Bau

Various origins:

• Borrowed from German Bau, perhaps a short form of compounds with this element, such as Bauhofer or Baumann.
• Borrowed from French Bau, perhaps a variant of Beau.
• Variant of Bao, a surname of Chinese origin.

Bau (plural Baus)

1. A surname.

• According to the 2010 United States Census, Bau is the 37544^th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 593 individuals. Bau is most common among White (60.54%), Asian/Pacific Islander (23.95%) and Hispanic/Latino (11.47%) individuals.

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Bau

1. (Mesopotamian mythology) A Mesopotamian goddess, initially a life-giving deity sometimes associated with the creation of mankind, later a goddess of healing and medicine.

• Hanks, Patrick, editor (2003), “Bau”, in Dictionary of American Family Names, volume 1, New York: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 115.
• Gula (goddess) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Ninisina on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

From Middle High German bū, bou, from Old High German bū, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *būą (“building, dwelling”). The plural form Bauten is that of the related Low German Bude (“building”), from Middle Low German bûwete. The singular Baute did not catch on in standard German.

• IPA^(key): /baʊ̯/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aʊ̯

Bau m (strong, genitive Baues or Baus, plural Bauten or Baue)

1. building, construction (the act of constructing)

   Synonyms: Bauen, Errichtung, Konstruktion

   Antonyms: Abriss, Vernichtung, Zerstörung

2. building site, construction site (place where such constructing takes place)

   Synonym: Baustelle

3. building, construction, edifice (built-up structure, house)

   Synonyms: Gebäude, Bauwerk, Konstruktion

4. burrow (of an animal, especially under ground)
5. (colloquial) prison, jail

   Synonyms: Gefängnis, Kittchen, Knast

• Nowadays the plural is Bauten for “buildings” and Baue for “burrows”. The other senses do not have a common plural form.
• A third plural Bäue with umlaut is obsolete.

• “Bau” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “Bau” in Duden online

From Old High German bū. Cognate with German Bau, Dutch bouw, Swedish bo.

• IPA^(key): [bæːʊ̯]

Bau m (plural Bai)

1. building
2. building site

• bauen