

This wouldn’t be the first time a missing letter or two created a whole new term. The first is that bae is a shortened version of the word babe with the letter “b” dropped. You see, there are two schools of thought on the whole “meaning of bae” conundrum. It feels like an incomplete word, and that’s because it actually might be. Unlike “sweetheart” (someone sweet) or baby (someone who cries a lot-kidding), bae is sort of just a sound. While it’s obvious the word means something positive if people use it in place of their partners’ names, it’s not really evident what bae means in modern times. So the good news is you won’t accidentally be referencing livestock when addressing your special someone-definitely an important factor when picking a nickname.īeyond the sheep days, the word got a major revival in 2014 when Pharrell Williams released his song “Come Get It Bae.” At that point, most of the population was experiencing the term for the first time, and pretty much instantaneously, people started using the slang term in place of former nicknames like “babe” or “boo.” Whether you’re all about the word or just need some nickname alternatives, here’s everything you could ever want to know about bae. Instead, bae is almost always used as a term of endearment for something or someone. (You know, like “baaaa?”) Nowadays, when people say the word, they’re not typically talking about animal noises. When did people start saying "bae"?Īccording to a 2014 Time article, “bae” was first used in the 1500s to reference the sounds sheep make. Even though the nickname has been popular for a while, its meaning isn’t exactly as well-known. If you’re wondering what bae means, you’re not alone. Sometimes these pet names happen organically, and sometimes, well, you just sorta lean into something more mainstream, like “bae.”īut before adopting a new nickname for your significant other on a whim, it’s a good idea to understand exactly what you’re calling them. From “baby” to “ stinky butt,” using cute (and sometimes horrifying) nicknames as a couple is one of those things we don’t really talk about, but almost all of us do.
