ha

Pronunciation

• IPA: /hɑː/^[1]

Etymology

It is a natural utterance,^[2][3] found in most European languages, including Latin and Old French, but not in Old English in its simple form,^[2][4] which did have ha-ha.^[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

An exclamation of surprise, distress or other feeling: before 1300 in the OED,^[5] the early 14th century in Etymonline,^[2] the 13th century in Hoad.^[4] Merriam-Webster Unabridged dates it before the 12th century.^[6]

Semantic evolution

It was sometimes doubled from before 1300, and doubled it represents laughter.^[5][7] Used as an interrogative after a question, like eh?, it is from 1594,^[5][4] and as a sound of hesitation in speech from 1606,^[5] hence the verb to hum and ha from 1604.^[5] In Devon it was an exclamation of indignation and contempt.^[8]

Timeline

• a. 1300 – an exclamation.^[5]
• 1594 – = eh?^[5]
• 1604 – hum and ha.^[5]
• 1606 – in hesitation.^[5]

Modern meaning

Interjection

1. Used to express surprise, wonder, triumph, puzzlement or annoyance.
2. Doubled, used to represent laughter.

Related words

• aha
• ha-ha
• hah
• haw
• hoo-ha

Usage notes

Ha is also the symbol for the hectare, from French, formed from Greek hekaton “hundred” and are.^[3][9]

References

1. ^ Jones, Daniel (2011), Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary, 18th ed., ed. Peter Roach, Jane Setter and John Esling, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
2. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
3. ^ a b Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c d Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
7. ^ Johnson, Samuel (1755), A Dictionary of the English Language, London; 4th ed. 1773; Johnson's Dictionary Online, ed. Beth Rapp Young et al.
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)
9. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin