Baba (honorific)

Baba "father, grandfather, wise old man, sir";[1] is an honorific term, of Persian origin,[2] used in several West Asian and South Asian cultures.

It is used as a mark of respect to refer to Hindu ascetics (sannyasis) and Sikh gurus, as a suffix or prefix to their names. For eg. Sai Baba of Shirdi, Baba Ramdevji, etc.[1][3]

Baba is also a title accorded to Alevi of Shia Islam, also among sunni leaders and heads of certain Sufi orders, as in Baba Bulleh Shah, Baba Farid & Rehman Baba.[1]

Baba is also the title used for the Israeli mystical rabbis of the Abuhatzeira family, descendants of Rabbi Israel Abuhatzeira, originally from Morocco, who was called the Baba Sali and his brother Isaac Abuhatzeira, the Baba Chaki.

The term was also adopted in Malaysia as an honorific of respect to address Chinese people born in British Straits Settlement.[4][2]

Baba is also the familiar word for "father" in many languages (see mama and papa); in India it has even been adapted to address male children.[2] Baba means grandmother in many countries.