Babushka
/bəˈbuːʃ.kə/noun
A grandmother; also a headscarf tied under the chin, especially in Russian contexts.
Did you know?Babushka comes from Russian *бабушка* (*babushka*), a diminutive of *баба* “old woman/grandmother,” a root also seen in words for women and elder figures across Slavic languages.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Slavic
PSl
*baba
“old woman; grandmother”
Old East Slavic
OES
баба (baba)
“old woman; grandmother”
Russian
RU
бабушка (babushka)
“grandmother; affectionate diminutive”
20th Century
English
babushka
“a headscarf tied under the chin, or a grandmother in Russian-influenced usage”
Modern English
EN
babushka
“a scarf tied under the chin; also a grandmother, especially in Russian contexts”