Barf Is One of Many English Words for Vomiting
To barf is informal American for vomiting. English has an unusually large stock of words for the act.
To barf is informal American English for vomiting. English collects words for this more enthusiastically than for most acts: *vomit*, *retch*, *puke*, *heave*, *hurl*, *chunder*, *spew*, *upchuck*, *boke* and *throw up* all coexist, each with its own register and region. *Chunder* is Australian, *boke* is Scottish and Irish, *upchuck* American. *Barf* itself is imitative, recorded from about 1960, and its origin is otherwise unknown.
- To vomit (informal). *He barfed.*
- Puke — another informal word. *Puke.*
- Chunder — Australian. *Chunder.*
- Vomit — the neutral term. *Vomit.*
- Imitative. *From about 1960.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | barf | Barf. |
| Past | barfed | Barfed. |
| Noun | barf | Barf. |
| Register | informal | Informal. |
| Neutral | vomit | Vomit. |
- He barfed on the roller coaster.Informal.
- Vomit is the neutral word.Register.
- Chunder is Australian.Region.
English words for vomiting
- Vomit — the neutral and medical term
- Retch — the attempt without result
- Puke — informal, used by Shakespeare
- Chunder — Australian, possibly from *watch under*
- Boke — Scottish and Irish, upchuck American
Of unknown origin, probably imitative, recorded in American English from about 1960.
Why does English have so many words for vomiting?
Taboo and unpleasant subjects attract informal replacements, and each region and generation adds its own, so the words accumulate.
Where does chunder come from?
Australian, and the origin is disputed. One popular story derives it from a warning shouted at sea, though the evidence is thin.