meaning of "Baba" as in Ku Baba?

Question

Queen of Kish

Answer 1

I agree with the previous answer that baba means old woman or old man in many languages. For instance in Japanese, it means old woman.

I just want to add that in the context you are talking about I think it means "mother, woman", because Kubaba was not only a queen mentioned in the Sumerian king list, but there was also an ancient Sumerian goddess called Baba. She was the goddess of fertility, a manifestation of the Great Mother Goddess that is so often encountered in ancient religions. It seems that the name of this goddess often appeared in personal names, which is probably why the queen was also called Kubaba. See this link for more info:
http://gatewaystobabylon.com/gods/ladies/goddessketches.htm

Also, Kubaba is another name for Cybele, an Anatolian goddess whose name means "Great Mother". Here's a passage from
http://www.morningmystery.com/viewpost_330693.asp:

"The earliest form of Cybele's name may have been Kubaba or Kumbaba which suggests Humbaba, who was the guardian of the forest in the Epic of Gilgamesh." [which means Sumerian origin, so probably goddess Baba I mentioned earlier]

"The origin of Kubaba may have been kube or kuba meaning 'cube'. The earliest reference we have to a goddess worshipped as a cube-shaped stone is from neolithic Anatolia. Alternatively, 'Kubaba' may mean a hollow vessel or cave - which would still be a supreme image of the goddess. The ideograms for Kubaba in the Hittite alphabet are a lozenge or cube, a double-headed axe, a dove, a vase and a door or gate - all images of the goddess in neolithic Europe."

Answer 2

I couldn't find too much, but it seems that "Baba" refers to either "father (abba)" or "old woman" in a number of disparate languages, including some in the Middle Eastern area. It could be a reference to her being the ancient queen, sort of like "Mother of the country", or the other way around.

Hope that helps a little.

Answer 3

Baba is kiswahili for Daddy or Father.