English word origin

Etymology of bab

Clipping of babby (“baby”).

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary 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 ↗

noun

A baby.

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

Clipping of babby (“baby”).

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "clipping",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "babby",
        "t": "baby"
      },
      "expansion": "Clipping of babby (“baby”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "babby",
      "babby#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A baby."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "UK",
        "informal"
      ],
      "recordId": "1703c0301ec3e4707dc590e65dfbfb0b1d22bbf50c24982622ad10a24028e478",
      "rawRecordSha256": "63ddbf827423a87c9b42109d2234ce5b72220c3931aca1c691e1e465c9709674",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 176190
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

A bait for eels, consisting of a bundle of live worms.

verb

To fish for eels using a bab.

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

Probably related to bob.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [],
  "links": [
    [
      "bob",
      "bob#English:_move_gently"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A bait for eels, consisting of a bundle of live worms."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "East-Anglia"
      ],
      "recordId": "2af4f67dd7fabb07e58a83f7ded4a5af70469f61e6f2225ac3a7838760d782a2",
      "rawRecordSha256": "26bef63a4ca8462ced3e8d48fa8cb0d674cbd5735d49590afef2997868ce55e6",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 176191
    },
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To fish for eels using a bab."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "East-Anglia",
        "intransitive"
      ],
      "recordId": "7b0d1483117745fa49762e4083ee9e7deba060c77abb30e466a13c33e1507715",
      "rawRecordSha256": "4bfcf49aa45501a1b72f831915b74d814a1a91cec73621dd015979caefc02961",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 176192
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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  }
}

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 bab →

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-YmFi