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): [ˈbapka]
• 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 [Rusyn-Serbian Dictionary] (in Pannonian Rusyn), Novi Sad: Faculty of Philosophy

• IPA^(key): [ˈbapkə]

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

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

1. (technology) mandrel
2. pastern
3. (anatomy) knucklebones (usually in the plural)

• → Ingrian: papu, pappu

• IPA^(key): [ˈbabkɐ]

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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.

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.)

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

1. small anvil, mandrel
2. (Canada, Western Ukraine) name of a special, delicate ritual bread that is blessed by the priest at Easter. Equivalent to Austrian Gugelhupf, Polish baba wielkanocna, and Russian кулич (kulič). Sometimes conflated with паска (paska). Recipe is very different from Jewish babka, though shares an etymology. Synonym: баба (baba)

• Bilodid, I. K., editor (1970–1980), “бабка”, in Словник української мови: в 11 т. [Dictionary of the Ukrainian Language: in 11 vols] (in Ukrainian), Kyiv: Naukova Dumka