Bahía
/baˈi.a/noun
A Spanish word meaning a bay or coastal inlet, also used in the proper name of Brazil’s northeastern state of Bahia.
Did you know?Brazil’s Bahia was named after the Baía de Todos os Santos—“Bay of All Saints”—identified by Portuguese explorers on All Saints’ Day in 1501.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Latin
Latin
baia
“A bay, inlet, or coastal harbor; the word is associated with Baiae, an ancient resort on the Bay of Naples.”
Medieval Latin
Latin
baia
“A bay or gulf, continuing the classical coastal sense.”
Medieval Portuguese
Portuguese
baía
“A bay or inlet.”
15th–16th Century
Portuguese
baía
“A coastal inlet, used in Portuguese geographic naming during Atlantic exploration.”
16th Century
Spanish
bahía
“A bay or coastal indentation; the h reflects Spanish spelling development.”
Modern English
English
Bahia
“The name of a Brazilian state and region, commonly written without the Spanish accent in English.”