From Hindi डब्बा (ḍabbā, “box, container”).
dabba (plural dabbas)
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
dabba (plural dabbas)
Borrowed from Kanuri dábbà (“animal”), from Arabic دَابَّة (dābba, “quadruped”).
dabbā̀ f (plural dabbōbī, possessed form dabbàr̃)
dabba
Probably from dialectal dab (“lump, bite”), perhaps ultimately of imitative/children's slang origin. Compare Norwegian dabb (“small, thick figure”), and dialectal dabbe (“clumsy or boorish person”), as well as German tappen (“to grope, fumble”). Also compare English dab (“to strike with a light blow”), itself probably borrowed from a Scandinavian word ultimately of imitative origin.
dabba (present dabbar, preterite dabbade, supine dabbat, imperative dabba)
Active | Passive | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Infinitive | dabba | — | ||
Supine | dabbat | — | ||
Imperative | dabba | — | ||
Imper. plural1 | dabben | — | ||
Present | Past | Present | Past | |
Indicative | dabbar | dabbade | — | — |
Ind. plural1 | dabba | dabbade | — | — |
Subjunctive2 | dabbe | dabbade | — | — |
Participles | ||||
Present participle | dabbande | |||
Past participle | — | |||
1 Archaic. 2 Dated. See the appendix on Swedish verbs. |
dabba (plural dabbalar)