dada

See also: Appendix:Variations of "dada"

Languages (30)

English

---

Acehnese • Caló • Catalan • Crimean Tatar • Dupaningan Agta • Dutch • Finnish • French • Garo • Hungarian • Iban • Indonesian • Irish • Italian • Malagasy • Malay • Maltese • Mauritian Creole • Pali • Portuguese • Salar • Spanish • Sranan Tongo • Swahili • Tagalog • Tetum • Tumbuka • Xhosa • Yoruba

---

Page categories

English

English Wikipedia has an article on:

Dada (disambiguation)

Wikipedia

Pronunciation

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Etymology 1

Imitative of a child's first syllables; see dad.

Noun

dada (plural dadas)

1. (childish) Father, dad.

Derived terms

• dadaji

Etymology 2

Noun

dada (uncountable)

1. Alternative letter-case form of Dada (“cultural movement”).

Anagrams

• Adad, adda, daad

Acehnese

Noun

dada

1. (anatomy) breast

References

• 2007. The UCLA Phonetics Lab Archive. Los Angeles, CA: UCLA Department of Linguistics.

Caló

Alternative forms

• dadá

Noun

dada m

1. (endearing) father

   Synonyms: batico, bato

References

• “dada” in Flamenco - Caló, El Flamenco.
• “dada” in Vocabulario : Caló - Español, Portal del Flamenco y Universidad.

Catalan

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [ˈda.ðə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [ˈda.ða]

Etymology 1

Noun

dada f (plural dades)

1. datum

Derived terms

• base de dades

Etymology 2

Participle

dada f sg

1. (obsolete) feminine singular of dat

Further reading

• “dada” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
• “dada”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025

Crimean Tatar

Etymology

From Ottoman Turkish دادا (dâdâ, “nanny, nurse”), from Persian دادا (dâdâ, “nanny, nurse”). Compare Turkish dadı and Serbo-Croatian dàdilja.

Noun

dada

1. (Northern) older sister

   Synonyms: apte, abla, tata

Declension

Declension of dada

nominative	dada
genitive	dadanıñ
dative	dadağa
accusative	dadanı
locative	dadada
ablative	dadadan

Dupaningan Agta

Noun

dada

1. aunt

   Synonym: manay

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdaː.daː/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: da‧da

Etymology 1

From French dada (literally “hobby horse”).

Noun

dada n (uncountable)

1. dada, the cultural movement

   Synonym: dadaïsme

Adjective

dada (invariable, comparative meer dada, superlative meest dada)

1. related to the dada art movement
2. bizarre, irrational, like dada art

Etymology 2

Interjection

dada

1. (childish) bye-bye

   Zeg dada aan oma. ― Say bye-bye to granny.

Adverb

dada

1. (childish) away

   Oma gaat dada. ― Granny is going away now.

Anagrams

• daad

Finnish

Etymology

From French dada.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdɑdɑ/, [ˈdɑ̝dɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -ɑdɑ
• Hyphenation^(key): da‧da

Noun

dada

1. Dada

Declension

Inflection of dada (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)
nominative		dada	dadat
genitive		dadan	dadojen
partitive		dadaa	dadoja
illative		dadaan	dadoihin
		singular	plural
nominative		dada	dadat
accusative	nom.	dada	dadat
	gen.	dadan
genitive		dadan	dadojen dadain rare
partitive		dadaa	dadoja
inessive		dadassa	dadoissa
elative		dadasta	dadoista
illative		dadaan	dadoihin
adessive		dadalla	dadoilla
ablative		dadalta	dadoilta
allative		dadalle	dadoille
essive		dadana	dadoina
translative		dadaksi	dadoiksi
abessive		dadatta	dadoitta
instructive		—	dadoin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of dada (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative dadani dadani accusative nom. dadani dadani gen. dadani genitive dadani dadojeni dadaini rare partitive dadaani dadojani inessive dadassani dadoissani elative dadastani dadoistani illative dadaani dadoihini adessive dadallani dadoillani ablative dadaltani dadoiltani allative dadalleni dadoilleni essive dadanani dadoinani translative dadakseni dadoikseni abessive dadattani dadoittani instructive — — comitative — dadoineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative dadasi dadasi accusative nom. dadasi dadasi gen. dadasi genitive dadasi dadojesi dadaisi rare partitive dadaasi dadojasi inessive dadassasi dadoissasi elative dadastasi dadoistasi illative dadaasi dadoihisi adessive dadallasi dadoillasi ablative dadaltasi dadoiltasi allative dadallesi dadoillesi essive dadanasi dadoinasi translative dadaksesi dadoiksesi abessive dadattasi dadoittasi instructive — — comitative — dadoinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative dadamme dadamme accusative nom. dadamme dadamme gen. dadamme genitive dadamme dadojemme dadaimme rare partitive dadaamme dadojamme inessive dadassamme dadoissamme elative dadastamme dadoistamme illative dadaamme dadoihimme adessive dadallamme dadoillamme ablative dadaltamme dadoiltamme allative dadallemme dadoillemme essive dadanamme dadoinamme translative dadaksemme dadoiksemme abessive dadattamme dadoittamme instructive — — comitative — dadoinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative dadanne dadanne accusative nom. dadanne dadanne gen. dadanne genitive dadanne dadojenne dadainne rare partitive dadaanne dadojanne inessive dadassanne dadoissanne elative dadastanne dadoistanne illative dadaanne dadoihinne adessive dadallanne dadoillanne ablative dadaltanne dadoiltanne allative dadallenne dadoillenne essive dadananne dadoinanne translative dadaksenne dadoiksenne abessive dadattanne dadoittanne instructive — — comitative — dadoinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative dadansa dadansa accusative nom. dadansa dadansa gen. dadansa genitive dadansa dadojensa dadainsa rare partitive dadaansa dadojaan dadojansa inessive dadassaan dadassansa dadoissaan dadoissansa elative dadastaan dadastansa dadoistaan dadoistansa illative dadaansa dadoihinsa adessive dadallaan dadallansa dadoillaan dadoillansa ablative dadaltaan dadaltansa dadoiltaan dadoiltansa allative dadalleen dadallensa dadoilleen dadoillensa essive dadanaan dadanansa dadoinaan dadoinansa translative dadakseen dadaksensa dadoikseen dadoiksensa abessive dadattaan dadattansa dadoittaan dadoittansa instructive — — comitative — dadoineen dadoinensa

Further reading

• “dada”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎ (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-02

French

Etymology

Of imitative origin, from children's speech.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /da.da/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

dada m (plural dadas)

1. (childish) horse
2. hobby horse

Further reading

• “dada”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Garo

Etymology

Likely from Bengali দাদা (dada)

Noun

dada

1. elder brother

Synonyms

• adagipa (formal)
• adatang (formal)
• ada

Hungarian

Etymology

An onomatopoeia.^[1]

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈdɒdɒ]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: da‧da
• Rhymes: -dɒ

Noun

dada (plural dadák)

1. nurse (a person (usually a woman) who takes care of other people’s young)

   Synonyms: dadus, dajka

Declension

Inflection (stem in long/high vowel, back harmony)

	singular	plural
nominative	dada	dadák
accusative	dadát	dadákat
dative	dadának	dadáknak
instrumental	dadával	dadákkal
causal-final	dadáért	dadákért
translative	dadává	dadákká
terminative	dadáig	dadákig
essive-formal	dadaként	dadákként
essive-modal	—	—
inessive	dadában	dadákban
superessive	dadán	dadákon
adessive	dadánál	dadáknál
illative	dadába	dadákba
sublative	dadára	dadákra
allative	dadához	dadákhoz
elative	dadából	dadákból
delative	dadáról	dadákról
ablative	dadától	dadáktól
non-attributive possessive – singular	dadáé	dadáké
non-attributive possessive – plural	dadáéi	dadákéi

Possessive forms of dada

possessor	single possession	multiple possessions
1st person sing.	dadám	dadáim
2nd person sing.	dadád	dadáid
3rd person sing.	dadája	dadái
1st person plural	dadánk	dadáink
2nd person plural	dadátok	dadáitok
3rd person plural	dadájuk	dadáik

Related terms

• dadus

References

1. dada in Zaicz, Gábor (ed.). Etimológiai szótár: Magyar szavak és toldalékok eredete (‘Dictionary of Etymology: The origin of Hungarian words and affixes’). Budapest: Tinta Könyvkiadó, 2006, →ISBN.  (See also its 2nd edition.)

Further reading

• dada in Bárczi, Géza and László Országh. A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (“The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language”, abbr.: ÉrtSz.). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN
• dada in Nóra Ittzés, editor, A magyar nyelv nagyszótára [A Comprehensive Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (Nszt.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 2006–2031 (work in progress; published a–ez as of 2024).

Iban

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Malayic *dada, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *dahdah, from Proto-Austronesian *daSdaS.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈd̪ad̪a]

Noun

dada

1. chest

References

• Scott, N. C. (1956) A Dictionary of Sea Dayak‎, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London

Indonesian

Indonesian Wikipedia has an article on:

dada

Wikipedia ^id

Etymology

Inherited from Malay dada, from Proto-Malayic *dada, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *dahdah, from Proto-Austronesian *daSdaS.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdä.dä/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: da‧da

Noun

dada (plural)

1. (anatomy) chest: the portion of the front of the human body from the base of the neck to the top of the abdomen; the thorax. Also the analogous area in other animals.
2. (anatomy) chest cavity, thoracic cavity.

   Synonyms: rongga dada, ruang dada

Affixed terms

• berdada
• berdada-dadaan
• mendada

Compounds

• buah dada
• dada ayam
• dada bidang
• dada burung
• dada lapang
• dada lega
• dada manuk

Further reading

• “dada” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

Irish

Alternative forms

• dadadh, dadaí, dadaidh, dadamh
• dadaṁ (superseded)
• tada (Cois Fharraige)

Etymology

Modification of adamh (“atom”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈd̪ˠad̪ˠə/

Pronoun

dada

1. iota, jot, whit, tittle
2. anything (in a question or negative statement), nothing

   Níl dada ann. ― There's nothing there.

   Ní fheicim dada. ― I can't see anything.

Derived terms

• dada beo

References

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “dada”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “dadom”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “dadaḋ”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 219
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1927) “dadaṁ”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 2nd edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “dada”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “dada”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2025

Italian

Noun

dada m (invariable)

1. (art) Dada

Anagrams

• Adda

Malagasy

Etymology 1

Noun

dada

1. father, dad

Etymology 2

Noun

dada

1. a dance where the feet are made to imitate the beating of a drum

Etymology 3

Adjective

dada

1. (Tankarana, Tambahoaka) Synonym of dadoa

Malay

Malay Wikipedia has an article on:

dada

Wikipedia ^ms

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Malayic *dada, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *dahdah, from Proto-Austronesian *daSdaS.

Pronunciation

• (Johor-Selangor) IPA^(key): /da.de/
• (Riau-Lingga) IPA^(key): /da.da/
• Rhymes: -adə, -də, -ə

Noun

dada (Jawi spelling دادا, plural dada-dada, informal 1st possessive dadaku, 2nd possessive dadamu, 3rd possessive dadanya)

1. chest

Derived terms

Affixed terms and other derivations

Regular affixed derivations:

• berdada [stative / habitual] (beR-)
• berdada-dadaan [reduplication + stative / habitual + repetition / reciprocity] (redup + beR- + -an)
• mendada [agent focus] (meN-)
• dadaan [resultative / locative / collective / variety / verbal noun / fruit] (-an)

Irregular affixed derivations, other derivations and compound words:

• buah dada

Descendants

• Indonesian: dada

See also

• payudara (“breast”)

Further reading

• “dada” in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu | Malay Literary Reference Centre, Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017.

Maltese

Alternative forms

• dad, dadu

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian dado and/or Sicilian dadu.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdaː.da/

Noun

dada f (plural dadi)

1. die, dice (polyhedron used in games of chance)
2. cube (object more or less in the form of a cube)

Mauritian Creole

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dada/

Etymology 1

From Hindi दादा (dādā).

Noun

dada

1. paternal grandfather

   Hypernym: granper

Etymology 2

From Marathi दादा (dādā).

Noun

dada

1. older brother

   Hypernym: frer

Pali

Alternative forms

Alternative scripts

• 𑀤𑀤 (Brahmi script)
• दद (Devanagari script)
• দদ (Bengali script)
• දද (Sinhalese script)
• ဒဒ or ၻၻ (Burmese script)
• ทท or ทะทะ (Thai script)
• ᨴᨴ (Tai Tham script)
• ທທ or ທະທະ (Lao script)
• ទទ (Khmer script)
• 𑄘𑄘 (Chakma script)

Verb

dada

1. first/third-person singular imperfect active of dadāti (“to give”)

Portuguese

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈda.dɐ/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈda.dɐ/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈda.da/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈda.dɐ/ [ˈda.ðɐ]

• Rhymes: -adɐ
• Hyphenation: da‧da

Pronoun

dada

1. feminine singular of dado

Adjective

dada f sg

1. feminine singular of dado

Participle

dada f sg

1. feminine singular of dado

Salar

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [tada]

Noun

dada (3rd person possessive [please provide], plural [please provide])

1. father's brother, paternal uncle

References

• Tenishev, Edhem (1976) “dada”, in Stroj salárskovo jazyká [Grammar of Salar], Moscow, page 46

Spanish

Etymology

Feminine of dado.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdada/ [ˈd̪a.ð̞a]
• Rhymes: -ada
• Syllabification: da‧da

Participle

dada f sg

1. feminine singular of dado

Sranan Tongo

Etymology

Probably from Ewe dàdá (“aunt”), Gen dadá (“aunt”)^[1]

Noun

dada

1. Form of address for an aunt

References

1. Norval Smith (2009) “A preliminary list of probable Gbe lexical items in the Surinam Creoles”, in P. Muysken, N. Smith, editors, Surviving the Middle Passage: The West Africa-Surinam Sprachbund, Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton, →ISBN, page 465.

Swahili

Swahili Wikipedia has an article on:

dada

Wikipedia ^sw

Pronunciation

• Audio (Kenya):

  (file)

Noun

dada class IX (plural dada class X)

1. sister

   Coordinate term: kaka

Derived terms

• dada mkwe (“sister-in-law”)
• dada wa kambo (“stepsister”)

Tagalog

Etymology

Related to daldal.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /daˈdaʔ/ [d̪ɐˈd̪aʔ]
• Rhymes: -aʔ
• Syllabification: da‧da

Noun

dadâ (Baybayin spelling ᜇᜇ)

1. meaningless chatter; gibberish; impertinent talk

   Synonyms: daldal, dakdak, satsat, yakyak, yapyap, ngalngal

Derived terms

• dada nang dada
• madada

Further reading

• “dada”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila, 2018

Tetum

Noun

dada

1. pull

Tumbuka

Noun

dada class 1a (plural ŵadada class 2)

1. father, dad

Coordinate terms

• mama

Xhosa

Etymology

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

Verb

-dada

1. to swim

Inflection

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

Yoruba

Obìnrin tó ní irun dàda

Etymology

From Dàda.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dà.dā/

Noun

dàda

1. Alternative letter-case form of Dàda (“a child born with matted, curly hair”)
2. dreadlocks