Etymograph

English

babusia

Babusia comes from Polish babusia ‘diminutive of babcia’, from Proto-Slavic *bàba ‘grandmother’, and ultimately from Proto-Balto-Slavic *bā́ˀbāˀ ‘old woman’.

  1. Proto-Balto-Slavicc. 2000–500 BCE*bā́ˀbāˀ‘old woman’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Slavicc. 400–900 CE*bàba‘grandmother’reconstructed
  3. Old Polishmodernbaba
  4. Polishmodernsame form
  5. Polish, derivedmodernbabusia‘diminutive of babcia’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1982same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Balto-Slavicc. 2000–500 BCE*bā́ˀbāˀ‘old woman’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Slavicc. 400–900 CE*bàba‘grandmother’reconstructed
  3. Old Polishmodernbaba
  4. Polishmodernsame form
  5. Polish, derivedmodernbabusia‘diminutive of babcia’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1982same form

Earliest quotation: 1982, Christine Szambelan-Strevinsky, New York: “Hanna sent food over when my babusia was sick.”

Every English word from Proto-Balto-Slavic *bā́ˀbāˀ

Today it means

noun A Polish grandmother.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Balto-Slavic *bā́ˀbāˀ / babusia

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