binibini

Alternative forms

• Binibini
• Bb. — abbreviation

Etymology

Borrowed from Brunei Malay bini-bini (“woman”). Compare Cebuano binibini, Old Cebuano beni beni, and Malay bini.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /biniˈbini/ [bɪ.n̪ɪˈbiː.n̪ɪ]
• Rhymes: -ini
• Syllabification: bi‧ni‧bi‧ni

Noun

binibini (Baybayin spelling ᜊᜒᜈᜒᜊᜒᜈᜒ)

1. maiden; young lady; unmarried woman

   Synonyms: dalaga, dalaginding

2. miss; mademoiselle

   Bigay sa akin ng isang binibini doon.

   Given to me by a miss from over there.

3. (obsolete) an important principal woman [18th–19th c.]

Further reading

• “binibini”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila, 2018
• Zorc, David Paul (1981) Core Etymological Dictionary of Filipino: Part 2, page xv
• Noceda, Fr. Juan José de, Sanlucar, Fr. Pedro de (1860) Vocabulario de la lengua tagala, compuesto por varios religiosos doctos y graves‎ (in Spanish), Manila: Ramirez y Giraudier