Etymologically
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ha

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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.
  • 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