Ab (Semitic)

Ab or Av (related to Akkadian abu), sometimes Abba, means "father" in most Semitic and Afroasiatic languages.

’Ab (أَب), from a theoretical, abstract form (آبَاءٌ ʼabaʼun) (triliteral ʼ-b-w) is Arabic for "father". The dual is (أَبَوَانِ ʼabawāni) or (أَبَانِ ʼabāni) "two fathers" or "mother and father" (آبَاءِكَ ʼābāʼi-ka meaning "thy parents").

Li-llāhi ʼabū-ka (للهِ أَبُوكَ) is an expression of praise, meaning "to God is attributable [the excellence of] your father".

As a verb, ʼ-b-w means "to become [as] a father to [somebody]" (أَبَوْتُه ʼabawt-uh, "paternity") or "to adopt [him] as a father" (تأَبَّبَهُ ta'abbaba-hu or اِسْتَأَبَّهُ ista'aba-hu).

In the construct state, Abū (أبو) is followed by another word to form a complete name, e.g.: Abu Mazen, another name for Mahmoud Abbas.

Abu may be used as a kunya, an honorific. To refer to a man by his fatherhood (of male offspring) is polite, so that ʼabū takes the function of an honorific. Even a man who is as yet childless may still be known as abū of his father's name, implying that he will yet have a son called after his father.

The combination is extended beyond the literal sense: a man may be described as acting as a father in his relation to animals, e.g., Abu Bakr, "the father of a camel's foal"; Abu Huraira, "father of kittens". In some cases, a man's enemies will refer to him in such a way to besmirch him, e.g. Abu Jahl, "the father of ignorance". A man may be described as being the possessor of some quality, as Abu'l Na'ama "father of grace", or "the graceful one"; Abu'l Fida, "father of devotion", or "the devout one". An object or a place may be given a nickname, such as Abu'l hawl, "father of terror", (the Sphinx at Giza). Abu'l fulus, "father of money", is frequently used to refer to a place where rumors have been told of a treasure being hidden there.

The Swahili word Bwana, meaning "mister", "sir", or "lord", is derived from the Arabic Abuna (أبونا), "our father".