OriginPerhaps of onomatopoeic origin. In view of the bird’s range, borrowing from an unknown African or South Asian language is possible. Related to Classical Syriac ܒܒܓܐ (/bbgʾ/), ܦܵܦܵܐ (ppʾ /pāp̄ā/), Old Armenian պապկայ (papkay), Persian ببغا (babġâ), بپغا (bapġâ, “parrot”).
- parrot
- figurativelyone who repeats what was said
“لَا تَكُنْ مِثْلَ الْبَبَّغَاءِ” — Do not parrot.
Formsبَبَّغَاء(canonical) · بَبْغَاء(canonical) · بَبَغَاء(canonical, feminine, masculine) · babbaḡāʔ(romanization) · babḡāʔ(romanization) · babaḡāʔ(romanization) · بَبَّغَاوَانِ(dual) · بَبْغَاوَانِ(dual) · بَبَغَاوَانِ(dual) · بَبَّغَاوَات(plural) · بَبْغَاوَات(plural) · بَبَغَاوَات(plural) · بَبَّغَاء(diptote, indefinite, informal, singular) · بَبْغَاء(diptote, indefinite, informal, singular) · بَبَغَاء(diptote, indefinite, informal, singular) · الْبَبَّغَاء(definite, diptote, informal, singular) · الْبَبْغَاء(definite, diptote, informal, singular) · الْبَبَغَاء(definite, diptote, informal, singular) · بَبَّغَاء(construct, diptote, informal, singular) · بَبْغَاء(construct, diptote, informal, singular)