FromMiddle Englishah,aa,a(“ah”), of imitative origin, or fromOld Englishēa,*eah(“oh, alas”), fromProto-West Germanic*a,*ah(“ah”). Earliest recorded use is circa 1175 in theOrmulum:A, Maȝȝstre! icc wat tatt tu full wiss Arrt Godess Sune ("Ah, Master! I know for sure that thou art God's Son"). Some propose that the Middle English is borrowed fromOld Frencha(“ah!, oh!, hey!”) (represented by modernFrenchah).^[1][2]

Compare alsoWest Frisiana,ah(“ah”),Dutcha,ah(“ah”),Middle Low Germana(“ah”),Old High Germana,aa,ah(“ah, oh”) (whence modernGermanah),Faroeseáh(“oh, ah, alas”),Icelandicæ,ai(“ah, oh”),Latinah(“ah”).

• IPA^(key):/ɑː/

• Audio(General American):

  (file)

• Rhymes:-ɑː

ah

1. Anexpression ofrelief,relaxation,comfort,confusion,understanding,wonder,awe, etc. according touttered inflection.

   Ah, I understand now.

   Ah! It's good to be back home!

   Ah, the flowers of spring.

2. Asyllable used to fill space, particularly in music.
   • 2008, Britney Spears, “Womanizer”:

     Boy don't try to front, uh, I
     Know just, just, what you are,ah, ah.

ah (pluralahs)

1. An instance of the interjectionah.

   the crowd's oohs andahs at the fireworks

ah (third-person singular simple presentahs,present participleahing,simple past and past participleahed)

1. To give a cry of "ah".
   • 2005, T. R. Rhoads,Sinner, Sailor: A Memoir, page221:

     Mother and dad oohed andahed over Cindy. She was only two months old but already was developing her personality.

ah (personal pronoun,pluralwe,possessive adjectivemah)

1. Pronunciation spelling ofI, most often indicating that the speaker is using aScottish orAmerican (particularly Southern)accent.

FromHokkien啊(--a),Teochew啊(a⁷),Mandarin啊(a).

• ar,har

• (Singapore,Malaysia)
  • Particle
    • IPA^(key):(Senses 2‒5)/ɑː˨˦/,[äː˨˦ ~ ʌ̈ː˨˦],(Sense 2, non-interrogative)/ɑː/
    • IPA^(key):(Sense 1)[ä˨]
    • IPA^(key):(Sense 6)/ɑː/,[ä˨]
  • Interjection
    • IPA^(key):[ä̃ː˧˨]

ah(Manglish,Singlish)

2. Marks atag question prompting the listener toclarify or confirm something.

   Synonyms:(Singapore)is it,izzit

   You’re dyslexicah? ―So you’re dyslexic?

   • 1989,Eleanor Wong,Jackson on a Jaunt, or, Mistaken Identities, page 3, lines49–50:

     So how are you Jackson? Very busy,ah? Never come around to see me these days.

   • 2007, Elangovan,P, Singapore,→ISBN,→OCLC, page80:

     Cannot talk-ah? God give you mouth for what? No courtesy-ah?Kanneena!

   • 2020 April 12, Notdumb, “Liddat is safe distance ah?”, inSG Talk‎^[1], archived fromthe original on18 April 2020:

     Only 2 ft apart considered safeah?

4. Used foremphasis; reinforces a shortwh-question.
   • 2011 October 23, Rachel Chang, “LifeStyle”, inThe Sunday Times, page15:

     See howlor. Who’s goingar?

6. Emphasizes the need for absoluteconfirmation oracknowledgment.

   Don't drink and driveah...

   • 2010 April 18, Colin Goh, “LifeStyle”, inThe Sunday Times, page24:

     Sure,ah? Thanks, man,pai seh.

8. Afiller word separating thetopic of a sentence and its comment.

   The drilling upstairsah, non-stopleh.

   • 2014, Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan,Singapore Noir, Akashic Books,→ISBN, page89:

     These fish,ah, anything also eatone.

10. A filler word used to ascertain the continued attention of the listener.
12. Avocativeparticle, now mostly used by Chinese elders for direct address (overtelephone calls, or if the addressee is far away).

    Hello? Joeyah? ―Hello?Is this Joey?

    • 1983, Stella Kon,Emily of Emerald Hill,→ISBN, Act 1, page 3:

      Susieah, Emily here ah. This afternoon I'm going to town, anything that you're needing?

ah(Manglish,Singlish)

2. Usedcondescendingly, somewhat like "see?" or "I told you so".

• (Singlish particles):hor,know,lah,leh,liao,lor,mah,meh,one,sia,what
• (question tags in Singlish):is it,ya

Imitative of a persongagging.

• IPA^(key):/æ/

• Audio(US):

  (file)

ah

1. Yuck.

• “ah”, inThe American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th edition, Boston, Mass.:Houghton Mifflin,2000,→ISBN.
• “ah”, inDictionary.com Unabridged,Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
• Lim, L. (2004)Singapore English: A grammatical description‎^[2], John Benjamins Publishing,→ISBN, page121

• HA,Ha,ha,ha'

(Thisetymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at theEtymology scriptorium.)

• IPA^(key):/ˈah/ [ˈʔʌh]

áh

1. this,these (masculine)

• E. M. Parker, R. J. Hayward (1985) “ah”, inAn Afar-English-French dictionary (with Grammatical Notes in English), University of London,→ISBN
• Mohamed Hassan Kamil (2015)L’afar: description grammaticale d’une langue couchitique (Djibouti, Erythrée et Ethiopie)‎^[3], Paris: Université Sorbonne Paris Cité (doctoral thesis)

FromProto-Albanian*aksa, fromProto-Indo-European*Heh₃s-(“ash”) (compareGreekοξιά(oxiá,“beech”),Armenianհածի(haci),Englishash).

ah m (pluralahe,definiteahu,definite pluralahet)

1. beech (Fagus sylvatica)

• ah i bardhë(“white hornbeam”) (Carpinus betulus)

• FGJSSH: Fjalor i gjuhës së sotme shqipe [Dictionary of the modern Albanian language]‎^[4],1980
• “ah”, inFGJSH: Fjalor i gjuhës shqipe [Dictionary of the Albanian language] (in Albanian),2006
• Newmark,L. (1999) “ah”, inOxford Albanian-English Dictionary

Imitative, similar toFrenchah.

• IPA^(key):/ˈa/
• Rhymes:-a
• Syllabification:ah

ah

1. ah(expression of relief, realization, awe)
2. ah(expression of woe, grief)

Imitative, similar toFrenchah.

IPA^(key):(Central,Balearic,Valencia)[ˈa]

ah

1. ah(expression of relief, realization, awe)
2. ah(expression of woe, grief)

(Thisetymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at theEtymology scriptorium.)

ah

1. yes

   Synonym:hohmi

Partly borrowed fromGerman,English,French, fromLatinah(“ah”), fromProto-Indo-European*ā. Partly alsoonomatopoeic.

Cognate withNorwegian Bokmålah,Englishah,Germanah,Frenchah andLatinah.

• IPA^(key):/ɛː/,/ˈɛːɛ/,/ɑ̈ː/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes:-ɛː,-ɑ̈ː
• Hyphenation:ah

ah

1. used to expresspleasure, e.g. because something tastesgood or feelsnice

   Coordinate terms:mm,mums,namnam

   ah, sikken en dejlig pandekage

   ah what a delicious pancake

   Synonym:uhm

   1. used to expresspleasantsurprise

      "ah, velkommen Albert," sagde Sickert til prinsen

      "ah, welcome Albert," said Sickert to the prince

      Synonym:minsandten

2. used to expressreservations, slightdisagreement,doubt etc.

   bliver man også nervøs?Ah ikke så meget

   do you get nervous too?Ah, not so much

   Synonym:arh

• “ah” inDen Danske Ordbog

• Ah,ha,HA

Anonomatopoeia, first recorded in 1285.

• IPA^(key):/aː/

• Audio:

  (file)

ah

1. ah(expressing understanding or surprise)

(Thisetymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at theEtymology scriptorium.)

• IPA^(key):/ah/
• Rhymes:-ah
• Hyphenation: ah

ah

1. ah,oh

Found in a wide variety of languages, including but not limited toEstonianah,Ingrianah,Karelianah,Ludianah,Vepsah,Voticah,Hungarianah,Swedishah,Germanah,Englishah,Latinah. Tracing an exact origin is effectively impossible. Probably ultimately involuntary or natural.

• IPA^(key):/ˈɑh/,[ˈɑ̝h]
• Rhymes:-ɑh
• Hyphenation^(key):ah

ah

1. oh,ah

• “ah”, inKielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[5] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki:Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland),2004–, retrieved2023-07-02

• ha

Inherited fromOld Frencha!(“oh! ah! woe!”), of expressive origin.

• IPA^(key):/a/

• Audio:

  (file)

ah

1. ah

• ah bon

• Douglas Harper (2001–2025) “ah”, inOnline Etymology Dictionary.

• “ah”, inTrésor de la langue française informatisé[Digitized Treasury of the French Language],2012.

(Thisetymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at theEtymology scriptorium.)

• IPA^(key):[ˈaː]

ah

1. ah(expression ofunderstanding, etc.)

• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “ah”, inDicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela:Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández,Ernesto Xosé González Seoane,María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “ah”, inTesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela:Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “ah”, inTesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela:Instituto da Lingua Galega,→ISSN

FromMiddle High Germanā, fromOld High Germana,ah, fromProto-West Germanic*a,*ah. Cognate withMiddle Low Germana,Middle Englisha,aa,ah (whenceEnglishah).

• Rhymes:-aː

ah

1. expressingunderstanding
2. expressingcontentment

• “ah” inDuden online
• “ah” inDigitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Involuntary expression of emotions: surprise, impatience, desire, sadness, refusal.^[1]

• IPA^(key):[ˈɒx]
• Rhymes:-ɒx

ah

1. ah
   • 1599-1601,William Shakespeare,Hamlet, Act IV, Scene 1[6]

     Ahjó uram, mitláttamén azéjjel!

     Ah, my good lord, what have I seen to-night!

• ah inGéza Bárczi,László Országh,et al., editors,A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára [The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (ÉrtSz.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962.Fifth ed., 1992:→ISBN.
• ah inNóra Ittzés, editor,A magyar nyelv nagyszótára [A Comprehensive Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (Nszt.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 2006–2031(work in progress; publisheda–ez as of 2024).

Unknown

• fromArabicآهْ(ʔāh)
• fromPeranakan Indonesianach(“oh”), fromDutchach(“oh”).

• IPA^(key):/ˈah/
• Rhymes:-ah

ah

1. oh,expresses compassion, surprise and dismay

• “ah” inKamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta:Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

• ak

Ultimately a natural sound. CompareFinnishah andEstonianah.

• (Ala-Laukaa)IPA^(key):/ˈɑh/,[ˈɑh]
• (Soikkola)IPA^(key):/ˈɑh/,[ˈɑh]
• Rhymes:-ɑh
• Hyphenation:ah

ah

1. Exclamation ofwonder:oh!

   Ah kui siä oot käppiä! ―Oh how beautiful you are!

• Ruben E. Nirvi (1971)Inkeroismurteiden Sanakirja, Helsinki: Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura, page 3

(Thisetymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at theEtymology scriptorium.)

• IPA^(key):/ˈa/, which may be preceded and/or followed by[h] or[ʔ]. It also may triggersyntactic gemination.^[1]
• Rhymes:-a
• Hyphenation:ah

ah

1. (sarcastic)ah! (usually ironic or sarcastic)

   Synonym:ha

• ha

• Themurmured vowelIPA^(key):/a̤/

ah (upper caseAh)

1. Aletter of the Juǀ'hoanalphabet, written in theLatin script.

Inherited fromProto-Indo-European*ā or perhaps*h₂eh₂.^[1]

• (Classical Latin)IPA^(key):/ˈaːh/,[ˈäː(ɦ)]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical)IPA^(key):/ˈa/,[ˈä]

āh

1. ah

• “ah”, inCharlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879)A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “ah”, inCharlton T. Lewis (1891)An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers

ah

1. (one's)thing

Like many terms in Mokilese,ah has no non-possessive form; the third person singular possessive form (one's/his/her/its thing) is therefore treated as the lemma.

• IPA^(key):/ɑx/

ah

1. (Anglian)Alternative form ofac(“but”)

āh

1. first/third-personsingularpresentindicative ofāgan

(Thisetymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at theEtymology scriptorium.)

ah n orf

1. (neuter)wood
2. (feminine)tree

• Languages of the Amazon (2012,→ISBN

• IPA^(key):/ɐː/
• Rhymes:-ɐː

ah

1. The name of theLatin-script letterA/a.

ah

1. shark mullet (Rhinomugil nasutus), at a growth stage of approximately twelve inches

ah

1. however,and,then

   I sukuhl,ah e doadoahk.

   I went to school,and he worked.

   Ma Soulik pahn iang,ah I sohte pahn iang.

   If Soulik goes,then I won't.

• e
• eh

ah

1. his,her,hers,its, third person singular possessive pronoun

   Liho iangah pwoud.

   The woman joined her husband.

ah

1. Oh!; commonly used as an expression ofapproval.

   Ah, ke inenen mai.

   Oh, you are really good.

• a

Onomatopoeic.

• IPA^(key):/ˈa/
• Homophones:há,a,à

ah!

1. ah!(expression of relief, realization, awe)
2. ah!(expression of woe, grief)

For quotations using this term, seeCitations:ah.

Onomatopoeic.

ah

1. ah

• a

ah

1. (Cromarty)who

• Am Baile (2009)The Cromarty Fisherfolk Dialect‎^[7], Highland Council, page 8

(Thisetymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at theEtymology scriptorium.)

ah

1. (intransitive) Tobe

   Bariisoomacaanah. ―Rice that is sweet.

Imitative, similar toFrenchah.

• IPA^(key):/ˈa/[ˈa]
• Rhymes:-a
• Homophones:a,ha

ah

1. ah(expression of relief, realization, awe)
2. ah(expression of woe, grief)

• “ah”, inDiccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8,Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish:Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10

• ha

ah

1. Romanization of𒄴(aḫ)

(Thisetymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at theEtymology scriptorium.)

ah

1. ah (expression of understanding, relaxation, contentment, etc.)

   Ah, jag förstår

   Ah, I understand

   Ah, det är skönt att få glida ner i jacuzzin och knäcka en kall öl efter ett hårt arbetspass i skogen

   Ah, it's nice [feels good] to slip ["get to slip" – redundant, but sounds natural] into the jacuzzi and crack open a cold beer after a session of hard work in the forest

   Greven såg ut över sina ägor och tänkte "Ah, underbart!"

   The count looked out over his lands ["ownings"] and thought, "Ah, wonderful!"

• ah inSvensk ordbok (SO)
• ah inSvenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

• ha

(Thisetymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at theEtymology scriptorium.)

• IPA^(key):/ah/

ah

1. corallime (forchewing/eating withbetelnut)

• Bohuai
• Malcolm Ross,Proto Oceanic and the Austronesian Languages of Western Melanesia,Pacific Linguistics, series C-98 (1988)

(Thisetymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at theEtymology scriptorium.)

ah

1. oh:expressing of surprise
2. oh:expressing wonder, amazement, or awe
3. oh:expressing understanding, recognition, or realization
4. oh:preceding an offhand or annoyed remark
5. oh:an invocation or address

From earlier*ak (whence the possessive forms), fromProto-Kuki-Chin*ʔaar(“chicken”). Cognates includeKhumi Chinae andMizoár.

• IPA^(key):/àʔ/

ah

1. fowl
2. (specifically)chicken (Gallus gallus)

• Lukram Himmat Singh (2013)A Descriptive Grammar of Zou, Canchipur: Manipur University, page49