baba

Everyday

1. (Ukrainian) «Baba» means grandmother or granny; also an old woman. It sounds like «BAH-bah» and is not an English word. tree →
2. A baba (rum baba) is a small sweet sponge cake soaked in syrup or rum. tree →
3. Baba Yaga is a witch in Slavic fairy tales who lives in a hut on chicken legs (a name). tree →
4. Baby talk: «baba» can mean a baby or a bottle. tree →
5. In Turkish, Persian and Arabic, "baba" means father or dad. tree →

In the lessons

In families with Ukrainian, Polish or Russian roots, children call their grandmother «baba» or «babusia». In fairy-tale lessons, Baba Yaga flies in a mortar. In cooking, rum baba is a French-style dessert.

Examples

• We visit Baba every Sunday and she makes varenyky. tree →
• «Baba» is the Ukrainian word for granny. tree →
• Baba Yaga's hut stood on chicken legs. tree →
• The bakery sold a rum baba with cream. tree →
• My baby brother points at his bottle and says «baba». tree →
• Baba told us stories about her village. tree →

Note

As «granny» it is borrowed from Ukrainian and other Slavic languages, not English. Ukrainian «баба» can also sound rude for «woman» in some contexts, so «babusia» is gentler. «Baba ghanoush» is a Middle Eastern aubergine dip.