A young child or baby, often used as a term of endearment or in informal speech.
From Indonesian and Malay 'bayi' meaning baby or infant, borrowed into English primarily through Southeast Asian English speakers. The word entered English through cultural contact and immigration. It remains most common in communities with Southeast Asian heritage.
This word shows how English absorbs terms from other languages when communities mix—'babi' spread into English not through dictionaries but through everyday conversations between neighbors and friends in multicultural cities.
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