A term of endearment or informal address, similar to 'babe' or 'baby'; also used as 'bab' in some dialects like British Midlands slang for a loved one.
From 'babe,' which derives from 'baby,' going back to Middle English 'babe.' The shortened form 'bab' is particularly common in British regional dialects, especially the Midlands.
The word 'bab' shows how regional dialects keep their own versions of common words—in Birmingham, England, 'bab' is the standard term of endearment, while Americans use 'babe' or 'bud.' It's the same root word, but each region made it their own!
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