ބޭބެ

Dhivehi

Etymology

A nursery word, possibly imitative of the lost descendant of Sanskrit भ्रातृ (bhrātṛ).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /beː.be/, [beː.be]
• Hyphenation: ބޭ‧ބެ

Noun

ބޭބެ • (bēbe) (plural ބޭބެތައް (bēbetak̊))

1. elder brother

   Synonym: ދޮށި (doṣi)

2. someone who is elder
3. elderly man

Coordinate terms

• ދައްތަ (datta)

References

• Hassan Ahmed Maniku (2000) “ބޭބެ”, in A Concise Etymological Vocabulary of Dhivehi Language, Colombo: The Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka, page 33