'bimah' originates from Hebrew, specifically the word 'בִּימָה' (bimah), where it meant 'platform' or 'stage'.

'בִּימָה' (bimah) was adopted into Yiddish and eventually became the modern English word 'bimah'.

Initially, it meant 'platform' or 'stage', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.