Babu (title)

The word was originally used as a term of respect attached to a proper name, the equivalent of "mister", and "babuji" was used in many parts to mean "sir" as an address of a gentleman; their life-style was also called "baboo culture" often also humorously appealed as "babuism".

[7][8][9] In Nepali, Hindi/Bihari, Bhojpuri, Maithili, Bengali, Telugu, and Odia languages, it is a means of calling with love and affection to spouses or younger brothers, sons, grandsons etc.

It can be found in the urban trend to call "babu" to girlfriends or boyfriends, or common-friends to symbolize deep love or dearness.

In many Bengali families fathers and sons are usually named babu, as a matter of intimacy, with daughters or mothers.

This community consists mainly of Bihari Mauritians, whose ancestors landed on the island as Coolies or indentured sugar cane field labourers during the 1810–1968 British colonial rule.