Where does “bah” come from?
bah (Indonesian) comes from Malay bah, from Sabah Malay bah — used as an intensifier.
Ancestry of “bah”, step by step
bah traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Malay bah
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Malay | bah | flood; Alternative form of abah; Alternative form... |
| 2 | Sabah Malay | bah | used as an intensifier |
via Dutch bah
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutch | bah | bah, yuck |