baa

Alternative forms

• bah (obsolete)

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): [bɑː]
• (US) IPA^(key): [bæ], [bɑ]
• IPA^(key): [bæ̰ː], [bæ̰ˀæ̰ˀæ̰ˀæ̰ˀ]

• Audio (Received Pronunciation):

  (file)

• Audio (General American):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑː, -æ
• Homophones: bah, bar (in some pronunciations)

Noun

baa (plural baas)

1. (onomatopoeia) The characteristic cry or bleating of a sheep.

Interjection

baa

1. (onomatopoeia) The characteristic cry of a sheep.

Verb

baa (third-person singular simple present baas, present participle baaing, simple past and past participle baaed)

1. To make the characteristic cry of a sheep.
   • a. 1587, Philippe Sidnei [i.e., Philip Sidney], “(please specify the folio)”, in [Fulke Greville; Matthew Gwinne; John Florio], editors, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia [The New Arcadia], London: […] [John Windet] for William Ponsonbie, published 1590, →OCLC:

     He treble baas for help, but none can get.

   • 1902, Barbara Baynton, edited by Sally Krimmer and Alan Lawson, Bush Studies (Portable Australian Authors: Barbara Baynton), St Lucia: University of Queensland Press, published 1980, page 44:

     The lamb bunted several irresponsive objects - never its dam's udder - baaing listlessly.

Noun

baa (plural baas)

1. The letter ب in the Arabic script.

References

• Mohamed Hassan Kamil (2015) L’afar: description grammaticale d’une langue couchitique (Djibouti, Erythrée et Ethiopie)‎, Paris: Université Sorbonne Paris Cité (doctoral thesis), page 143

See also

• bakɔha
• baluli
• bawahiriga
• batɔha
• zɔbaa

References

• Gamilaraay Yuwaalaraay Yuwaalayaay Dictionary 2003

Usage notes

In pronunciation, the postposition baa is assimilated by an initial yi- of a following verb to make beei-: baa yishdloh = /beeishdloh/ (I am laughing at him). This does not affect the spelling, however.

Inflection

Noun

baa class V (plural mabaa class VI)

1. evil, plague
2. danger, misfortune

Noun

baa class IX (plural baa class X)

1. a bar (social pub for alcoholic drinks)