English word origin

Etymology of yaya

From Tagalog yaya, from Philippine Spanish yaya.

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 nanny; female caregiver; nursemaid

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

From Tagalog yaya, from Philippine Spanish yaya.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Borrowed-form mentionyayatl

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "tl",
        "3": "yaya"
      },
      "expansion": "Tagalog yaya"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "es-PH",
        "3": "yaya"
      },
      "expansion": "Philippine Spanish yaya"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "yaya",
      "yaya#Tagalog"
    ],
    [
      "yaya",
      "yaya#Spanish"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A nanny; female caregiver; nursemaid"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Hong-Kong",
        "Philippines"
      ],
      "recordId": "5f0c44f386aff23dcb1aee4dc537d9e127b752521480d4dafe39276217e1dcf0",
      "rawRecordSha256": "6767e6acafaf2f7b29f3adecc983f8bb6ef9e8a37940ed42fa03751c80fd2deb",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 2081225
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

adj

Arrogant, stuck-up.

verb

To show off or behave in an egocentric or self-important manner.

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

Unknown.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "unk",
      "args": {
        "1": "en"
      },
      "expansion": "Unknown"
    }
  ],
  "links": [],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "Arrogant, stuck-up."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Singlish"
      ],
      "recordId": "9f97297e6577471c0ec8ab7cfe25c767472eaa352bd903c0453fa6340a7644b4",
      "rawRecordSha256": "a28ebf2fda4dca363599232ac363ce7fbabc2e0eaea9b52acf90ec541e0daa6b",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 2081227
    },
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To show off or behave in an egocentric or self-important manner."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Singlish",
        "invariable"
      ],
      "recordId": "b1ebe4030fdb1c18550a06a63a75af81942e6eb340758963373c0a7a83bd1d50",
      "rawRecordSha256": "abb73e6866703ac2e51b6738f2262f46c846004373e7df647115e0cc92e8ebe9",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 2081226
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
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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 yaya →

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-eWF5YQ