oh English · revision 2331

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1530s|origins=la ō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: UK /əʊ/, US /oʊ/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a respelling of Middle English ''o'',^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)^(SOED 2002) which is [[inh|enm|o]], [[bor|fro|ô]] (also spelled [[m|fro|oh]]),^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) or directly from [[la|ō]] (also [[m|la|ōh]]).^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) The spelling ''oh'' was possibly influenced by the Latin variant.^(Barnhart 1988)^(SOED 2002) The interjection is common to many Indo-European languages,^(Etymonline) but it is not found in Old English, which used [[ang|ēalā]] instead.^(Etymonline) Klein describes it as imitative.^(Klein 1966)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ An exclamation of feeling such as surprise, fear, pain, gladness or appeal: the Middle English form ''o'' is probably from before 1200,^(Barnhart 1988) and the spelling ''oh'' is recorded from the 1530s^(Etymonline) or before 1548.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In early use ''oh'' could stand in any position; it later came to be used mainly where it stands apart, while ''O'' is kept before a vocative.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) From 1534 it has also been a noun naming the exclamation itself,^(OED 1989) and since 1833 a verb, “to say oh”.^(OED 1989) Many set phrases are modern: ''oh boy'' is recorded by 1917, ''oh-so'' “so very” by 1916, ''oh yeah'' by 1924 and the doubting ''oh yeah?'' by 1930.^(Etymonline) The doubled ''oh-oh'' of alarm dates from 1944,^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) and ''uh-oh'' from 1935.^(Etymonline) Since the early 20th century ''oh'' has also been the name of the letter O used for the figure zero.^(SOED 2002)^(HTOED)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 1200 – Middle English ''o''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1530s – the spelling ''oh''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1534 – noun, the exclamation itself.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1833 – verb, to exclaim oh.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1908 – the figure zero.^(HTOED)

+ * 1917 – ''oh boy''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1930 – ''oh yeah?''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1944 – ''oh-oh''.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Interjection===

+ # Used to express strong feeling, such as [[surprise]], fear, anger or pain.^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+ # Used before a name or title in direct [[address]].^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+ # Used to show that one has understood or noticed something.^(AHD)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # The figure zero, as said aloud when reading out numbers.^(MW Collegiate)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To exclaim “oh”.^(OED 1989)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[ah]]

+ * [[o]]

+ * [[ooh]]

+ * [[uh-oh]]

+ * [[alas]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Fowler wanted ''oh'' kept for places where it stands on its own, and ''O'' where it leans on the following word, as in addressing someone.^(Etymonline) The noun “zero” comes from the likeness of the figure 0 to the letter O; Merriam-Webster dates it to 1936.^(MW Collegiate)^(AHD 2000)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}