nah mean

• nah ah mean (uncommon)

A contraction of knowwhaddamean, itself a contraction of do you know what I mean; from *kno’ what Ah mean, an AAVE variant, which became *kno’ wha’ ah mean > *kno’ ’a’ ah mean, then finally *kna’ ah mean, which is spelled nah ah mean or nah mean, the former of which represents the actual pronunciation more faithfully, but is less commonly used (especially so by AAVE speakers themselves, who prefer the latter form). Equivalent to kn[ow] [wh]a[t] Ah mean.

• (General American) IPA^(key): [nɘːɘˈmĩ]

• Audio:

  (file)

• (Southern US) IPA^(key): [nɑːɑˈmĩ]

• Audio:

  (file)

nah mean?

1. (African-American Vernacular) Contraction of do you know what I mean?
   • 2002 October 23, Don Reo, Damon Wayans, Damien Dante Wayans, “Claire's New Boyfriend” (10:55–11:10 from the start), in Andy Cadiff, director, My Wife and Kids‎^[1], season 3, episode 6, spoken by Michael Kyle and Michael Jr. (Damon Wayans and George Gore II):

     Michael: We're gonna use this [hip-hop magazine] to hip you up, starting with your speech, all right?
     Michael: I highlighted some very important words that I want you to incorporate into your language. (shows page)
     Junior: Nah -- nah ha mean -- na -- na ha mem?
     Michael: No, it's not Hebrew.
     Junior: Okay.
     Michael: It's Ebonics. It's "nah mean?". It means, "you know what i mean?".

     source transcript

   • 2005, The Herbaliser, “Nah Mean Nah’m Saying”, in Jake Wherry, Ollie Teeba (music), Take London‎^[2] ft. Jean Grae:

     My see nah mean
     You mean nah say
     Nah' mean nah'm sayin' when I'm kickin' this game
     Hot streak these words nowhere flip it the same
     Concede indeed Jean frickin' the same
     My speak nah mean

   • 2007, 52:33 from the start, in Rob Schneider, director, Big Stan‎^[3], spoken by Nazi Inmate (Kevan Paul Hewett), Sony Pictures Home Entertainment:

     He ain't gonna know what hit him, nah mean?

   • 2014, J. Cole, “Blowin Smoke”, in Revenge of the Dreamers‎^[4]:

     You know how he used to say it
     Nah mean?
     B-r-r-ing, warm up

   • 2020 November 19, Gustavo Guaapo, “Built Different (Outro)”, in Playa's Karma‎^[5]:

     Real money getters around here nah mean
     Nah mean I used to think it was the first million that was the hardest
     You heard ?

   • 2021 May 18, “BNBB Freestyle”, Guy Furious, DJ Komari (music)‎^[6]performed by Anik Khan ft. KIN:

     Pull up to the scene, nah mean
     Black and brown boys looking clean, nah mean
     A dolla and a dream, nah mean
     A bunch of kings, hanging out in Queens, nah mean

See nah ah mean.

• “nah mean, int.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.