Etymologically
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eh

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /eɪ/, /ɛ/[1]

Etymology

It is a natural exclamation;[2][3] SOED compares the earlier interjection ay,[2] and MWU traces it to Middle English ey.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

An exclamation of sorrow: 1567 in the OED, the 1560s in Etymonline, a sense found only in the mid-16th century.[5][6][2]

Semantic evolution

As an interrogative particle, inviting agreement or adding emphasis to a statement, it is from 1773.[5][6] As a request for something to be repeated or explained, Eh? What did you say?, it is from 1837.[5][7] A verb, to say eh, is from 1824.[5] In northern English and Scots dialect eh was an exclamation of surprise or sorrow.[8] The tag eh? at the end of a sentence is associated especially with Canadian English.[7]

Timeline

  • 1567 – an exclamation of sorrow.[5]
  • 1773 – inviting assent.[5][6]
  • 1837 – asking for repetition.[5]

Modern meaning

Interjection

  1. Used to ask for something to be repeated or explained.
  2. Used at the end of a statement to invite agreement or express surprise.

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  7. ^ a b Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
  8. ^ Wright, Joseph, ed. (1898–1905), The English Dialect Dictionary, 6 vols., Oxford: Henry Frowde; via EDD Online 4.0, University of Innsbruck (CC BY 4.0)