taba

See also: -taba
Languages (24)
English
Asturian • Catalan • Central Bikol • Ibatan • Indonesian • Japanese • Latin • Limos Kalinga • Lindu • Lingala • Ludian • Makasar • Mansaka • Mauritian Creole • Northern Paiute • Old Tupi • Scottish Gaelic • Seychellois Creole • Spanish • Tagalog • Veps • Volapük • Yoruba
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English

Etymology

    Borrowed from Mandingo taba.

    Pronunciation

    Noun

    taba (countable and uncountable, plural tabas)

    1. A lump of dried tobacco, occasionally mixed with other recreational drugs, placed in the vagina for its stimulating effects.
      • 2024 December 30, ““Taba” addiction, dangers it poses among Gambian women, girls”, in The Voice‎[2], archived from the original on 8 August 2025:
        “Taba,” the Mandinka term for tobacco, refers to a locally made tobacco substance that was commonly used by older generations in The Gambia well before independence. This practice, which was often adopted by individuals seeking energy boosts or stress relief, has taken a troubling turn in recent years. Today, a mixture of various substances under the same name is being used predominantly by women and girls, and shockingly, it is applied through their genitals for a range of purposes.
      • 2025 March 19, Kaddy Jawo, “‘I nearly died’: Taba, the tobacco drug Gambian women share in secret”, in Al Jazeera‎[3], archived from the original on 22 March 2025:
        Sellers like Saf take regular taba and mix it with potent chemicals to enhance its intoxicating effect. Many women then use it intravaginally, believing it enhances sexual pleasure.
      • 2025 December 26, “Gambian women put tobacco ‘taba’ in vaginas”, in edge.ug‎[4], archived from the original on 26 December 2025:
        Health authorities in The Gambia are raising alarm over a growing practice among women involving the intravaginal use of a local powdered tobacco called “taba” or “tabaa.”

    Asturian

    Verb

    taba

    1. first/third-person singular imperfect indicative of tar

    Catalan

    Etymology

      Borrowed from Arabic كَعْب (kaʕb).

      Pronunciation

      Noun

      taba f (plural tabes)

      1. (anatomy) anklebone
      2. (often plural) knucklebones, jacks
        Synonyms: ossets, joc de botxí
      3. (colloquial) chitchat

      Further reading

      Central Bikol

      Etymology

        Inherited from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *tabəq. Compare Tagalog taba.

        Pronunciation

        • IPA(key): /taˈba/ [taˈba]
        • IPA(key): /taˈbaʔ/ [taˈbaʔ]
        • Hyphenation: ta‧ba

        Noun

        tabá or tabâ (Basahan spelling ᜆᜊ)

        1. fat, lard
        2. fatness (of a person, animal)
          Antonym: niwang
        3. grease (for food, meat)
          Synonym: suya
        4. richness; fertility (for soil)
          Synonym: kabalunbonan

        Derived terms

        See also

        Ibatan

        Noun

        taba

        1. fat; lard

        Indonesian

        Pronunciation

        Etymology 1

        Borrowed from Musi [Term?] (Lematang).

        Verb

        taba (active menaba, reflexive passive tertaba, ordinary passive ditaba, imperative taba, emphatic-jussive tabalah)

        1. to tap for rubber [since 2024]

        Etymology 2

        Borrowed from Sobei [Term?].

        Noun

        taba (plural taba-taba)

        1. arrows made from bamboo, used to shoot fish on rocky beaches [since 2025]

        Further reading

        Japanese

        Romanization

        taba

        1. Rōmaji transcription of たば

        Latin

        Noun

        tāba

        1. nominative/accusative/vocative plural of tābum

        Limos Kalinga

        Noun

        tabá

        1. fat

        Lindu

        Noun

        taba

        1. alum
        2. lard; animal fat

        Lingala

        Etymology

        See Lingala ntaba.

        Noun

        taba

        1. goat

        Ludian

        Etymology

        From Proto-Finnic *tapa.

        Noun

        taba

        1. custom
        2. character
        3. nature (of a person &c.)

        Makasar

        Etymology

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

        Pronunciation

        • IPA(key): /ˈtaba/, [ˈt̪ʰa.ba]
        • Hyphenation: ta‧ba

        Noun

        taba (Lontara spelling ᨈᨅ or 𑻦𑻤, definite tabaya)

        1. the state of being hit, struck, or affected; outcome; consequence
          Iaminne tabana
          This is what comes of it / This is the outcome.
          Kammamintu tabana, Basoʼ
          That is just how it goes, Basoʼ / That is the inevitable outcome, Basoʼ.
        2. cost; price; the amount that something comes to
          Siapa tabana tassikayu?
          How much does that come to per piece?
          (literally, “how much is its cost / hit per piece?”)

        Verb

        taba (Lontara spelling ᨈᨅ or 𑻦𑻤, semi-transitive annaba, passive nitaba)

        1. (transitive) to hit; to strike; to accidentally touch; to befall or affect (of weather, disasters, magic, weapons, etc.)
          Synonym: tuju
          Nataba bosi
          Caught in the rain.
          Leʼbaki nataba sukkaraʼ lompo Dimaya
          The Bimanese have been struck by a great disaster.
          Natabai gunturuʼ
          He was struck by thunder.
          Natabai erang
          He is affected by a black magic spell.
          Kutabai kusambila
          I hit it when throwing.
          Anjo numalona riampiʼna bainea nagappai nataba limanna
          When walking close past the woman, he happened to accidentally touch her hand.
        2. (transitive) to apply to; to be subject to (of rules, laws, taxes, or sayings)
          Iaminne nataba kanaya angkanaya...
          To this applies the saying that...
          Barang-barang tanataba bea
          Goods not subject to tax / duty-free goods.
        3. (transitive or passive voice) to suffer a loss, setback, or financial disadvantage; to be duped
          Nitabai rilelonga
          He was duped / overcharged at the auction.
          Natabaʼ ricampagaya
          I suffered a financial loss with my campaga rooster (in a cockfight).
          (literally, “I was hit / struck...”)
          Natabaʼ rigulunga
          I lost money at the horse races betting on the Izabel.
        4. (transitive) to amount to a certain cost or price
          Nitaba ruai rupia silawaraʼ(na) anjo lipaka
          Those sarongs cost two rupiah per piece to produce.

        Derived terms

        affixations
        compounds

        Further reading

        • Cense, A. A. (1979), Makassaars-Nederlands woordenboek [Makasar-Dutch dictionary], 's-Gravenhage: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN, pages 740-744

        Mansaka

        Noun

        taba

        1. fat

        Mauritian Creole

        Etymology

        From French tabac.

        Noun

        taba

        1. tobacco (plant of genus Nicotiana)
        2. tobacco (leaves used for smoking or chewing)

        References

        • Baker, Philip; Hookoomsing, Vinesh Y. (1987), Diksiyoner kreol morisyeṅ [Mauritian Creole Dictionary] (in French and English), Paris: L'Harmattan, →ISBN, page 308
        • Carpooran, Arnaud (2011), Diksioner Morisien [Mauritian Dictionary] (in Mauritian Creole), second edition, Éditions Le Printemps, →ISBN, page 1014

        Northern Paiute

        Etymology

        Compare Cahuilla támit

        Pronunciation

        • IPA(key): /tapa/

        Noun

        taba

        1. sun

        Old Tupi

        taba (etymology 1 sense 1)

        Pronunciation

        • IPA(key): /ˈtaβa/
        • Rhymes: -aβa

        Etymology 1

          Inherited from Proto-Tupi-Guarani *taβ, from Proto-Tupian *tˀap. Cognate with Paraguayan Guarani táva.

          Noun

          taba (possessable)

          2. village[1][2]
            • c. 1583, Joseph of Anchieta, “Na feſta de .ſ. Lço [At the Saint Lawrence Festival]” (chapter XLIV), in [livrinho de variaſ poeziaſ ] [Booklet of various poems], Niterói, page 60, lines 26–31; republished as Maria de Lourdes de Paula Martins, compiler, Poesias, São Paulo, 1956, page 111:
              Xe anho / co taba pupe aico / çerecoaramo uitecobo, / xereco rupi imoingobo, / que çuj aço mamo / amo taba rapecobo.
              [Xe anhõ / kó taba pupé aîkó / serekoaramo ûitekóbo, / xe rekó rupi i moingóbo, / kûé suí asó mamõ / amõ taba rapekóbo.]
              Just me lived in this village, staying as its guardian, making it follow my law. From there, I went far away, visiting other villages.
            • c. 1585, Joseph of Anchieta, “[Na Aldeia de Guaraparim] [In the Village of Guaraparim]” (chapter LXIV), in [livrinho de variaſ poeziaſ ] [Booklet of various poems], Guarapari, page 148, column 1, lines 1–5; republished as Maria de Lourdes de Paula Martins, compiler, Poesias, São Paulo, 1956, page 280:
              Acai, aceca yepe / mitaçaba amo guitecobo / eri, xemocẽ meme / tabaçui Abare / quepe catu xemondobo.
              [Akaî, aseká íepé / mytasaba amõ gûitekóbo / erĩ, xe mosẽ memẽ / taba suí abaré / kuepekatu xe mondóbo.]
              Oh, although I'm looking for some place to stay, argh! The priest always expels me from the village, sending me very far away.
          3. (Late Tupi) city, town
            Synonyms: see Thesaurus:taba
            • 1618, Antônio de Araújo, “5. Dedic S. Maria ad Niues”, in Cateciſmo na Lingoa Braſilica [Catechism in the Brazilian Language], Catalogo dos dias Santos de guarda, & de jejum (overall work in Old Tupi, Portuguese, and Latin), Lisbon: Pedro Crasbeeck, pages 6v–7:
              Tàba Roma yàpe amo caraìba moçacàra rimbaè, cunhâ marãgatù membireima cemirecòramo […]
              [Taba Roma îápe amõ karaiba mosakara rimba'e, kunhãmarangatumembyre'yma semirekóramo […] ]
              In the city called “Rome”, a noble Chirstian had a kind wife with no children.
          4. (loosely) place[1]
            • 16th century, Joseph of Anchieta, “Matrimônio”, in [Doutrina Cristã]; republished as Armando Cardoso, compiler, Doutrina Cristã: Catecismo brasílico, volume I, São Paulo: Loyola, 1992, →ISBN, page 226, line 6:
              M Umãmepe imomendári?
              D Paraíso Terreal táporángatú pupé.
              [M[estre:] Umãmepe i momendari?
              D[iscípulo:] Paraíso Terreal taporãngatu pupé.]
              Master:Where did he wed them?
              Disciple: At the Terrestrial Paradise, a very beautiful place.
          Derived terms
          Descendants
          • Nheengatu: tawa (“city”)
          • → Brazilian Portuguese: taba (“Tupian village”)

          Etymology 2

          See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

          Noun

          taba

          1. absolute of aba

          References

          1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 anonymous author (1622), “Lugar, povoado [Place, village]”, in Vocabulario na lingoa Braſilica (overall work in Portuguese), Piratininga; republished as Carlos Drummond, editor, Vocabulário na Língua Brasílica, 2nd edition, volume 2, São Paulo: USP, 1953, page 25: “Taba”
          2. ^ Luís Figueira (c. 1628), Arte da lingua Braſilica [Art of the Brazilian language]‎[1] (overall work in Portuguese), Lisbon: Manoel da Silva, page 41r: “Taba”

          Further reading

          Scottish Gaelic

          Noun

          taba m (genitive singular taba, nominative plural tabaichean)

          1. tab (computing - in TDI)

          Seychellois Creole

          Etymology

          From French tabac.

          Noun

          taba

          1. tobacco

          References

          • D'Offay, Danielle; Lionnet, Guy (1982), Diksyonner kreol-franse [Creole-French Dictionary] (in French), Hamburg: Buske, →ISBN

          Spanish

          Etymology

            Derived from Arabic كَعْب (kaʕb).

            Pronunciation

            • IPA(key): /ˈtaba/ [ˈt̪a.β̞a]
            • Audio (Costa Rica):(file)
            • Rhymes: -aba
            • Syllabification: ta‧ba

            Noun

            taba f (plural tabas)

            1. (anatomy) anklebone
              Synonym: astrágalo
              • 1915, Julio Vicuña Cifuentes, Mitos y Supersticiones Recogidos de la Tradición Oral Chilena, page 308:
                Para combatir el dolor reumático, es conveniente llevar en el bolsillo del lado enfermo, una taba de cordero.
                To combat rheumatic pain, it is advisable to carry a lamb's anklebone in the pocket on the affected side.
            2. (Peru) shoe

            Adjective

            taba m or f (masculine and feminine plural tabas)

            1. (Peru) clumsy

            Noun

            taba m or f by sense (plural tabas)

            1. (Peru) clumsy person

            Further reading


            Tagalog

            Etymology

              Inherited from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *tabəq. Compare Central Bikol taba.

              Pronunciation

              • (Standard Tagalog) IPA(key): /taˈbaʔ/ [t̪ɐˈbaʔ]
              • Rhymes: -aʔ
              • Syllabification: ta‧ba

              Noun

              tabâ (Baybayin spelling ᜆᜊ)

              1. fat (specialized animal tissue)
              2. fatness (of a person, animal, etc.)
                Synonym: katabaan
              3. lard (fat from pig abdomen)
              4. (figurative) fertility (of soil)
              5. (colloquial) fat person; fatso
                Synonyms: tabatsoy, tabatsing, tabatsingtsing

              Derived terms

              Further reading

              • “taba”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, 2018

              Anagrams

              Veps

              Etymology

              From Proto-Finnic *tapa, from Baltic.

              Noun

              taba

              1. character, temperament
              2. disposition
              3. temper
              4. custom, habit

              Inflection

              Inflection of taba (inflection type 5/sana)
              nominative sing. taba
              genitive sing. taban
              partitive sing. tabad
              partitive plur. taboid
              singular plural
              nominative taba tabad
              accusative taban tabad
              genitive taban taboiden
              partitive tabad taboid
              essive-instructive taban taboin
              translative tabaks taboikš
              inessive tabas taboiš
              elative tabaspäi taboišpäi
              illative tabaha taboihe
              adessive tabal taboil
              ablative tabalpäi taboilpäi
              allative tabale taboile
              abessive tabata taboita
              comitative tabanke taboidenke
              prolative tabadme taboidme
              approximative I tabanno taboidenno
              approximative II tabannoks taboidennoks
              egressive tabannopäi taboidennopäi
              terminative I tabahasai taboihesai
              terminative II tabalesai taboilesai
              terminative III tabassai —
              additive I tabahapäi taboihepäi
              additive II tabalepäi taboilepäi

              References

              Volapük

              Noun

              taba

              1. genitive singular of tab

              Yoruba

              Etymology

              Borrowed from Hausa tāba, ultimately from Arabic طُبَّاق (ṭubbāq), see Spanish tabaco, Portuguese tabaco.

              Pronunciation

              • IPA(key): /tá.bà/

              Noun

              tábà

              1. tobacco, tobacco plant
                Synonym: tánà
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