baba
/baba/ · plural babala
1. ancestor, forefather, forebear — Usually plural with a possessive ending, as in babalarıbız "our ancestors". It often appears in the paired compound of ata with baba meaning "forefathers".
- babalarıbıznı jeri — the land of our forefathers
- babalarıbıznı adetleri — the customs of our ancestors
- ata babalarıbız — our forefathers
- bıllay zatnı babalarıbız da körmegendile — even our forefathers did not see such a thing
2. grandfather
- meni babam — my grandfather
- babam üyde turadı — my grandfather is at home
- bababızğa qonaqğa bardıq — we went to visit our grandfather
- aq saqallı baba kördüm — I saw a white-bearded grandfather
- babasını atın atadı — he named him after his grandfather
3. granny, grandma — A child's word for a grandmother, used mainly when addressing her: baba, meni da ala bar "granny, take me with you".
- baba, meni da ala bar — granny, take me with you too
- baba, meni saqla — granny, wait for me
- babası bla baradı — he is going with his granny
Cases and owners
Singular
| Case | —plain | menimy | seniyour | anıhis / her | bizniour | sizniyou all's | alanıtheir |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | babathe ancestor | babammy ancestor | babaŋyour ancestor | babasıhis ancestor | bababızour ancestor | babağızyou all's ancestor | babalarıtheir ancestors |
| Genitive | babanıthe ancestor's | babamımy ancestor's | babaŋıyour ancestor's | babasınıhis ancestor's | bababıznıour ancestor's | babağıznıyou all's ancestor's | babalarınıtheir ancestors' |
| Accusative | babanıthe ancestor (as the object) | babamımy ancestor (as the object) | babaŋıyour ancestor (as the object) | babasınhis ancestor (as the object) | bababıznıour ancestor (as the object) | babağıznıyou all's ancestor (as the object) | babalarıntheir ancestors (as the object) |
| Dative | babağato the ancestor | babamato my ancestor | babaŋato your ancestor | babasınato his ancestor | bababızğato our ancestor | babağızğato you all's ancestor | babalarınato their ancestors |
| Locative | babadain / at the ancestor | babamdain / at my ancestor | babaŋdain / at your ancestor | babasındain / at his ancestor | bababızdain / at our ancestor | babağızdain / at you all's ancestor | babalarındain / at their ancestors |
| Ablative | babadanfrom the ancestor | babamdanfrom my ancestor | babaŋdanfrom your ancestor | babasındanfrom his ancestor | bababızdanfrom our ancestor | babağızdanfrom you all's ancestor | babalarındanfrom their ancestors |
Plural
| Case | —plain | menimy | seniyour | anıhis / her | bizniour | sizniyou all's | alanıtheir |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | babalathe ancestors | babalarımmy ancestors | babalarıŋyour ancestors | babalarıhis ancestors | babalarıbızour ancestors | babalarığızyou all's ancestors | babalarıtheir ancestors |
| Genitive | babalanıthe ancestors' | babalarımımy ancestors' | babalarıŋıyour ancestors' | babalarınıhis ancestors' | babalarıbıznıour ancestors' | babalarığıznıyou all's ancestors' | babalarınıtheir ancestors' |
| Accusative | babalanıthe ancestors (as the object) | babalarımımy ancestors (as the object) | babalarıŋıyour ancestors (as the object) | babalarınhis ancestors (as the object) | babalarıbıznıour ancestors (as the object) | babalarığıznıyou all's ancestors (as the object) | babalarıntheir ancestors (as the object) |
| Dative | babalağato the ancestors | babalarımato my ancestors | babalarıŋato your ancestors | babalarınato his ancestors | babalarıbızğato our ancestors | babalarığızğato you all's ancestors | babalarınato their ancestors |
| Locative | babaladain / at the ancestors | babalarımdain / at my ancestors | babalarıŋdain / at your ancestors | babalarındain / at his ancestors | babalarıbızdain / at our ancestors | babalarığızdain / at you all's ancestors | babalarındain / at their ancestors |
| Ablative | babaladanfrom the ancestors | babalarımdanfrom my ancestors | babalarıŋdanfrom your ancestors | babalarındanfrom his ancestors | babalarıbızdanfrom our ancestors | babalarığızdanfrom you all's ancestors | babalarındanfrom their ancestors |
The overlap in the last rows is real, not a mistake: babaları can mean "his / her ancestors", "their ancestor", or "their ancestors" — context decides.
Whose it is
| Case | one thing, one owner | several things, one owner | one thing, several owners | several things, several owners |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | babanıqıthe ancestor's one | babanıqılathe ancestor's ones | babalanıqıthe ancestors' one | babalanıqılathe ancestors' ones |
| Genitive | babanıqınıof the ancestor's one | babanıqılanıof the ancestor's ones | babalanıqınıof the ancestors' one | babalanıqılanıof the ancestors' ones |
| Accusative | babanıqınthe ancestor's one (as the object) | babanıqılanıthe ancestor's ones (as the object) | babalanıqınthe ancestors' one (as the object) | babalanıqılanıthe ancestors' ones (as the object) |
| Dative | babanıqınato the ancestor's one | babanıqılağato the ancestor's ones | babalanıqınato the ancestors' one | babalanıqılağato the ancestors' ones |
| Locative | babanıqındain / at the ancestor's one | babanıqıladain / at the ancestor's ones | babalanıqındain / at the ancestors' one | babalanıqıladain / at the ancestors' ones |
| Ablative | babanıqındanfrom the ancestor's one | babanıqıladanfrom the ancestor's ones | babalanıqındanfrom the ancestors' one | babalanıqıladanfrom the ancestors' ones |
The endings are the same ones the pronouns wear — that page explains when each case is used.