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English word origin

Etymology of Abba

From Middle English, from Latin abba, from Ancient Greek ἀββα (abba), from Aramaic אבא/ܐܒܐ (ʼabbāʼ, “father”).

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In this entry · 1 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗
noun

Father, an honorific title given to God in the New Testament, especially used in prayers.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English, from Latin abba, from Ancient Greek ἀββα (abba), from Aramaic אבא/ܐܒܐ (ʼabbāʼ, “father”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "abba"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin abba"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "grc",
        "3": "ἀββα"
      },
      "expansion": "Ancient Greek ἀββα (abba)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "arc",
        "3": "אבא"
      },
      "expansion": "Aramaic אבא"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
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    [
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      "ἀββα#Ancient_Greek"
    ],
    [
      "אבא",
      "אבא#Aramaic"
    ],
    [
      "ܐܒܐ",
      "ܐܒܐ#Aramaic"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Father, an honorific title given to God in the New Testament, especially used in prayers."
      ],
      "tags": [],
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      "rawRecordSha256": "9928b806b59cee32f9c55f1e92bce678f29c6367cb802d4263622492b33a239a",
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  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
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    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for Abba →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-QWJiYQ