Baba

reprint


"Baba" belongs to the press most likely besides and due to the fact that it is simply a characteristic syllabbit for children's language. Among the first words spoken by the small 1 struggling with the language is – next to "mom", "dad" or "daddy" – just to the joy of all grandmothers, and "grandmother". Interestingly, and what shows, in how different directions can follow the combination of sound and meaning, in Chinese 爸爸 ("bàba") is "Dad".


In Samuel Lind's "Word of Polish Language", the first modern publishing home of this kind in our culture, released in the early 19th century, at the slogan "baba" we have, first, "old woman, or whitehead", "old woman". With this meaning there were many others, any of whom are inactive alive.

"Baba" – mostly about a female (but speaking yes, he taught Linde, it sounds "always with a touch", is someway emotionally marked).

"Baba" – about a married female (but here it sounds crude and, he observed Linde, it is utilized "in commonness").

There was besides a "ecclesiastical grandmother", a phrase resembling the popular, unfortunately, view of an older female begging under the temple.

Samuel Linde's "Worder" noted, of course, the second major meaning of "baby": "mother or father's mother", "old mother". However, there was besides an crucial informing from a linguist – he pointed out that in the household situation "a tiny grandma is utilized better". So before she came to the "grandmother" part, she appeared as a diminutive "grandmother".

The erstwhile Poles had more language options on this issue. There was "parent grandmother" (on the mother's side) and "parent grandmother" (on the father's side). prof. Margaret Magda-Wait, a linguist, besides described that the parent of her father or parent was called "old" until the 16th and 19th centuries, of course, and later, since the 17th century, "grandmother".

What is very intriguing – in a generation older than your grandmother, in front of your grandmother's parent or grandfather, 1 could usage not only the word with 1 of the prefixes ("great-grandmother", "overbaby", "prebaba", and since the 17th/Xth century: "great-grandmother"), but besides the beautiful word "big-grandmother" (until the 16th–XVII century).

But let's go back to the grandmother.

According to any sources, a fewer centuries ago, this word – in the sense of our interest, concerning the degree of kinship – was no longer perceived as a diminutive "baby", adopted a neutral shade. And until the 20th century, he did not get the qualities with which we associate him today: more officialness, a kind of dryness. inactive in Witold Doroszewski's "Polish Language Dictionary", which was created in the mediate of the erstwhile century, "grandmother" is utilized in sentences indicating just the household and direct context: "A kiss, Kazek, grandmother"; "This is Grandma, Daddy's mother".


In "The etymological dictionary of Polish language" by Alexander Brückner, published in the 2nd half of the 1920s, "grandmother" appears as a variant rushed from "grandmother". The mentioned "Słownik" of Doroszewski notes, next to "grandmother", besides "grandmother" in the sense of "carefully about the parent of the father or mother". "Grandmother" besides notes "Polish language dictionary", alleged "Warsaw" (1900-1927).

However, they do not evidence "grandmothers" crucial language publications from the mid-19th century – "The Dictionary" of Bogusław Lindy or alleged "The Dictionary of Vilnius". According to linguist Ryszard Tokarski, to sum up this investigative thread, "grandmother" arrived late in the posse.

The modern "Big Dictionary of Polish Language" Institute of Polish Language PAS adds another lead to this search for "grandmother". According to this source, "grandmother" was first utilized in Polish texts in 1833. She appeared in 1 of "comedy" small to anyone present known to Vincent Thulli, in a work about the grateful title "Baby".

Poland's "grandmother" so counts, given its centuries-old presence in household structures, comparatively fewer years.

In the previously mentioned Polish Radio broadcast devoted to the presence of grandparents in the Polish region, 1 of the words was told about a verb that came from "baby". It sounded "grandmother", though it did not have much to do with "grandmother" at first glance.

– Early in birth, pregnant older women helped. And this individual helping at birth was simply referred to as "baby" – reminded Prof. Ewa Rudnick. – so the meaning of "grandmother's grandmother", or midwife, developed. From a word in this sense the verb "grandmother" was created.



Source: Polish Radio/jp

Krystyna Długosz-Kurczabowa, "Great etymological-historical dictionary of Polish language", Warsaw, 2016;