Baba Yaga

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Definitions

  • n. An old woman in Slavic folklore who lives in a hut on chicken legs and is known for both helping and harming those who encounter her.

  • n. By extension, a witch.

Example Sentences

  • "What a nasty woman! She's a real baba yaga!"

  • "Perhaps Baba Yaga’s hut in the woods is simply a dacha, a seasonal home that many Slavic Jews like my family escaped to when they needed a break from the rest of the world, especially from an antisemitic society." (source)

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Languages of Origin

  • Russian

Etymology

  • Ба́ба-Яга́ bába jagá, lit. 'hag of terror'

      • Who Uses This

      • Ashkenazim: Jews with Ashkenazi heritage

      Regions

      • North America

      Dictionaries

      • None

      Alternative Spellings

      Baba Jaga

Notes


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