See Also: babu(dictionary)

babu (iou)



babu noun. ['b¨»:bu:] Also baboo; Babu. L18.
[Hindi babu.]
Orig., a Hindu title of respect. Later, a Hindu gentleman. L18-E19.
Hist. An Indian clerk or official who could write English; derog. an Indian, esp. in Bengal, who had had a superficial English education. M19.
Comb.: babu English Hist. ornate and unidiomatic English regarded as characteristic of an Indian who had learned the language from books.