Sabah - what it means

YDPA and his family taking a photo shot in Sabah (2023) 

Many of my overseas friends often asked what SABAH means. A pastor friend shared to me how he came across an article which described Sabah as Land of blessings. People on the street know Sabah as the Land below the wind and the Tourism Ministry is promoting this name. But for the rest of the 'developed world', they still know better as North Borneo, Borneo being the third largest island in the globe. And Mt. Kinabalu, of course, the highest in South East Asia, a tourist attraction, a revered resting place of the departed souls of the Kadazans, and symbol of strength and stability for political parties.

You know what, not by coincidence, I discovered that it is a Hebrew word and here are what it means:

Hebrew Word: ‏צָבָא‎
Transliteration: ṣābāʾ
Phonetic Pronunciation: tsaw-baw'
Root: from , Greek
Cross Reference: TWOT - 1865a, 1865b
Part of Speech: n m
Vine's Words: None


Usage Notes:

English Words used in KJV:
host 393 war 41 army 29 battle 5 service 5 appointed time 3 warfare 2 soldiers 1 company 1 miscellaneous translations 5 [Total Count: 485]

or (feminine) tseba'ah, tseb-aw-aw'; from (tsaba'); a mass of persons (or figurative things), especially reg. organized for war (an army); by implication a campaign, literal or figurative (specifically hardship, worship) :- appointed time, (+) army, (+) battle, company, host, service, soldiers, waiting upon, war (-fare).
—Strong's Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary

source: Bible Explorer

Sinompuruan

The word "sinompuruan" is a kadazan(sokid)term for "unity in diversity". The root word is "puru" which means "a collection or grouping which is linked by a common denominator" The nearest modern terminology that describes this relationship is "networking". In the Tanga'a dialect, it is spelt without the 'r' but with an addition of another 'u' and 'v' thus "sinompuuvan".

The history of the origin of the Kadazan had been passed down through word of mouth from generation to generation. The official version that is promoted by the KDCA is the "Nunuk Ragang" story which many are skeptical as mere fairy tales.

When North Borneo became independant on 31st August, 1963 from British colonial rule, its name was changed to "Sabah" before it formed, together with Malaya, Singapore and Sarawak, a new Nation called Malaysia on the 16th September, 1963. Imagine, how ridiculous, it is for a nation of two weeks old to be an equal partner with Malaya and Singapore who had achieved their independance much earlier. And that was where the injustice, deception, lies and abuse started, thus the beginning of the need to have tangible grouping among the various tribes and races who were more often than not at each others' throats. Sinompuruan, unity in diversity, was that practical solution.