babka

See also: babką and bábka

English

Etymology

From a Slavic language likely via Yiddish באַבקע (babke). Compare baba, in the sense of "rum soaked cake".

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈbɑb.kə/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Noun

babka (plural babkas)

1. A Central and Eastern European coffee cake flavored with orange rind, rum, almonds, and raisins; or with some single flavoring, e.g. chocolate, lemon, etc.

Translations

coffee cake

• Finnish: baba (fi)
• French: babka (fr) m
• Indonesian: babka
• Polish: babka (pl) f
• Russian: ба́ба (ru) f (bába)
• Yiddish: באַבקע f (babke)

Anagrams

• kabab, Kabba

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈbapka]
• Rhymes: -apka

Noun

babka f

1. (informal) old woman

   Synonym: stařena

2. the mushroom Xerocomellus chrysenteron

   Synonym: hřib žlutomasý

Declension

Declension of babka (hard feminine reducible)

	singular	plural
nominative	babka	babky
genitive	babky	babek
dative	babce	babkám
accusative	babku	babky
vocative	babko	babky
locative	babce	babkách
instrumental	babkou	babkami

Related terms

• baba
• sýkora babka
• za babku

 

Further reading

• “babka”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “babka”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• “babka”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech)

Indonesian

Etymology

Borrowed from English babka, most likely from Yiddish באַבקע (babke), from Slavic.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbap.ka/
• Rhymes: -ka, -a
• Hyphenation: bab‧ka

Noun

babka (plural babka-babka, first-person possessive babkaku, second-person possessive babkamu, third-person possessive babkanya)

1. (cooking) babka: a Central and Eastern European coffee cake flavored with orange rind, rum, almonds, and raisins.

Further reading

• “babka” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

Ingrian

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Russian бабка (babka).

Pronunciation

• (Ala-Laukaa) IPA^(key): /ˈbɑbkɑ/, [ˈbɑbk]
• (Soikkola) IPA^(key): /ˈbɑbkɑ/, [ˈpɑpkɑ]
• Rhymes: -ɑbk, -ɑbkɑ
• Hyphenation: bab‧ka
• Homophone: papka

Noun

babka

1. Synonym of poohan (“pastern”)
2. Synonym of papu (“knucklebones”)

Declension

Declension of babka (type 3/kana, no gradation)
	singular	plural
nominative	babka	babkat
genitive	babkan	babkoin
partitive	babkaa	babkoja
illative	babkaa	babkoi
inessive	babkaas	babkois
elative	babkast	babkoist
allative	babkalle	babkoille
adessive	babkaal	babkoil
ablative	babkalt	babkoilt
translative	babkaks	babkoiks
essive	babkanna, babkaan	babkoinna, babkoin
exessive1)	babkant	babkoint
1) obsolete *) the accusative corresponds with either the genitive (sg) or nominative (pl) **) the comitative is formed by adding the suffix -ka? or -kä? to the genitive.

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Russian бабка (babka).

Pronunciation

• (Ala-Laukaa) IPA^(key): /ˈbɑbkɑ/, [ˈbɑbk]
• (Soikkola) IPA^(key): /ˈbɑbkɑ/, [ˈpɑpkɑ]
• Rhymes: -ɑbk, -ɑbkɑ
• Hyphenation: bab‧ka
• Homophone: papka

Noun

babka

1. Synonym of ämmä (“midwife”)

Declension

Declension of babka (type 3/kana, no gradation)
	singular	plural
nominative	babka	babkat
genitive	babkan	babkoin
partitive	babkaa	babkoja
illative	babkaa	babkoi
inessive	babkaas	babkois
elative	babkast	babkoist
allative	babkalle	babkoille
adessive	babkaal	babkoil
ablative	babkalt	babkoilt
translative	babkaks	babkoiks
essive	babkanna, babkaan	babkoinna, babkoin
exessive1)	babkant	babkoint
1) obsolete *) the accusative corresponds with either the genitive (sg) or nominative (pl) **) the comitative is formed by adding the suffix -ka? or -kä? to the genitive.

References

• Ruben E. Nirvi (1971) Inkeroismurteiden Sanakirja, Helsinki: Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura, page 383
• Arvo Laanest (1978) Isuri keele ajalooline foneetika ja morfoloogia [The historical phonology and morphology of the Ingrian language]‎^[1], Tallinn, page 25

Lower Sorbian

Etymology

baba +‎ -ka.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈbapka]

Noun

babka f pers

1. diminutive of baba (“midwife, old woman, woman”)
2. midwife

Declension

Declension of babka

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	babka	babce	babki
Genitive	babki	babkowu	babkow
Dative	babce	babkoma	babkam
Accusative	babku	babce	babki
Instrumental	babku	babkoma	babkami
Locative	babce	babkoma	babkach

Noun

babka f inan

1. diminutive of baba (“sponge cake”)

Declension

Declension of babka

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	babka	babce	babki
Genitive	babki	babkowu	babkow
Dative	babce	babkoma	babkam
Accusative	babku	babce	babki
Instrumental	babku	babkoma	babkami
Locative	babce	babkoma	babkach

Further reading

• Muka, Arnošt (1921, 1928) “babka”, in Słownik dolnoserbskeje rěcy a jeje narěcow (in German), St. Petersburg, Prague: ОРЯС РАН, ČAVU; Reprinted Bautzen: Domowina-Verlag, 2008
• Starosta, Manfred (1999) “babka”, in Dolnoserbsko-nimski słownik / Niedersorbisch-deutsches Wörterbuch (in German), Bautzen: Domowina-Verlag

Old Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (13^th CE) /ˈbabka/
• IPA^(key): (15^th CE) /ˈbapka/

Noun

babka f

1. diminutive of bába (“grandma, parent's mother”)

Declension

Declension of babka (hard a-stem reducible)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	babka	babcě	babky
genitive	babky	babkú	babek
dative	babcě	babkama	babkám
accusative	babku	babcě	babky
vocative	babko	babcě	babky
locative	babcě	babkú	babkách
instrumental	babkú	babkama	babkami

This table shows the most common forms around the 13th century.
See also Appendix:Old Czech nouns and Appendix:Old Czech pronunciation.

Further reading

• Jan Gebauer (1903–1916) “babka”, in Slovník staročeský (in Czech), Prague: Česká grafická společnost "unie", Česká akademie císaře Františka Josefa pro vědy, slovesnost a umění

Old Polish

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *babъka. By surface analysis, baba +‎ -ka. First attested in the second half of the 14th century.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (10^th–15^th CE) /ba(ː)pka/
• IPA^(key): (15^th CE) /bapka/, /bɒpka/

Noun

babka f

1. (attested in Greater Poland) diminutive of baba (“grandma, parent's mother”)
   • 1902 [1407], “Wybór zapisek sądowych grodzkich i ziemskich wielkopolskich z XV wieku”, in Franciszek Piekosiński, editor, Studia, rozprawy i materiały z dziedziny historii polskiej i prawa polskiego‎^[2], volume 6, Poznań, Pyzdry, Kościan, Gniezno, page 323:

     Byesdrowsco przipadlo na Lesczinø babkø

     [Biezdrowsko przypadło na Leszczynę babkę]

2. (attested in Lesser Poland) diminutive of baba (“midwife”)
   • Beginning of the 15th century, Łukasz z Wielkiego Koźmina, Kazania gnieźnieńskie‎^[3], Krakow, page 4a:

     Ioseph podluk obyczaga neuesczego ku ge porodzenu gestcy on byl due bapcze veszual

     [Josef podług obyczaja niewieściego ku je porodzeniu jestci on był dwie babce wezwał]

3. (attested in Greater Poland, in the plural, astronomy) diminutive of baba (“Pleiades”)
   • 1908 [c. 1500], Bolesław Erzepki, editor, Przyczynki do średniowiecznego słownictwa polskiego. I. Glosy polskie wpisane do łacińsko-niemieckiego słownika drukowanego w roku 1490‎^[4], Lubiń, page 1:

     Pliades sunt stelle pluviales vlg. bapky

     [Pliades sunt stelle pluviales vlg. babki]

   • c. 1500, Wokabularz lubiński, Lubiń: inkunabuł Archiwum Archidiecezjalnego w Gnieźnie, sygn. Inc. 78d., page 102r:

     Pliades sunt stelle pluviales vlg. bapky quoddam signum celeste

     [Pliades sunt stelle pluviales vlg. babki quoddam signum celeste]

4. plantain; greater plantain (Plantago major)
   • 1900 [1419], Józef Rostafiński, editor, Symbola ad historiam naturalem medii aevi = Średniowieczna historya naturalna w Polsce. Ps 2‎^[5], number 5040:

     Babka arnoglossa, plantago maior

     [Babka arnoglossa, plantago maior]

   • 1450, Piotr z Uścia, Rozariusz kapitulny, Ujście: Archiwum i Biblioteki Krakowskiej Kapituły Katedralnej, sygn. Ms 224, page 188r:

     Plantago […] est quedam herba multum vtilis Et dicitur a planta eo quod adheret terre vlg. babka

     [Plantago […] est quedam herba multum vtilis Et dicitur a planta eo quod adheret terre vlg. babka]

   • XV p. post., Wokabularz petersburski I, Cesarskiej Biblioteki Publicznej w Petersburgu, sygn. Lat.Q.ch.XVI.33, page 8:

     Plantago babka

     [Plantago babka]

   • 1450, Piotr z Uścia, Rozariusz kapitulny, Ujście: Archiwum i Biblioteki Krakowskiej Kapituły Katedralnej, sygn. Ms 224, page 40v:

     Citharia est quedam herba que alio nomine dicitur plantago babka

     [Citharia est quedam herba que alio nomine dicitur plantago babka]

   • XV p. post., Wokabularz petersburski IV, esarskiej Biblioteki Publicznej w Petersburgu, sygn. Lat.F.ch.I.401, page 11:

     Citaria babka

     [Citaria babka]

   1. ribwort plantain (Plantago lanceolata)
      • 1900 [1437], Józef Rostafiński, editor, Symbola ad historiam naturalem medii aevi = Średniowieczna historya naturalna w Polsce. Ps 2‎^[6], number 2456:

        Babka arnoglossa, plantago minor

        [Babka arnoglossa, plantago minor]

   2. hoary plantain, Plantago media
      • 1900 [1419], Józef Rostafiński, editor, Symbola ad historiam naturalem medii aevi = Średniowieczna historya naturalna w Polsce. Ps 2‎^[7], number 5042:

        Kosmata babka auriculus leporis, plantago media

        [Kosmata babka auriculus leporis, plantago media]

   3. (attested in Greater Poland, Southern Borderlands) The meaning of this term is uncertain.
      • 1450, rkps Archiwum i Biblioteki Krakowskiej Kapituły Katedralnej o sygn. KP 224., Uście Solne, Lviv:

        Babka citharia, plantago

        [Babka citharia, plantago]

Descendants

• Polish: babka
• Silesian: babka

References

• B. Sieradzka-Baziur, Ewa Deptuchowa, Joanna Duska, Mariusz Frodyma, Beata Hejmo, Dorota Janeczko, Katarzyna Jasińska, Krystyna Kajtoch, Joanna Kozioł, Marian Kucała, Dorota Mika, Gabriela Niemiec, Urszula Poprawska, Elżbieta Supranowicz, Ludwika Szelachowska-Winiarzowa, Zofia Wanicowa, Piotr Szpor, Bartłomiej Borek, editors (2011–2015), “babka”, in Słownik pojęciowy języka staropolskiego [Conceptual Dictionary of Old Polish] (in Polish), Kraków: IJP PAN, →ISBN
• Ewa Deptuchowa, Mariusz Frodyma, Katarzyna Jasińska, Magdalena Klapper, Dorota Kołodziej, Mariusz Leńczuk, Ludwika Szelachowska-Winiarzowa, Zofia Wanicowa, editors (2023), “babka”, in Rozariusze z polskimi glosami. Internetowa baza danych [Dictionaries of Polish glosses, an Internet database] (in Polish), Kraków: Pracownia Języka Staropolskiego Instytut Języka Polskiego Polskiej Akademii Nauk
• Ewa Deptuchowa, Mariusz Frodyma, Katarzyna Jasińska, Magdalena Klapper, Dorota Kołodziej, Mariusz Leńczuk, Ludwika Szelachowska-Winiarzowa, Zofia Wanicowa, editors (2023), “babki”, in Rozariusze z polskimi glosami. Internetowa baza danych [Dictionaries of Polish glosses, an Internet database] (in Polish), Kraków: Pracownia Języka Staropolskiego Instytut Języka Polskiego Polskiej Akademii Nauk

Polish

babka

Etymology

Inherited from Old Polish babka. By surface analysis, baba +‎ -ka.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /ˈbap.ka/

• (Middle Polish) IPA^(key): /ˈbap.ka/, /ˈbɒp.ka/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -apka
• Syllabification: bab‧ka
• Homophone: Babka

Noun

babka f (diminutive babeczka)

1. diminutive of baba
2. grandmother

   Synonyms: baba, babcia, babunia

3. (colloquial) woman

   Synonyms: babeczka, kobieta

4. (historical) medicine woman
5. babka (type of cake)
6. sandcastle
7. plantain (any plant of the genus Plantago)
8. goby (any of various small fish from the large family Gobiidae)
9. (obsolete) diminutive of baba (“beggar”)
10. (obsolete, agriculture) mound of several sheaves of grain placed in a field
11. (obsolete) type of edible mushroom
12. (obsolete, mining) stone closing the entrance to the mine
13. (obsolete, forging) stone used to close a blast furnace acting as a furnace door
14. (obsolete, engineering) hammer with the same head on both sides
15. (obsolete, forging) anvil for bending padlock shackles
16. (obsolete, forging) small anvil used for tapping a scythe
17. (obsolete) goby (any of various small fish from the large family Gobiidae)
18. (obsolete) dragonfly

    Synonym: ważka

19. (obsolete) small cannon

    Synonym: armatka

20. (obsolete) type of old, small Polish currency
21. (obsolete) die used in a particular children's game
22. (Middle Polish) midwife

    Synonym: akuszerka

23. (Middle Polish) blind man's buff

Declension

Declension of babka

	singular	plural
nominative	babka	babki
genitive	babki	babek
dative	babce	babkom
accusative	babkę	babki
instrumental	babką	babkami
locative	babce	babkach
vocative	babko	babki

Derived terms

adjectives

• babczany
• babkowaty

 

nouns

• babka bycza
• babka lancetowata
• babka piaskowa
• babkowate
• cioteczna babka
• ciuciubabka
• stryjeczna babka
• ślepa babka

 

phrases

• na dwoje babka wróżyła

 

Further reading

• babka in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• babka in Polish dictionaries at PWN
• Maria Renata Mayenowa, Stanisław Rospond, Witold Taszycki, Stefan Hrabec, Władysław Kuraszkiewicz (2010-2023) “babka”, in Słownik Polszczyzny XVI Wieku [A Dictionary of 16th Century Polish]
• Paweł Kupiszewski (19.12.2018) “BABKA”, 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) “babka”, in Słownik języka polskiego
• Aleksander Zdanowicz (1861) “babka”, in Słownik języka polskiego, Wilno 1861
• J. Karłowicz, A. Kryński, W. Niedźwiedzki, editors (1900), “babka”, in Słownik języka polskiego (in Polish), volume 1, Warsaw, page 78
• babka in Narodowy Fotokorpus Języka Polskiego

Silesian

Etymology

Inherited from Old Polish ka. By surface analysis, baba +‎ -ka.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbap.ka/
• Rhymes: -apka
• Syllabification: bab‧ka

Noun

babka f

1. diminutive of baba
2. common woodlouse, Porcellio scaber
3. (forging) small anvil for striking a scythe or a sickle

   Synonym: baba

4. village midwife

   Synonym: babica

5. babka (type of cake)
6. common pear, (Pyrus communis)

   Synonym: baba

7. (agriculture) last sheaf gathered during a harvest
8. blind man's buff

Further reading

• babka in silling.org
• Bogdan Kallus (2020) “babka”, in Słownik Gōrnoślōnskij Gŏdki, IV edition, Chorzów: Pro Loquela Silesiana, →ISBN, page 234
• Henryk Jaroszewicz (2022) “babka”, in Zasady pisowni języka śląskiego (in Polish), Siedlce: Wydawnictwo Naukowe IKR[i]BL, page 62
• Aleksandra Wencel (2023) “babka”, in Dykcjůnôrz ślų̊sko-polski, page 32