mababa

Higaonon

Adjective

mababa

  1. short

Tagalog

Etymology 1

From ma- +‎ baba (lowness; descent).

Pronunciation

  • (Standard Tagalog)
    • IPA(key): /maˈbabaʔ/ [mɐˈbaː.bɐʔ] (adjective)
      • Rhymes: -abaʔ
    • IPA(key): /mabaˈbaʔ/ [mɐ.bɐˈbaʔ] (verb)
      • Rhymes: -aʔ
  • Syllabification: ma‧ba‧ba

Adjective

mababà (plural mabababa, Baybayin spelling ᜋᜊᜊ)

  1. low
    Antonym: mataas
  2. of low stature (of a person)
    Synonym: pandak
  3. below a level (of a place)
    Synonyms: lubog, malalim
  4. shallow (of water in rivers, pools, etc.)
    Synonyms: di-malalim, mababaw
  5. low (of price)
    Synonym: mura
  6. low (of voice)
    Synonym: mahina
  7. inferior; poor (of quality)
    Synonym: mahina
  8. lowly; of low stature (in society)
    Synonyms: hamak, aba
Inflection
Degrees of mababa
root baba
positive singular plural
mababa mabababa
comparative singular plural
superiority mas mababa mas mabababa
inferiority hindi gaanong mababa hindi gaanong mabababa
equality kasimbaba
superlative singular plural
relative ang pinakamababa ang pinakamabababa
absolute napakamababa napakamabababa
pagkababa pagkababa-baba
Derived terms
See also

Verb

mababâ (complete nababa, progressive nabababa, contemplative mabababa, Baybayin spelling ᜋᜊᜊ)

  1. to be able to lower something

Etymology 2

From ma- +‎ baba (piggyback).

Pronunciation

  • (Standard Tagalog) IPA(key): /mabaˈba/ [mɐ.bɐˈba]
  • Rhymes: -a
  • Syllabification: ma‧ba‧ba

Verb

mababá (complete nababa, progressive nabababa, contemplative mabababa, Baybayin spelling ᜋᜊᜊ)

  1. to be able to carry someone piggyback
Conjugation
Verb conjugation for mababa
affix ma-
root word baba
trigger object
aspect
infinitive
complete nababa
progressive nabababa
contemplative mabababa

Further reading

  • mababa”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila, 2018