ἀββα

See also: αββά and Appendix:Variations of "abba"

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• ἀββά (abbá), ἀββᾶ (abbâ), ἀββᾶς (abbâs)

Etymology

Borrowed from Aramaic אַבָּא (ʾabbā, “father”). (Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?)

The semantic shift from 'father' to 'abbot' is due to abbots being considered as fathers to the rest of the priests in the abbey, for being the wisest and more experienced.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /ab.baː/ → /aβ.βa/ → /a.va/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /ab.baː/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ab.ba/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /aβ.βa/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /av.va/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /a.va/

Noun

ἀββᾱ • (abbā) m (indeclinable)

1. father
2. title of respect given to abbots

Descendants

• Greek: αββάς (avvás), αβάς (avás)

Borrowings

• → Coptic: ⲁⲡⲁ (apa), ⲁⲃⲃⲁ (abba) (see there for further descendants)
• → Gothic: 𐌰𐌱𐌱𐌰 (abba)
• → Latin: abbās (see there for further descendants)
• → Latin: abba (see there for further descendants)
• → Old Armenian: աբբայ (abbay)
  • Armenian: աբբա (abba)

Further reading

• ἀββα in the Diccionario Griego–Español en línea (2006–2025)
• Nestle, Eberhard, Aland, Kurt with et al. (2012) Novum Testamentum Graece‎^[1], 28th revised edition, 4th corrected printing edition, Stuttgart: Stuttgart Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, →ISBN
• Bauer, Walter et al. (2001) A Greek–English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, Third edition, Chicago: University of Chicago Press
• G5 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
• “ἀββα”, in ΛΟΓΕΙΟΝ [Logeion] Dictionaries for Ancient Greek and Latin (in English, French, Spanish, German, Dutch and Chinese), University of Chicago, since 2011