English word origin

Etymology of nah

Colloquial/unarticulated form of no + -uh. Compare yeah = yes + -uh.

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

intj

No.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Colloquial/unarticulated form of no + -uh. Compare yeah = yes + -uh.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "suffix",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "no",
        "3": "uh"
      },
      "expansion": "no + -uh"
    },
    {
      "name": "suffix",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "yes",
        "3": "uh"
      },
      "expansion": "yes + -uh"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "no",
      "no#English"
    ],
    [
      "-uh",
      "-uh#English"
    ],
    [
      "yeah",
      "yeah#English"
    ],
    [
      "yes",
      "yes#English"
    ],
    [
      "-uh",
      "-uh#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "intj",
      "glosses": [
        "No."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ],
      "recordId": "1863d8ff74f12fa6c1b8f63759acd828c030584d92da04e4078adc2497dd31dc",
      "rawRecordSha256": "11a50869782df0fcf7cf98a6bcf1588bd8abc31325ec12d63d9256eddaae5e54",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 139488
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

intj

here! (when giving something).

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Borrowed from Malay nah. Unrelated to nah mean.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mentionnahms

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor+",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ms",
        "3": "nah"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Malay nah"
    },
    {
      "name": "glossary",
      "args": {
        "1": "false cognate",
        "2": "Unrelated"
      },
      "expansion": "Unrelated"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "nah",
      "nah#Malay"
    ],
    [
      "nah mean",
      "nah mean#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "intj",
      "glosses": [
        "here! (when giving something)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Manglish",
        "Singlish"
      ],
      "recordId": "90c728cbd3957bddc4ca78f8f6e460cf8d48ee53b2b64b94cf595e5305b9029f",
      "rawRecordSha256": "bb9d9fc477974687291dd4e4f9128aba03d1427e6079e9e01b7511dfb41e4ed1",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 139489
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for nah →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-bmFo