English word origin

Etymology of Bau

Various origins: * Borrowed from German Bau, perhaps a short form of compounds with this element, such as Bauhofer or Baumann. * Borrowed from French Bau, perhaps a variant of Beau. * Variant of Bao, a surname of Chinese

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 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.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

name

A surname.

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

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Borrowed-form mentionBaude
Borrowed-form mentionBaufr

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "wp",
      "args": {
        "1": "+ (surname)"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "de",
        "3": "Bau"
      },
      "expansion": "German Bau"
    },
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fr",
        "3": "Bau"
      },
      "expansion": "French Bau"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "zh",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Chinese"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "Bau",
      "Bau#German"
    ],
    [
      "Bauhofer",
      "Bauhofer#German"
    ],
    [
      "Baumann",
      "Baumann#German"
    ],
    [
      "Bau",
      "Bau#French"
    ],
    [
      "Beau",
      "Beau#French"
    ],
    [
      "Bao",
      "Bao#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "name",
      "glosses": [
        "A surname."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "a15fcab526f0362270919fe81ab8627ba042d8bc952a0ce202de9468f9b4d5f8",
      "rawRecordSha256": "9cf96656cbb5d5cb2ffea6bc4cf0e800ffdd0e9ebefa75bd596f11808ed79fde",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 529004
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

name

A Mesopotamian goddess, initially a life-giving deity sometimes associated with the creation of mankind, later a goddess of healing and medicine.

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

No narrative was extracted for this section. Available source templates and references appear below; no ancestor chain has been invented to fill the gap.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "wp",
      "args": {
        "1": "+ (goddess)"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    }
  ],
  "links": [],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "name",
      "glosses": [
        "A Mesopotamian goddess, initially a life-giving deity sometimes associated with the creation of mankind, later a goddess of healing and medicine."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "587b1c5b7516c99065f110c59d784abeaefb09e77ec6849e4f1dccb40e69194f",
      "rawRecordSha256": "cd0fffcddcb1229cbac9faceab054328dbe6c664c157657230fa05700391ec8c",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 529005
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "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 Bau →

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-QmF1