abba

1 of 2

variant spelling of aba:2

abba

2 of 2

noun

ab·​ba
ˈabə,
aˈbä
plural -s
often capitalized
: father
a title of honor given variously to the Deity in the New Testament, to bishops and patriarchs in many Eastern churches, and to Jewish scholars in the Talmudic period

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, borrowed from Late Latin, borrowed from Greek, borrowed from Aramaic abbā

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of abba was before the 12th century

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Dictionary Entries Near abba

Cite this Entry

“Abba.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abba. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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