English
ah neh
Ah neh comes from Tamil அண்ணன் ‘elder brother’, and goes back to Hokkien 阿 ‘stereotyping prefix’.
- Hokkienmodern阿a‘stereotyping prefix’
- Tamilmodernஅண்ணன்aṇṇaṉ‘elder brother’
- Englishearliest quotation 2006ah neh
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Hokkienmodern阿a‘stereotyping prefix’
- Tamilmodernஅண்ணன்aṇṇaṉ‘elder brother’
- Englishearliest quotation 2006ah neh
Earliest quotation: 2006, Susan Ong: “some 'ah-neh' stole my hp! not tt i'm a…”
The story
Semantic extension from Tamil அண்ணன் (aṇṇaṉ, “elder brother”), reanalysed as a term prefixed by Hokkien 阿 (a, “stereotyping prefix”).
Every English word from Hokkien 阿
Today it means
noun An Indian man, especially a migrant worker.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Hokkien 阿 / ah neh