бабка

Inherited from Old Slovak babka, from Proto-Slavic *babъka. By surface analysis, баба (baba, “grandmother”) +‎ -ка (-ka). Cognates include Slovak babka and Carpathian Rusyn ба́бка (bábka).

• IPA^(key):
• Rhymes: -apka
• Hyphenation: баб‧ка

бабка (babka) f

1. doll
2. pupa
3. pin, skittle (in bowling)

• Medʹeši, H., Fejsa, M., Timko-Djitko, O. (2010) “бабка”, in Ramač, Ju., editor, Руско-сербски словнїк (in Pannonian Rusyn), Novi Sad: Faculty of Philosophy

• IPA^(key):

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *babъka.

ба́бка • (bábka) f anim (genitive ба́бки, nominative plural ба́бки, genitive plural ба́бок)

1. granny, grandma

   Synonym: ба́бушка (bábuška)

2. old woman, crone, granny
3. (obsolete) midwife, a simplification of повивальная бабка, or "midwife old woman"
4. (obsolete) medicine woman

• → Ingrian: babka

ба́бка • (bábka) f inan (genitive ба́бки, nominative plural ба́бки, genitive plural ба́бок)

1. (technology) mandrel
2. pastern
   • 1877, Лев Толстой , “Часть II. Глава XXIV”, in Анна Каренина; English translation from Constance Garnett, transl., Anna Karenina, 1901:

     Напра́во води́ли поджа́рую краса́вицу Фру-Фру, кото́рая, как на пружи́нах, переступа́ла на свои́х эласти́чных и дово́льно дли́нных ба́бках.

     Naprávo vodíli podžáruju krasávicu Fru-Fru, kotóraja, kak na pružínax, perestupála na svoíx elastíčnyx i dovólʹno dlínnyx bábkax.

     On the right was led in Frou-Frou, lean and beautiful, lifting up her elastic, rather long pasterns, as though moved by springs.

3. (anatomy) knucklebones (usually in the plural)

• → Ingrian: babka, papu, pappu
• → Yakut: баапкы (baapkı)

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Inherited from Proto-Slavic *babъka.

ба́бка • (bábka) f pers (genitive ба́бки, nominative plural бабки́, genitive plural бабо́к)

1. grandmother

   Synonyms: бабу́ся (babúsja), ба́бця (bábcja)

2. old woman

Uncertain. From ба́бка (bábka, “grandmother, old woman”).

The dragonfly sense may come from the figurative meaning of "witch, hag" due to bizarre-looking animals being superstitiously perceived as sorcerers at the time.

Another theory suggests that it may come from a superstitious belief that the souls of the dead (called ба́ба) would possess insects. Compare e.g. Russian бабочка.

ба́бка • (bábka) f animal (genitive ба́бки, nominative plural бабки́, genitive plural бабо́к)

1. dragonfly

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Cognate with Yiddish באַבקע (babke).

ба́бка • (bábka) f inan (genitive ба́бки, nominative plural бабки́, genitive plural бабо́к)

1. small anvil, mandrel
2. (Western Ukraine, Canada) a special, delicate ritual bread that is blessed by the priest at Easter

   Synonym: баба (baba)

• Sometimes conflated with паска (paska).

• Bilodid, I. K., editor (1970–1980), “бабка”, in Словник української мови: в 11 т. (in Ukrainian), Kyiv: Naukova Dumka