso (1974) Dizionario della lingua Cimbra dei Sette Communi vicentini, 1st edition, Roana, Italy: Instituto di Cultura Cimbra A. Dal Pozzo
Dagbani
Etymology 1
Noun
ba (plural banima)
- father
- a title of respect
Usage notes
- obligatorily possessed: includes father's brothers, and in the plural all relatives on the father's side, particularly those of his generation.
See also
- ma
Etymology 2
Pronoun
ba
- Third-person, animate, singular, neutral, object pronoun them
See also
- bɛ
- o
- ban
- bana
Dama (Sierra Leone)
Etymology
Cognate with Vai [script needed] (ba), Mende wa.
Adjective
ba
- big
References
- Dalby, T. D. P. (1963), “The extinct language of Dama”, in Sierra Leone Language Review, volume 2, Freetown: Fourah Bay College, pages 50–54
Duun
Etymology
Onomatopoeic?
Noun
ba
- goat
Further reading
- Duungooma ABC (alphabet duun), page 3
Eastern Penan
Noun
ba
- water
References
- Dictionary of Eastern Penan
French
Etymology
Borrowed from English ba.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ba/
Noun
ba
- (Egyptian mythology) ba
Fula
Etymology
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Particle
ba
- (Pular) interrogative particle
Usage notes
- Placed at the end of a phrase
- Implies an alternative
Adverb
ba
- (Maasina) not even
- nothing
- even
- Synonym: fay
See also
- yalli
References
- Oumar Bah, Dictionnaire Pular-Français, Avec un index français-pular, Webonary.org, SIL International, 2014.
- Richard Smith, Urs Niggli, Dictionnaire fulfulde - anglais - français, Webonary.org, SIL International, 2016.
Garo
Etymology
Probably from Bengali বা (ba), which is a short form of কিংবা (kiṁba).
Conjunction
ba
- or
Gothic
Romanization
ba
- Romanization of 𐌱𐌰
Haitian Creole
Etymology
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Verb
ba
- give
Synonyms
- ban
- bay
Hlai
Pronunciation
- (Standard Hlai, Baoding) IPA(key): /pa˥˧/
Etymology 1
From Proto-Hlai *hmaː (“five”), from Pre-Hlai *maː (Norquest, 2015).
Numeral
ba
- five
Etymology 2
From Proto-Hlai *hmaː (“dog; hunting dog”), from Pre-Hlai *maː (Norquest, 2015). Compare Proto-Tai *ʰmaːᴬ (“dog”) (whence Thai หมา).
Noun
ba
- dog, hunting dog
Iban
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [baʔ]
- Rhymes: -ba, -a
Preposition
ba
- in
- at
- on
Iriga Bicolano
Etymology
From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *bahaq, from Proto-Austronesian *baSaq.
Noun
bâ
- flood
Irish
Etymology 1
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
Pronunciation
- (Munster) IPA(key): /bˠɑ(h)/
- (Aran) IPA(key): /bˠɑ/
- (Connemara, Mayo) IPA(key): /bˠa/
- (Ulster) IPA(key): /bˠah/
Noun
ba f pl
- plural of bó
- Tá na ba sa mhá. ― The cows are in the field.
Etymology 2
From Old Irish ba.
Alternative forms
- (affirmative): b’ (used before a vowel sound except for the pronouns é, í, iad, ea)
- (relative): ab (used before a vowel sound)
- badh (archaic)
- budh (superseded)
- dob, dob' (dialectal equivalent of b’)
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /bˠə/
Particle
ba (triggers lenition)
- past/conditional affirmative of is
- Ba é Dónall an múinteoir. ― Dónall was the teacher.
- Ba mhaith liom cupán tae. ― I would like a cup of tea.
- past/conditional direct relative of is (used to introduce the comparative/superlative form of adjectives)
- fear ba shine ná m'athair ― a man (who was) older than my father
Related terms
Mutation
References
Italian
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈba/
- Rhymes: -a
- Hyphenation: bà
Interjection
ba
- bah!
- oh well!
Anagrams
- ab-
Japanese
Romanization
ba
- Rōmaji transcription of ば
- Rōmaji transcription of バ
Kriol
Preposition
ba
- Alternative form of blanga
Lhao Vo
Etymology
Uncertain.
Noun
ba
- sun
Verb
ba
- to know; to understand.
References
- Dr. Ola Hanson, A Dictionary of the Kachin Language (1906).
Malagasy
Etymology 1
From English bar.
Noun
ba
- (music) bar; measure
Etymology 2
From French bas (“stocking”).
Noun
ba
- stockings; socks
- knitting
Mandarin
Pronunciation
Romanization
ba (ba5/ba0, Zhuyin ˙ㄅㄚ)
- Hanyu Pinyin reading of 吧, 罷/罢
ba
- Nonstandard spelling of bā.
- Nonstandard spelling of bá.
- Nonstandard spelling of bǎ.
- Nonstandard spelling of bà.
Usage notes
- Transcriptions of Mandarin into the Latin script often do not distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without indication of tone.
Middle English
Etymology
Form of *bān, from (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.).
Verb
bā
- Imperative form of of *bān (“to kiss”)
Miraya Bikol
Etymology
From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *bahaq, from Proto-Austronesian *baSaq.
Noun
bâ
- flood
Nias
Preposition
ba
- in, at, on (general preposition for locative adjuncts)
References
- Sundermann, Heinrich. 1905. Niassisch-deutsches Wörterbuch. Moers: Bataviaasch Genootschap van Kunsten en Wetenschappen, p. 22–23.
Northern Kurdish
Etymology
From Proto-Iranian *HwáHatah (“wind”) (compare Avestan 𐬬𐬁𐬙𐬋 (vātō), Pashto and Persian باد (bâd)), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *HwáHatas (“wind”) (compare Sanskrit वात (vā́ta)), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂wéh₁n̥ts (“blowing”), present participle of *h₂weh₁- (“to blow”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /bɑː/
- Rhymes: -ɑː
Noun
ba m (Arabic spelling با)
- weather
- wind
Declension
Derived terms
Norwegian Bokmål
Alternative forms
- bad
Verb
ba
- simple past of be
Old Irish
Etymology 1
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
Alternative forms
- (2nd sg. pres. subj.): be
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ba]
Verb
ba
- inflection of is:
- first/second/third-person singular present subjunctive
- second-person singular imperative
- third-person singular preterite/imperfect indicative nonrelative/relative
Etymology 2
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [va(ː)]
Conjunction
ba
- Alternative form of fa (“or”)
Old Polish
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Slavic *ba. First attested in 1414.
Particle
ba
- nay, or rather, or should I say, moreover, hell used to say that what has been said thus far is true, but could be said more accurately
- transition particle; well, well then
Descendants
- Polish: ba
References
- B. Sieradzka-Baziur, editor (2011–2015), “ba”, in Słownik pojęciowy języka staropolskiego [Conceptual Dictionary of Old Polish] (in Polish), Kraków: IJP PAN, →ISBN
Phalura
Etymology
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ba/
Particle
ba (discourse, Perso-Arabic spelling بہ)
- Marker with a (switch-)topic function (variously corresponding to 'and, however, instead, as for, but')
References
- Liljegren, Henrik; Haider, Naseem (2011) Palula Vocabulary (FLI Language and Culture Series; 7)[2], Islamabad, Pakistan: Forum for Language Initiatives, →ISBN
Phuthi
Etymology
From Proto-Bantu *-báa.
Verb
-ba
- to be
- to become
Inflection
This entry needs an inflection-table template.
Polish
Etymology
Inherited from Old Polish ba, from Proto-Slavic *ba. First attested in 1414.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ba/
- Rhymes: -a
- Syllabification: ba
Particle
ba
- nay, or rather, or should I say, moreover, hell used to say that what has been said thus far is true, but could be said more accurately
- Synonyms: mało tego, więcej
- To danie jest dobre, ba, przepyszne. ― This dish is good, nay, delicious!
- duh, obviously used when the speaker believes what has been said is obvious
- "On jest trochę głupi, co?" "Ba!" ― "He's a little dumb, isn't he?" "Duh".
Derived terms
References
Further reading
- ba in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
- ba in Polish dictionaries at PWN
- “ba”, in Słownik Polszczyzny XVI Wieku [A Dictionary of 16th Century Polish], 2010-2022
- Barbara Rykiel-Kempf (19.01.2017), “BA”, 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), “ba”, in Słownik języka polskiego
- Aleksander Zdanowicz (1861), “ba”, in Słownik języka polskiego, Wilno 1861
- J. Karłowicz, A. Kryński, W. Niedźwiedzki, editors (1900), “ba”, in Słownik języka polskiego (in Polish), volume 1, Warsaw, page 77
Romagnol
Alternative forms
- bab
Etymology
From Latin *babbus (“dad”), of Onomatopoeic origin.
Pronunciation
- (Central Romagnol): IPA(key): [ˈbaɐ̯]
Noun
ba m (plural bëb)
- father, dad
- Ba ’d famèja ― Paterfamilias
References
- Masotti, Adelmo (1999) Vocabolario Romagnolo Italiano (in Italian), Zanichelli
- Ercolani, Libero (1971) Vocabolario Romagnolo-Italiano, Monte di Ravenna, page 33
Shona
Etymology
From Proto-Bantu *-jíba.
Verb
-bá (infinitive kubá)
- to steal
Spanish
Verb
ba
- Alternative form of va
Sumerian
Romanization
ba
- Romanization of 𒁀 (ba)
Swazi
Etymology
From Proto-Bantu *-báa.
Verb
-ba
- to be
- to become
Inflection
This verb needs an inflection-table template.
Swedish
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /bɑː/
Adverb
ba (not comparable)
- (colloquial) Apocopic form of bara, corresponds to ”was (just) like” or ”just”.
Anagrams
- AB, Ab
Tagalog
Etymology 1
From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *ba₅, or shortened form of baga. Cognate with Cebuano ba and Malagasy va.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ba/, [bɐ]
Particle
ba (Baybayin spelling ᜊ)
- marks a sentence as interrogative
- Synonyms: (dialectal) ga, (dialectal) baga, (obsolete) kaya
Etymology 2
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ba/, [bɐ]
Interjection
ba (Baybayin spelling ᜊ)
- Clipping of aba.
Etymology 3
Clipping of bulaga.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈbaʔ/, [ˈbaʔ]
Interjection
bâ (Baybayin spelling ᜊ)
- boo (used in play-scare with babies)
- Synonym: ga
Etymology 4
Influenced by Baybayin character ᜊ (ba).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ba/, [bɐ]
Noun
ba (Baybayin spelling ᜊ)
- The name of the Latin-script letter B/b, in the Abakada alphabet.
- Synonyms: (in the Filipino alphabet) bi, (in the Abecedario) be
See also
- baba
Further reading
- “ba”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila: Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, 2018
Tiruray
Noun
ba
- (anatomy) mouth
Uneapa
Etymology
From Proto-Oceanic *bʷa, possibly from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *ba.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ba/
Verb
ba
- to not be
- Synonym: bali
Further reading
- Terry Crowley et al, The Oceanic Languages (2013), page 374
Vietnamese
Pronunciation
- (Hà Nội) IPA(key): [ʔɓaː˧˧]
- (Huế) IPA(key): [ʔɓaː˧˧]
- (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA(key): [ʔɓaː˧˧]
Etymology 1
Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 爸 (“father”, SV: bả).
Noun
ba
- (chiefly Southern Vietnam) father
Synonyms
- áng; bác; bọ; bố; cậu; cha; thầy; tía
Etymology 2
From Proto-Vietic *paː, from Proto-Mon-Khmer *piʔ; cognate with Muong pa, Khmer បី (bei), Halang pe, Pacoh pe, Mon ပိ (pi).
Numeral
ba • (𠀧, 巴)
- three
Adjective
ba • (𠀧, 巴)
- (Southern Vietnam, of a sibling) secondborn
- anh/chị ba ― second eldest brother/sister
- bác ba ― second eldest brother/sister of one's parent
- chú ba ― secondborn younger brother of one's father
Derived terms
Determiner
ba
- (colloquial) some, an indefinite quantity greater than one
Etymology 3
Sino-Vietnamese word from 波.
Noun
ba
- (only in compounds) wave; ripple
Derived terms
See also
- sóng
Volapük
Adverb
ba
- perhaps
West Albay Bikol
Etymology
From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *bahaq, from Proto-Austronesian *baSaq.
Noun
bâ
- flood
West Makian
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ba/
Noun
ba
- the vagina
References
- Clemens Voorhoeve (1982) The Makian languages and their neighbours[3], Pacific linguistics
Xhosa
Etymology
From Proto-Bantu *-báa.
Verb
-ba
- to be
- to become
Inflection
This verb needs an inflection-table template.
Yapese
Verb
ba
- (auxiliary) to be (doing something); forms the present tense
Yola
Alternative forms
- bee, be, b'
Etymology
From Middle English been, from Old English bēon, from Proto-West Germanic *beun.
Verb
ba (inflected forms aam, yarth, ez, beeth, bin, waz, wasth, war)
- be, been
- are
References
- Jacob Poole (1867), William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, page 24
Yoruba
Etymology 1
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /bà/
Verb
bà
- to ferment
- kòkó ti bà ― The cocoa seeds have fermented
- to carry out the process of fermentation on seeds or plants
Usage notes
- ba before a direct object
Derived terms
- ìbà (“act of fermenting”)
- ìdíbá-nǹkan (“fermentation”)
Etymology 2
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /bà/
Verb
bà
- (horticulture) to plant seeds in prepared pots for future transplanting into a farm (when it becomes an established seedling)
- ba òrom̀bó ― To plant lemon seeds for future transplanting
Usage notes
- ba before a direct object
Derived terms
- ìbà
Etymology 3
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /bà/
Verb
bà
- to press a wound; to apply a warm compress on a wound
- Synonym: mọ́
- ba ojú egbò ― To apply a warm compress to a wound
Usage notes
- ba before a direct object
Derived terms
- ìbà
Etymology 4
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /bà/
Verb
bà
- to hit (with an impact)
- ọfà á bà wọ́n ― The arrow hit them
- to be overcome with fear (literally, to be hit with fear)
- ẹ̀rú bà wá ― Fear overcame us
- (usually used with ilẹ̀) to be too long or oversized (to hit the ground)
- agbádá yìí bà mí nílẹ̀ ― The agbada was too big for me
- to perch
- Lékeléke bà mí lékè, ẹyẹ àdàbà bà mí lékè ― An egret perched on me, a dove perched on me
- to braid; to plait
- Synonym: dì
Usage notes
- ba before a direct object
Derived terms
- ìbà
- dẹ́rù bà (“to scare”)
- bẹ̀rù (“to fear”)
- ìbẹ̀rù (“fear”)
Zaghawa
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ba/
Noun
ba
- arm
References
- Beria-English English-Beria Dictionary [provisional] ADESK, Iriba, Kobe Department, Chad
Zoogocho Zapotec
Etymology 1
Cognate with Yatzachi Zapotec ba.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ba˦/
Noun
ba
- hot weather (clarification of this definition is needed)
Derived terms
- chex̱ba
- gwba
- lagüeꞌ ba
Etymology 2
Cognate with Isthmus Zapotec baꞌ, Yatzachi Zapotec ba.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ba˩/
Noun
ba
- grave, tomb
Etymology 3
Cognate with Yatzachi Zapotec ba-.
Adverb
ba
- already
References
- Long C., Rebecca; Cruz M., Sofronio (2000) Diccionario zapoteco de San Bartolomé Zoogocho, Oaxaca (Serie de vocabularios y diccionarios indígenas “Mariano Silva y Aceves”; 38)[4] (in Spanish), second electronic edition, Coyoacán, D.F.: Instituto Lingüístico de Verano, A.C., page 3
Zou
Etymology 1
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ba˧/
Verb
ba
- (transitive) to owe
Etymology 2
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ba˧˩/
Noun
bà
- bat (mammal)
References
- Lukram Himmat Singh (2013) A Descriptive Grammar of Zou, Canchipur: Manipur University, pages 44, 45
Zulu
Etymology
From Proto-Bantu *-báa.
Verb
-ba
- to be
- to become
Inflection
References
- C. M. Doke; B. W. Vilakazi (1972), “-ɓa”, in Zulu-English Dictionary, →ISBN: “-ɓa”