Jesus Christ

Jesus + Christ; from Middle English Jesu Crist, Jesus Crist, from Latin Iēsus Chrīstus.

Oh Jesus Christ. Don't be so dramatic, okay?

2013, Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke, Before Midnight (motion picture), spoken by Jesse (Ethan Hawke):

Oh, Jesus Christ. It's not Millie.

2023, Freida McFadden, The Housemaid's Secret:

(potentially offensive) An expletive or oath, usually an expression of surprise, shock, etc.


chlap

splash (sound made by an object hitting a liquid)


terve

From Proto-Finnic *terveh, possibly a very old loanword from Indo-Iranian, in which case it has the same origin as Avestan 𐬛𐬆𐬭𐬆𐬎𐬎𐬁 (dərəuuā, “healthy”). Derivation from terva (“tar”) is unlikely due to semantically weak explanation.


terve

(Jõgõperä) Alternative form of tere (“hello”)


und

in numbers from 21 to 99, alternative de-facto standard

From Middle High German unde, from Old High German unti, from Proto-Germanic *andi *anþi, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂énti. Compare Dutch en, English and, Danish end.

Und? Wie ist es gelaufen?


ね

Probably related to ない (nai), as negative forms cross-linguistically are commonly used as confirmation particles.

ね、知ってる？

(informal, begins sentences) used to catch listener’s attention; hey

(informal, women's speech, see sense 1 above) I know, right?

women's speech; see sense 1 above; women's speech; see sense 1 above

(informal, women's speech, see sense 2 above) please?

women's speech; see sense 2 above; women's speech; see sense 2 above


は

は、さようでございます。

は、承知いたしました。

(dated, humble) Used to show agreement or obedience: yes


ひ

(onomatopoeia) A shriek, as when recoiling in fear or disgust.

For a list of all kanji read as ひ

This term, ひ (hi), is the hiragana spelling of the above term.

[proper noun] An orthographic borrowing of the Chinese surname 丕


bum

Attested since the 1300s, as Middle English bom (found in John Trevisa's 1387 Translation of the 'Polychronicon' of Ranulph Higden, "his bom is oute"), of uncertain origin. Sometimes suggested to be a shortening of botme, botom, bottum (“bottom”), but this is contradicted by the fact that bottom is not attested in reference to the buttocks until the late 1700s. Suggested by some old and modern references to be onomatopoeic.
Compare also Old Irish, Scottish Gaelic bun (“base, bottom”).

(more vulgar)

Maxine tried hers. ‘Oh bum,’ she said crossly. ‘The sugar isn’t sugar. It’s salt.’

(UK, Ireland, childish, euphemistic) An expression of annoyance.


bum

boom (used to suggest the sound of an explosion)

boom (used to suggest something happening suddenly and unexpectedly)


cowabunga

/ˌkæɔəˈbaŋɡə/

/ˌkaʊəˈbʌŋɡə/

/ˌkaʊəˈbʌŋɡə/

Unknown, but was popularized (as Kowa-Bunga) by Chief Thunderthud on the American children's show Howdy Doody in the late 1940s or early 1950s, and became associated with American surfing culture. By the early 1980s, it was used as the catch-phrase of Cookie Monster on the American television show Sesame Street, and gained popularity with a broader audience after its use in the American cartoon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in the late 1980s and early 1990s. (For further treatment, see here.)

Cowabunga, dude!

Kowa-Bunga! Then Me Fix You Good! You Be Sorry.

Shouting the surfer's cry ‘Cowabunga!’ they climb a 12-ft. wall of water and ‘take the drop’ off its shoulder.

Both words turn up in the same sentence—as in ‘Cowabunga, it's humongous!’—when the children crowd around some toy.

1991 December 9, The New Yorker, page 115:

(slang, originally US, usually humorous) Expressing amazement, enthusiasm, or joy.

Cookie Monster
Howdy Doody
surfing culture


sock

Onomatopoeic. Compare Portuguese soco ("a hit with one's hand; a punch").

Whap, Biff, Ooooof, Sock, Pow, Zok! Batman is back. Gotham City is again leaving its law and order in the hands of a man who wears plastic underpants over his tights.

1989 June 5, The Canberra Times, Australia Captial Territory, page 10, column 2:


я

Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish یا (ya), from Classical Persian یا (yā).

Я, не знаех, че си бил тук.

Я, колко хубави цветя!

used to express surprise, wonder or amazement; oh


я

я, каласкале!

well, well then, come on, so (asking someone to do something)


あ

あ (canonical)
ア (canonical)
a (romanization)

Common exclamatory sound made by people of various cultures around the world.


ouais

From oui via dialectal variants; also possibly from oyez.
Before becoming an informal synonym of oui, the word was exclamatory. According to Auguste Scheler, it could be linked to Indo-European roots: οὐαί (ouaí) in Greek, vae in Latin, uau in Portuguese, wow in English, wau in German, guau in Spanish or vai in Romanian.

T’as eu ton bac alors ? — Ouais, tranquille.

You've got your baccalaureate then? Yeah, no problem.

oui

(informal) Synonym of oui; yeah, yep, yup, yes, affirmative expression

Damien est irresponsable. — Ouais ; ça lui jouera des tours.

Damian is irresponsible. — Yeah; it will play tricks on him in the future.

(informal) Synonym of oui (used to express consent)

Hugo, Notre-Dame de Paris, 1832

Wow! said the king, scratching his left ear with his right hand, that's quite a bit of my town!

Ouais ! dit le roi en se grattant l’oreille gauche avec la main droite, cela fait un bon bout de ma ville !

Ouais, on a gagné !


enchanted

/ɪnˈt͡ʃɑːntɪd/

/ɛnˈt͡ʃɑːntɪd/

(dated) A greeting used when introduced to someone for the first time, especially by a man when introduced to a woman.


piss

From Middle English pisse (noun) and pissen (verb), from Old French pissier, possibly from Vulgar Latin *pīssiāre, probably of echoic origin. Compare Old Norse pissa (“to urinate, piss”).

onomatopoeic

echoic

At times he gets irritable, especially if he believes that something has been misplaced or lost: "Piss oh piss! -- where in the hell does everything go around here!"

1967, Walter Otto Weyrauch, The Law of a Small Group: A Report on the Berkeley Penthouse Experiments with Emphasis on Penthouse V. Parts I and II:

There was nothing left of the sundae except a puddle of white foam muddied by chocolate syrup, with a cherry floating on top. "Oh, piss," she muttered, "the ice cream's melted."

1992, Sandra Brown, Three Complete Novels, Wings, →ISBN:

Fowler was unresponsive when emergency services arrived and was declared dead at the scene. Fowler worked for the mayor's office for the past three years and twice ran unsuccessfully for city council. Police are asking anyone who saw a green Toyota or Honda SUV near the scene of the accident to contact them.' 'Piss!' Melchiori said again. 'He was a friend of mine.'

2014, Michael Wiley, Blue Avenue: First in a noir mystery series set in Jacksonville, Florida, Severn House Publishers Ltd, →ISBN:

Well, piss! I can't leave here now. Billy, call into the room and ask one of the girls to ask the Doc if he can guess how much longer it will be.

2022, Terry McGuin, The Dracula Shark, page 179:

(mildly vulgar) Expresses anger, disappointment or dissatisfaction.

pis!

expression of anger, disappointment or dissatisfaction

couldn't organise a piss-up in a brewery

I wouldn't piss on someone if they were on fire

not have a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out of

piss on someone's leg and tell them it's raining


bastard

From Middle English bastard, bastarde, from Anglo-Norman bastard, Old French bastart (“illegitimate child”), perhaps via Medieval Latin bastardus, of obscure origin.
Possibly from Frankish *bāst (“marriage, relationship”) + Old French -ard, -art (pejorative suffix denoting a specific quality or condition). Frankish *bāst derives from a North Sea Germanic variety of Proto-Germanic *banstuz (“bond, connection, relationship, marriage with a second woman of lower status”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰendʰ- (“to tie, bind”) and is related to West Frisian boaste (“marriage, matrimony”), Middle Dutch bast (“lust, heat”), and more distantly to English boose (“cow-stall”). The term probably originally referred to a child from a polygynous marriage of heathen Germanic custom — a practice not sanctioned by the Christian churches.
Alternatively, Old French bastart may have originated from the Old French term fils de bast (“packsaddle son”), meaning a child conceived on an improvised bed (medieval saddles often doubled as beds while travelling). However chronology makes this difficult, as bastard is attested in Old French from 1089 (Middle Latin bastardus as early as 1010), yet Old French bast (modern French bât), though attested since 1130 with the meaning of "beast of burden", doesn't acquire the specific meaning of "packsaddle" until the 13c., making it too late to have given rise to the terms bastard and bastardus with this sense. The French Centre National de Ressources Textuelles et Lexicales supports the Germanic theory further above as being most likely.

unk

obscure

cog

Jack says, “Oh! Bastard! I’m hit!” That bullet had to have come in the busted back window and how it missed Johnnie to hit Jack I don’t know.

2001, Stephen King, “The Death of Jack Hamilton”, in Everything's Eventual, Simon and Schuster, published 2007, →ISBN, page 90:

“Yes, I’m hhhhowwwwwwcch!” she yelped as she stubbed her toe against the bedpost. “Shit, shit, fuck, bastard, shit, crap!”

2004, Cecelia Ahern, PS, I Love You, Hyperion, →ISBN, page 7:

“Isn’t she lovely?” Clem asks, hopefully rhetorically. “Oh, bastard. I’ve got to go—that’s my signal. […]”

2006, Emily Franklin, Love from London, Penguin, →ISBN, page 212:

(rare) Exclamation of strong dismay or strong sense of being upset.


alleluia

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-alleluia.wav

From Latin allēlūia, from Ancient Greek ἀλληλούϊα (allēloúïa), from Hebrew הַלְּלוּיָהּ (“Praise Jah!”).

der

הַלְּלוּיָהּ

A liturgical or variant form of hallelujah.


inu

Inu, nevím, nevím, ale když to ráčíš tvrdit.

Well, I'm not sure about it but if you dare to say so.


righto

"You can count me in." "It may be really rather formidable. We shall have possibly to tackle a prize-fighter." "Right-o!" said Malone, cheerfully.

1925 July – 1926 May, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “Which Introduces Some Very Physical Phenomena”, in The Land of Mist (eBook no. 0601351h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg Australia, published April 2019:

(colloquial, especially British, New Zealand, Australia, Ireland) Okay; all right.


marry

From Middle English Marie, referring to Mary, the Virgin Mary. Mid-14th century.

EtymOnLine

Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “marry”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

You that be of the court, & eſpecially ye ſworn chaplains beware of a leſſon that a great man taught me at my firſt coming to the court he told me for a good will, he thoughte it wel. He ſayd vnto me. You muſt beware how ſo euer ye do that ye cõtrary not the king, let him haue his ſaiyngs, folow him, go with him. Mary out vpon this counſel, ſhal I ſay, as he ſayes?

1549 April 29 (Gregorian calendar), Hughe Latymer [i.e., Hugh Latimer], Augustine Bernher, compiler, “[27 Sermons Preached by the Ryght Reuerende Father in God and Constant Matir of Iesus Christe, Maister Hugh Latimer, […].] The Seuenth Sermon of Maister Hugh Latymer, which He Preached before King Edward [VI], the .19. Day of Aprill.”, in Certayn Godly Sermons, Made uppon the Lords Prayer, […], London: […] John Day, […], published 1562, →OCLC, folio 93, recto:

I have chequed him for it, and the young lion repents; marry, not in ashes and sackcloth, but in new silk and old sack.

c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:

I know too much: / I finde it, I; for when I ha liſt to ſleepe, / Mary, before your Ladiſhip I grant, / She puts her tongue alittle in her heart, / And chides with thinking.

c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Tragœdy of Othello, the Moore of Venice. […] (First Quarto), London: […] N[icholas] O[kes] for Thomas Walkley, […], published 1622, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i], page 24:

I know, [she talks] too much: / I always find that when I have the desire to sleep. / Indeed, before your Ladyship I admit / She keeps a little quiet, / And scolds me with her thoughts.

(obsolete) A term of asseveration: indeed!, in truth!


bender

Hypotheses:
* bend + -er. In sense of “heavy drinking”, originally generally “spree”, from 1846, of uncertain origin – vague contemporary sense of “something extraordinary”, connection to bend (e.g., bending elbow to drink (bend one's elbow)) or perhaps from Scottish sense of “strong drinker”.
* In Britain, for about four centuries, a sixpence was known as a bender because its silver content made it easy to bend in the hands. This was commonly done to create ‘love tokens’, many of which survive in collections to this day. The value of a sixpence was also enough to get thoroughly inebriated as taverns would often allow you to drink all day for two pence. This gave rise to the expression ‘going on a bender’.
* (interjection): From over the bender, referring to a person's arm (and sometimes accompanied by a gesture of the thumb backward over the shoulder); compare over the left shoulder.

(obsolete, British slang) Used to express disbelief or doubt at what one has just heard.

O yes, I'll do it — bender!

(obsolete, British slang) Used to indicate that the previous phrase was meant sarcastically or ironically.


lord

From Old English hlāford, hlāfweard, in turn from hlāf (“bread, loaf”) + weard (“ward, guardian, keeper”).

Lord! in tyme of Jesus Crist ... were men not bounden to shryve hem þus.

c. 1384, John Wyclif, Selected Works, III.358:

O lord, whi is it so greet difference betwix a cirurgian & a phisician.

c. 1400, Lanfranc of Milan, Practica (trans. as The Science of Chirgurie), 298

(please add an English translation of this quotation)

(originally an invocation) Lord: an interjection variously expressing astonishment, surprise, resignation


sad

From Donald Trump's frequent usage of the word sad (“shameful, deplorable; later, regrettable, poor”) as an interjection in his tweets; a Trumpism.

(Internet slang, sometimes humorous) Expressing contempt, ridicule or disgust; bah!


な

Probably derived from mild emphatic interjection and sentence-final particle ね, itself from Old Japanese, indicating a general sense of admiration or consideration, or hope that the preceding statement comes to pass.

な、聞いたかい。

(men's speech, informal, mild emphatic) used to get someone's attention, generally carries neutral or slightly positive connotations

men's speech; mild emphatic; men's speech; mild emphatic


whee

Up came the revs again, slam the door shut, kick the stick off the throttle and up through the gears, down the others side! Whee! Made it again!

2000, Bob Foster, Birdum or Bust!, Henley Beach, SA: Seaview Press, page 175:

She twisted the rubber band extra tight. Sure enough, the tractor spun off much faster. Whee! She really liked to see it go fast on the living room floor.

2001, Ricardo L Garcia, Coal camp days: a boy's remembrance:

It'll be a secret! Whee!

2009, Phil and Kaja Foglio, Girl Genius, Volume 9, page 81:

(childish) An expression of pleasure or enjoyment, mostly from rapid physical motion.


抱歉

/pɑʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵¹/

/pʰɤ³³⁻²¹ kʰiam⁴¹/

/pʰo³³⁻¹¹ kʰiam⁵³/

/pʰo²²⁻²¹ kʰiam⁵³/

/pʰau²²⁻²¹ kʰiam⁵³/

/pʰo³³⁻¹¹ kʰiam¹¹/

/pʰɤ³³⁻²¹ kʰiam²¹/

/pʰɤ³³⁻²¹ kʰiam⁴⁴/

/pʰo³³⁻¹¹ kʰiam⁴⁴/

/pʰo³³⁻¹¹ kʰiam³³/

/pʰɤ³³⁻²¹ kʰiam³³/

/pɑʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵¹/

/pʰɤ³³⁻²¹ kʰiam⁴¹/

/pʰo³³⁻¹¹ kʰiam⁵³/

/pʰo²²⁻²¹ kʰiam⁵³/

/pʰau²²⁻²¹ kʰiam⁵³/

/pʰo³³⁻¹¹ kʰiam¹¹/

/pʰɤ³³⁻²¹ kʰiam²¹/

/pʰɤ³³⁻²¹ kʰiam⁴⁴/

/pʰo³³⁻¹¹ kʰiam⁴⁴/

/pʰo³³⁻¹¹ kʰiam³³/

/pʰɤ³³⁻²¹ kʰiam³³/


period

/ˈpɪə.ɹɪ.əd/

From Middle English periode, from Middle French periode, from Medieval Latin periodus, from Ancient Greek περίοδος (períodos, “circuit, an interval of time, path around”), from περι- (peri-, “around”) + ὁδός (hodós, “way”). Displaced native Middle English tide (“interval, period, season”), from Old English tīd (“time, period, season”), as well as Middle English elde (“age, period”), from Old English ieldu (“age, period of time”).

cog

I know you don't want to go to the dentist, but your teeth need to be checked, period!

(chiefly Canada, US) That's final; that's the end of the matter (analogous to a period ending a sentence); end of story.


不好意思

ㄅㄨˋ ㄏㄠˇ ㄧˋ ˙ㄙ

/pu⁵¹ xɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ i⁵¹ sz̩¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ hou̯³⁵ jiː³³ siː⁵⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ hou̯³⁵ jiː³³ siː³³/

/pəʔ³³ hɔ⁵⁵ i²² sz̩²¹/

/pu⁵¹ xɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ i⁵¹ sz̩¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ hou̯³⁵ jiː³³ siː⁵⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ hou̯³⁵ jiː³³ siː³³/

/pəʔ³³ hɔ⁵⁵ i²² sz̩²¹/

I'm so sorry for putting you to the expense.

真不好意思，讓你破費了。

真不好意思，让你破费了。

Sorry, I'm in the middle of something, can I call you back later?

Bùhǎoyìsi, wǒ xiànzài shǒu shang yǒu shì zài zuò, yīhuìr dǎ gěi nǐ hǎo ma?

不好意思，我現在手上有事在做，一會兒打給你好嗎？

不好意思，我现在手上有事在做，一会儿打给你好吗？


di

The chorus goes like this: "di di di di dum, da di da".

A meaningless syllable used when singing a tune or indicating a rhythm.


di

ru:Аникин, Александр Евгеньевич

East Slavic:

Russian: ди (di) (colloquial)

desc

⇒ Russian: ди́ба (díba, “call for evoking a poultry bird”)

⇒ Russian: ди́га (díga, “call for chasing away a poultry bird”)

South Slavic:

Bulgarian: ди (di), дий (dij)

West Slavic:

Polish: dzi (dialectal)

Unclear. Formally fits Proto-Indo-European *deyh₁- (“to impel, to chase”) whence archaic Latvian diet (“to dance”).

dьji

as if imperative 2p. sg. form of hypothetical *diti

Exclamation for attracting attention: hey, oi (in Russian)

Call for urging an animal to move (typically a horse or another harness stock): giddy up, go (in Bulgarian, Polish)


arf

Arf, c’est ennuyeux ça !

Arf, je sais pas comment je vais faire


a-lô

[ʔaː˧˧ lo˧˧]

[ʔaː˧˧ low˧˧]

[ʔaː˧˧ low˧˧]

From French allô/allo, from English hello.

Peter. Phước yêu… Alô? Alô, anh còn đó không?

2012, Joe Ruelle, “Chuyện Linh và Lucy [Linh or Lucy?]”, in Ngược chiều vun vút [Whooshing toward the Other Way]:

Peter. Phước dear… Hello? Hello, you're still there?

(telephony) hello (when answering the telephone)


bienvenido

Inherited from Old Spanish bienvenido, inherited from Vulgar Latin *bene venītus, presumably a calque of a Frankish term, derived from Proto-Germanic *wiljakwemô (“a welcome guest or arrival”), from which many modern Germanic forms descend, such as English welcome. By surface analysis, bien (“well”) + venido (“come”).


ek

Ek! Ni ne havas multan tempon.


cheers

A common toast used when drinking in company.

축배 (chukbae) The Korean expression “위하여” means “for”. You can add any objective depending on the circumstances

бу́дем здоро́вы or just ва́ше здоро́вье. Russians don’t have a general toast-cheer

(chiefly Commonwealth, informal) goodbye, especially as a sign-off in an email or after writing a comment.


pax

From Middle English pax and Latin pax (“peace”). Doublet of peace. See peace. As school slang, originally used at Winchester College, Hampshire in the United Kingdom.

(UK, dated, school slang) A cry for peace or truce in children's games.


pax

→ Ancient Greek: πᾱ́ξ! (pā́x!)

From Proto-Italic *pāks, Proto-Indo-European *péh₂ḱ-s (“peace”), from the root *peh₂ḱ- (“to join, to attach”).

Pāx! Abī!

c. 206 BCE, Plautus, Miles Gloriosus 3.1.213

...capillus passus, prōlixus, circum caput reiectus negligenter; pāx!

163 BCE, Publius Terentius Afer, Heauton Timorumenos 2.3.49

...her hair loose, long, and thrown back carelessly about her temples. Enough said!

Pāx, id est nōmen mihī - hoc cottīdiānum est.

Hush, that's my name - that's for everyday use.


pax

Pax för soffan!

Jag fick pax på framsätet!

Jag har paxat fåtöljen

(childish) dibs (to claim a stake to something); used as a noun with the verbs få “get, receive” and ha “have”, or as a verb; att paxa.


av

ouch (expression of one's own physical pain)


yum

Yum! This apple pie is delicious!

Indicating delight at the flavor of food.

мляс-мляс

indicating delight at the flavor of food


over

From Middle English over, from Old English ofer, from Proto-West Germanic *obar, from Proto-Germanic *uber (“over”), from Proto-Indo-European *upér, a comparative form of *upo.
Akin to Dutch over, German ober, über, Danish over, Norwegian over, Swedish över, Icelandic yfir, Faroese yvir, Gothic 𐌿𐍆𐌰𐍂 (ufar), Latin super, Ancient Greek ὑπέρ (hupér), Albanian upri (“group of peasants”), Sanskrit उपरि (upári).
Doublet of uber, super, and hyper.

Bravo Six, this is Bravo Six Four. Stand by for ten mike report one dash three, over.

Bravo Six Four, this is Bravo Six Actual. Send your traffic, over.

How do you receive? Over!

(procedure word, military) A radio procedure word meaning that the station is finished with its transmission and is expecting a response.

Instructs the reader to turn the page and continue reading the other side.

over the left shoulder
over the left shoulder#English

(obsolete, slang) Short for over the left shoulder (“expressing disbelief etc.”).


over

From Middle Dutch ōver, from Old Dutch *ovar, from Proto-West Germanic *obar, from Proto-Germanic *uber, from Proto-Indo-European *upér, from *upo. Compare German ober, English over.

(procedure word, military) over (a radio procedure word meaning that the station is finished with its transmission and is expecting a response.)


psyche

Shortened form of psychology, from French psychologie, from Latin psychologia, from Ancient Greek ψυχή (psukhḗ, “soul”) and -λογία (-logía, “study of”)


till

ding, tinkle (high-pitched sound of a bell)


amen

Inherited from Middle English amen, from Old English āmen, from Ecclesiastical Latin āmēn, from Ancient Greek ἀμήν (amḗn), from Biblical Hebrew אָמֵן (ʾāmēn, “certainly, verily”) (cognate with Arabic آمِينَ (ʔāmīna), Classical Syriac ܐܡܝܢ (ʾāmên)). In Old English, it was used only at the end of the Gospels. Elsewhere, it was translated as sōþlīċe! (“truly”, “indeed!”), swā hit is (“so it is”), and sīe! (“[so] be it!”).

der

As it was in the beginning, is nowe, and euerſhall be: worlde without ende. Amen.

1549 March 7, Thomas Cranmer [et al.], compilers, “At the Communion”, in The Booke of the Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacramentes, […], London: […] Edowardi Whitchurche […], →OCLC, folio lxxii, recto:

Alſo I ſhooke my lap, and ſaid, So God ſhake out euery man from his houſe, and from his labour, that performeth not this promiſe, euen thus be he ſhaken out, and emptied. And all the Congregation ſaid, Amen, and praiſed the Lord. And the people did according to this promiſe.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Nehemiah 5:13, column 1:

Bleſſed be the Lord God, the God of Iſrael, who only doth wonderous things. And bleſſed be his glorious name for euer, and let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen, and Amen.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalms 72:18–19, column 1:

For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

1662, Thomas Cranmer [et al.], compilers, “Forms of Prayer to be used at Sea”, in The Book of Common-Prayer, and Administration of the Sacraments, […], London: […] John Bill, and Christopher Barker, […], →OCLC, column 2:

May GOD, to Whom be praise and whose name be exalted, the King of Kings, vouchsafe His grace and may the Prophet Muhammed (on whom be the benediction and peace of GOD) grant His Blessings to this Proclamation. Amen! O Lord of the Universe!

1962, Omar Ali Saifuddien III, Proclamation of Emergency, page 14:

At the end of religious prayers: so be it.

Fry: Bender's stupid religion is driving me nuts! / Leela: Amen!

1999 May, Matt Groening, “Hell Is Other Robots”, in Futurama, season 1, episode 9:

An expression of strong agreement, often in the phrase "Amen to that!"


amen

Derived from Spanish amén, from Latin āmēn, from Ancient Greek ἀμήν (amḗn), from Hebrew אמן (amén, “certainly, truly”).
The gesture evolved from the custom of kissing the ecclesiastical ring of Catholic clergymen.

at the end of religious prayers: so be it


amen

Inherited from Middle Dutch amen, from Latin āmēn, from Ancient Greek ἀμήν (amḗn), from Biblical Hebrew אמן (amén, “certainly, truly”).

amen; at the end of Judeo-Christian prayers: so be it


amen

Derived from Ecclesiastical Latin āmēn, from Ancient Greek ἀμήν (amḗn), from Biblical Hebrew אָמֵן (ʾāmēn, “certainly, truly”).


amen

Borrowed from Ecclesiastical Latin āmēn, from Ancient Greek ἀμήν (amḗn), from Biblical Hebrew אָמֵן (ʾāmēn, “certainly, truly”).


amen

Borrowed from Latin āmēn, from Ancient Greek ἀμήν (amḗn), from Hebrew אמן.


amen

Í guðanna bænum, amen.


amen

Borrowed from Latin āmēn, from Ancient Greek ἀμήν (amḗn), from Biblical Hebrew אָמֵן (ʾāmēn, “certainly, truly”).


amen

Near-synonyms: pace, va beh, scialla

L'esame è andato male, amen, fattene una ragione.

The exam went bad, so be it, come to terms with it.


amen

Borrowed from Koine Greek ᾱ̓μήν (āmḗn), from Biblical Hebrew אָמֵן (ʾāmēn, “certainly, truly”); cognate with Arabic آمِين (ʔāmīn), Aramaic אַמִין (ʾamīn), Classical Syriac ܐܰܡܺܝܢ (ʾamīn).


amen

Dutch: amen

Limburgish: ame


amen

English: amen

Scots: amen, amain

Yola: amain

Inherited from Old English [Term?], from Latin āmēn.


amen

Ultimately from Biblical Hebrew אָמֵן (ʾāmēn, “certainly, truly”).


amen

Swedish: amen


amen

Borrowed from German amen, from Latin āmēn, from Koine Greek ᾱ̓μήν (āmḗn, “so be it”), from Biblical Hebrew אָמֵן (ʾāmēn).

(religion) amen! (at the end of religious prayers)


amen

Learned borrowing from Ecclesiastical Latin āmēn, from Koine Greek ᾱ̓μήν (āmḗn), from Biblical Hebrew אָמֵן (ʾāmēn). First attested in 1513.

ref

Maria Renata Mayenowa, Stanisław Rospond, Witold Taszycki, Stefan Hrabec, Władysław Kuraszkiewicz (2010-2023) “amen”, in Słownik Polszczyzny XVI Wieku [A Dictionary of 16th Century Polish]

(sometimes humorous) amen! (used to end a statement)


amen

amén (canonical)
amen (canonical)
ᜀᜋᜒᜈ᜔ (Baybayin)

Borrowed from Spanish amén, from Ecclesiastical Latin āmēn, from Ancient Greek ἀμήν (amḗn), from Biblical Hebrew אָמֵן (ʾāmēn, “certainly, truly”).

amen (at the end of religious prayers: so be it)


hic

This wine - hic! - tasted good.

An approximation to the sound of a hiccup, used e.g. to indicate drunkenness.


hic

Ce vin, hic ! est bon.


hic

Onomatopoeia, from the sobbing sound. Compare hức (“sob; hic”).

(comics, Internet slang) dang; darn; aw man; man


awan

Alternative form of aywan: I don't know!; I forgot!


barf

bath (non-rhotic, trap–bath split, th-fronting)

Uncertain. Probably of imitative origin.

2011, "This is My Jam", season 2, episode 13 of Regular Show
Mordecai: You can't touch music. But music can touch you.
Rigby: Oh, barf.


拜拜

/paɪ̯³⁵ paɪ̯³⁵/

/paɪ̯⁵¹ b̥aɪ̯¹/

/paɪ̯⁵⁵ paɪ̯³⁵/

/paɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ paɪ̯⁵¹/

/paːi̯³³⁻⁵⁵ paːi̯³³/

/pai⁴¹⁻⁵⁵⁴ pai⁴¹/

/bai⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ bai⁴¹/

/bai²¹³⁻⁵⁵ bai²¹³/

/pai²¹³⁻⁵⁵ pai²¹³/

/paɪ̯³⁵ paɪ̯³⁵/

/paɪ̯⁵¹ b̥aɪ̯¹/

/paɪ̯⁵⁵ paɪ̯³⁵/

/paɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ paɪ̯⁵¹/

/paːi̯³³⁻⁵⁵ paːi̯³³/

/pai⁴¹⁻⁵⁵⁴ pai⁴¹/

/bai⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ bai⁴¹/

/bai²¹³⁻⁵⁵ bai²¹³/

/pai²¹³⁻⁵⁵ pai²¹³/

Chinese phrasebook
 This entry is part of the phrasebook project, which presents criteria for inclusion based on utility, simplicity and commonness.
Phono-semantic matching of English bye-bye.

psm

The close friend [Elizabeth II during the handover of Hong Kong] vanishes from this metropolis with merely a "bye-bye"

1991, 皇后大道東 [Queen's Road East], performed by Lo Ta-yu and Ram Chiang, composed by Lo Ta-yu, written by Albert Leung

zi¹ gei² jat¹ sing¹ baai³⁻¹ baai³ jyun⁵ heoi³ ze² dou¹ si⁵

知己一聲拜拜遠去這都市

知己一声拜拜远去这都市


allô

→ Hijazi Arabic: ألو

→ Persian: الو (alo)

→ Romanian: alo

→ Russian: алло́ (alló)

→ Spanish: aló

→ Turkish: alo

→ Vietnamese: a-lô

(telephony) hello (when answering at the beginning of a call)

Allô? Tu m’entends?

(telephony) used to confirm that the person being addressed is listening, or to confirm if anyone is listening

(North America) hello (as an in-person greeting)

(informal) hello! (implying someone is not paying attention to the obvious)


chouette

Probably from a confusion between Etymology 1, above, and a derivative of choueter, chou.

Chouette ! On va à la mer cet été !

Super! We're going to the sea this summer!

Des crêpes ? Chouette !

(informal) Exclamation when one learns of something pleasing


yuck

Perhaps imitative. Akin to Dutch jak (“disgusting”). First appeared in the 1960s. Compare also Scots yeuk (“anything that disgusts”), Middle English yuke (“an itchy skin disease”).

cog

Yuck! This peanut butter is disgusting!

Uttered to indicate disgust usually toward an objectionable taste or odour.


kurva

Inherited from Old Czech kurva, from Proto-Slavic *kury.


kurva

Cilvēks, kurva.


kurva

Borrowed either from Polish kurwa or Belarusian ку́рва (kúrva).

Eik tu kurva!

Atsiprašau, aš esu viceprezidentas, tu kurva debilas.

Excuse me, I'm the vice president, you fucking asshole.


diga

“Diga.” (“Talk”); “Dígame.” (“Talk to me.”, “Say something to me.”)


che

→ Brazilian Portuguese: tchê

(Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Valencia) hey, yo


Okinawa

tlb

(minced oath, slightly vulgar, colloquial)

Borrowed from English Okinawa, due to its similarities with the swear word ukinana.


listo

Unknown. Cognate to Portuguese lesto (“agile”), Catalan llest (“clever; ready”), Italian lesto (“quick”), Maltese lest (“ready”).
* If "clever" is the original sense, probably from Proto-Germanic *listiz; compare Old High German and Old English list, both "knowledge, experience, cunning, art, trick, slyness" (see English list). A semantic development "clever" → "quick" → "ready" is very plausible, but note that the association with "cleverness" apparently exists only in Spanish and Catalan (and might thus be secondary). Note also Irish cliste (“clever”).
* Alternatively, perhaps from a Vulgar Latin *lextus or *lestus, reduced from *lexitus, as an alteration of Latin lēctus (“chosen; read”), participle of legō.


arse

From Middle English ars, ers, from Old English ærs, ears, from Proto-West Germanic *ars, from Proto-Germanic *arsaz (compare Dutch aars and German Arsch), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃érsos (“backside, buttocks”) (according to Julius Pokorny and Carl Darling Buck).

inh

(euphemistic)

(Commonwealth) An expression of frustration.


cheep

The short, high-pitched sound made by a small bird.


dale

From dal (“I exit, go out”); see dal for more.

come out, get out (as a request, plea or as an order)


dale

Short form of ndal (“I halt, stop, rest, hold up”). See ndal and dal for more.


bugger

From Middle English bougre (“heretic”), from Old French bougre, from Medieval Latin Bulgarus (“Bulgar”), from Old Church Slavonic блъгаринъ (blŭgarinŭ, “Bulgarian”), used in designation of heretics (especially the Bogomils, who arose around the 10th century AD in the First Bulgarian Empire), to whom various sexual practices such as anal sex were ascribed. Doublet of Bulgar.

der

Bugger, I've missed the bus.

Dear Lord, forgive me for what I am about to, ah, say in this magnificent place of worship. Bugger. Bugger! Bugger-bugger-bugger-bugger!

1994, Richard Curtis, Four Weddings and a Funeral, spoken by Charles (Hugh Grant):

(slang, British, Ireland, Commonwealth, vulgar) An expression of annoyance or displeasure.


well done

Well done, John. Here's a biscuit for you.

An exclamation of praise or endorsement of an achievement.


gente

From Old Galician-Portuguese gente, from Latin gentem, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵénh₁tis.

Gente! O que aconteceu aqui

(Brazil) expression of surprise or dismay


goddag

→ Greenlandic: kutaa


guten Tag

Unadapted borrowing from German guten Tag.


guten Tag

[ˌɡuːtn̩ ˈtʰaːkʰ]

Short for ich wünsche einen guten Tag! (“I wish [you] a good day!”), hence the accusative form of the adjective.

hello, good day, good afternoon (greeting said when meeting or acknowledging someone)


您好

/nin³⁵ xɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/nin³⁵ xɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

Hello, this is China Mobile, how can I help you?

Nín hǎo, zhèlǐ shì Zhōngguó Yídòng, qǐngwèn yǒu shénme kěyǐ bāng nín de ma?

您好，這裡是中國移動，請問有什麼可以幫您的嗎？

您好，这里是中国移动，请问有什么可以帮您的吗？


vale

Borrowed from Latin valē, singular imperative of valeō (“be well”).

Vale, Sarah Smith


vale

→ English: vale

From the verb valeō (“I am well, healthy”).

ave atque vale


vale

Borrowed from Latin valē (“be well, goodbye”).


你好

→ English: nihao

→ Japanese: 你好(ニーハオ) (nīhao)

→ Zhuang: mwngz ndei (calque)

/ni²¹⁴⁻³⁵ xɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/li⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ hɤ⁴¹/

/li⁵³⁻⁴⁴ ho⁵³/

/li⁵⁵⁴ ho⁵⁵⁴/

/lɯ⁵⁵⁴ ho⁵⁵⁴/

/lu⁵³⁻⁴⁴ ho⁵³/

/lɯ⁵²⁻³⁵ ho⁵²/

/lu⁵²⁻³⁵ ho⁵²⁻²¹/

/ni²¹⁴⁻³⁵ xɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/li⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ hɤ⁴¹/

/li⁵³⁻⁴⁴ ho⁵³/

/li⁵⁵⁴ ho⁵⁵⁴/

/lɯ⁵⁵⁴ ho⁵⁵⁴/

/lu⁵³⁻⁴⁴ ho⁵³/

/lɯ⁵²⁻³⁵ ho⁵²/

/lu⁵²⁻³⁵ ho⁵²⁻²¹/

你好，好久不見。

你好，好久不见。


你好

ja-pos

你好(ニイハオ) or 你好(ニーハオ) • (nīhao)

你好 (canonical)
你好 (canonical)
nīhao (romanization)

From modern Mandarin 你好 (nǐ hǎo, “hello”).

「你好」と僧はすこし驚いた表情で答えた。

The monk said "Nihao", looking a little surprised

“Nīhao” to sō wa sukoshi odoroita hyōjō de kotaeta.

小学校帰りの赤いスカーフを胸もとに巻いた児童たちに出会い、你好！と声をかけると、どこでも你好！と挨拶が返って来る

1985, 山崎豊子, ”虱”だらけの指導者・胡耀邦 in 『山崎豊子全集19 大地の子（一）』, 2005, Page 605

When I meet children with a red neckerchief on their chest on their way back to home from school, and I say nihao to them, wherever it is, they return a greeting of nihao to me

Shōgakkō gaeri no akai sukāfu o munamoto ni maita jidō tachi ni deai, nīhao! to koe o kakeru to, doko demo nīhao! to aisatsu ga kaette kuru

「你好」と声をかけたら「你好」と顔をあげた。「みかけない顔だ、どこから来たか」「日本から来た」

1987, 鈴木孝雄, 異文化融合と民族性と…… in 『公明』, 1987, No. 7, Page 99

"Nihao," I talked to him. "Nihao", he said, looking up at me, "I haven't seen you around here. Where are you from?" - "I came from Japan."

“Nīhao” to koe o kaketara “nīhao” to kao o ageta.“Mikakenai kao da, doko kara kita ka” “Nihon kara kita”

(informal, rare) hi, hello (in a Chinese context)


ut

From Old Norse út, from Proto-Germanic *ūt.


ut

From Old Norse út, from Proto-Germanic *ūt. Akin to English out.


もしもし

A reduplication of もし (moshi), a shortened form of 申し (mōshi), the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of humble verb 申す (mōsu, “to say, to speak”).

もしもし。こちらは、山田エージェンシーです。ご用件は？

Moshi moshi. Kochira wa, Yamada ējenshī desu. Go-yōken wa?

(on the phone) Hello. This is Yamada Agency. May I help you?

(telephony) a common Japanese telephone greeting: hello; used when answering the telephone

used to confirm that the person being addressed is listening, or to ask if anyone is listening


もしもし

Borrowed from Japanese もしもし (moshi moshi).

bor+

A common telephone greeting: hello; used when answering the telephone.


io

From Latin iō; compare Ancient Greek ἰώ (iṓ, “oh!”).

Do as thou wilt, as a great god can,
O Pan! Io Pan!
Io Pan! Io Pan Pan! I am awake
In the grip of the snake.

1913, Crowley, Aleister, “Hymn To Pan”, in Book 4, University of California Libraries, Magick in Theory and Practice:

(rare) An exclamation of joy or triumph.


io

From Latin io, from Ancient Greek ἰώ (iṓ). Doublet of jo.


io

Echoic; compare Greek ἰώ (iṓ), or English yo.

an exclamation of joy: hurray, hurrah, yay

illa quidem clāmābat ‘iō, cārissima māter, auferor!’
Indeed, she was crying out, “Oh! mother dearest – I am being taken away!”

(See Persephone. The full context implies a cry of anguish as well as a plea for help from Persephone's mother, Ceres. The alternative ‘‘Help!’’ calls for an imperative such as ‘‘ferte auxilium!’’.)

an exclamation for getting attention: hey, oi, look, quick


yay

→ Icelandic: jei

→ Japanese: イェイ (yei), イェーイ (yēi)

→ Ukrainian: єй (jej)

Alteration of yea (“yes; even, truly, verily”). More at yea.

Yay! I have finally finished my work!

(colloquial) An expression of happiness.


zap

1920s, American English, of imitative origin.

onomatopoeic

imitative

Then the computer went zap and I lost all my work.

Zap is a comic-book hero - Zap! Powie! Kazoom!; why have you retired, Zap, when we need you so much?

1975, Rennie Ellis, editors, Australian Graffiti, page [1]:

Representing the sound or action of a zap.


ROFLMAO

(Internet slang, text messaging, mildly vulgar) Initialism of rolling on the floor laughing my ass (or arse) off; used to indicate great amusement.


hail

From Middle English heil (“healthy, sound”), from Old Norse heill, from Proto-Germanic *hailaz (“whole, entire, healthy”). The verb is from Middle English heilen, itself from the adjective. Doublet of whole, hale, and heil.

der

Hail, brave friend.

c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:

(archaic or poetic) An exclamation of respectful or reverent salutation, or, occasionally, of familiar greeting.


bene

Bene! Sono proprio felice che hai avuto delle buone notizie!

Good! I’m so glad you got some good news!


nej

From Swedish nej, from Old Swedish næi, from Old Norse nei, from Proto-Germanic *nai (“never”), *nē (“not”), from Proto-Indo-European *ne, *nē, *nēy (negative particle).


seis

Originally the second-person singular imperative of seistä — the meaning "stand" has turned into "stop". Having been used as such an established interjection, this is generally no longer considered a verb form.


nay

From Middle English nai, nei, from Old Norse nei (“no”), contraction of ne (“not”) + ei (“ever”), itself from Proto-Germanic *nai (“never”), *nē (“not”). More at no.


cap

sound of a violent grabbing of someone or something


broom

Alternative form of brrm (“sound of a car engine”)


aah

Aah! That's amazing!

'Aaah!' they sigh, as the silvery Space Shuttle races heavenwards on top of a towering pillar of flame.

1985, Joan Morrison, chapter 5, in Share House Blues, Boolarong Publications, page 62:

Indication of amazement or surprise or enthusiasm.

Yet I remember—aah! how should I forget?

Aah, I feel so bad for you...

Dentists would always instruct, say aah!

Aah. Now I understand.

AAAHHH! A bug! A bug! Get it off me! Get it off me!

Aah! A rat!

The sound of one screaming (with as many a's or h's as needed for emphasis).


alto

From German halt, imperative form of German halten (“stop”).


eno

ȅno (canonical)
е̏но (Cyrillic)
when referring to objects (with-genitive)


exactly

So you're saying that we have only three days left? — Yes, exactly!


super

/suːp̚⁵ pʰaː²¹/

/suːp̚⁵ pʰaː²¹/

From English super. Popularized by Eric Tsang in the Super Trio series.

(Hong Kong Cantonese) Used when a tied or draw situation occurs, or when one is suggesting a draw.


super

Borrowed from English super, French super, from Latin super.


super

Borrowed from Latin super. Doublet of the inherited sur. See also hyper, borrowed from Ancient Greek.


dude

American Speech
James Caldwall
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Wellcome Library
dude

Uncertain, though likely a clipping of doodle (“fool, simpleton, mindless person”), perhaps with reference to the fashionable “Yankee Doodle dandy” in the 18th-century lyrics of the song “Yankee Doodle”; the word is first attested in 1883 as a New York City slang term of contempt for a “fastidious man, fop”. If so, then related to German Low German Dudeldop, Dudendop (“fool, dunce”), Saterland Frisian Duddigegen (“idiot”).
It has also been suggested that the word is derived from dudes (“old rags”; compare duds) and dudesman (“scarecrow”), or possibly related to dawdle; It has also been suggested the word derives from the Irish dúid.
The common claim that the term derives from (or is) a word for a camel's foreskin (or some other vulgar thing, like a hair on a cow, horse, donkey, or elephant's bottom) is false.

clipping

Dude! You finally called!

And, feckin' A, you ain't never gonna guess this one—dude! […] Thinking this is a little worse than me watching porn. Dude.

2011, Karen Marie Moning, Shadowfever: A Novel (The Fever Series; 5), New York, N.Y.: Delacorte Press, →ISBN:

(slang) A term of address, usually for a man, conveying awe, excitement, surprise, annoyance, etc.


occhio

From Vulgar Latin oclus, syncopated from Latin oculus, from Proto-Italic *okelos, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₃okʷ-, *h₃ekʷ- (“eye; to see”). Doublet of oculo, a borrowing.


s'il vous plaît

Unadapted borrowing from French s’il vous plaît.


wai

desctree

Proto-West Germanic: *wai
Old English: wā, wei, wǣ
Middle English: wa, wo, woo
English: woe
Scots: wa, wae
Old Frisian: wach, *wē
West Frisian: wee, wea
Old Saxon: wah, wē
Middle Low German: wach, wê
Old Dutch: *wē
Middle Dutch: wee
Dutch: wee
Old High German: wah, wa, wē
Middle High German: wāch, wē
Cimbrian: bèa
German: weh, Weh, wehe, Wehe
Yiddish: וויי (vey)
→ English: vey
→ Vulgar Latin: *wai, *guai
Catalan: guai
Emilian: ouais (Modenese)
Old French: gway, gwai, guai, way, wai
Middle French: vé, vee (merger with or from Latin vae)
French: vé (dialectical, Montbéliard)
Italian: guai
Piedmontese: guaj
Portuguese: guai (obsolete)
Old Spanish: guay
Spanish: guay, guais (plural)
Ladino: guay, uay
Sicilian: vai

Proto-Norse: *ᚹᚨᛁ (*wai), ᚹᚨᛃᛖ- (waje-)

Old Norse: vei, væ, ve-

Icelandic: vei, væ

Faroese: vei, veiggj

Norwegian: ve

Old Swedish: vē

Swedish: ve

Danish: ve

desc

→ Middle English: waȝȝ, wæi, wei, weye, wai

⇒ Middle English: weylaway, wailewaie

English: welaway, wellaway

⇒ Old Norse: væla (“to wail”)

→ Middle English: weilen, waylen (“to wail, cry, sob”)

English: wail

Icelandic: væla

Elfdalian: wäla

⇒ Old Norse: væl (“wail”, noun)

Icelandic: væl

Gothic: 𐍅𐌰𐌹 (wai)

From Proto-Indo-European *wáy (“woe! (interjection)”). Compare Latin vae, Lithuanian vaĩ, vái, Russian увы́ (uvý, “alas”), Middle Irish fáe, Welsh gwae (“woe”), Avestan 𐬬𐬀𐬫𐬋𐬌 (vayōi), Sanskrit उवे (uvé), Persian وای (vây).

inh

woe! alas! (expression of grief or anguish)


wai

desctree

Old English: wā, wei, wǣ
Middle English: wa, wo, woo
English: woe
Scots: wa, wae

Old Frisian: wach, *wē

West Frisian: wee, wea

Old Saxon: wah, wē

Middle Low German: wach, wê

Old Dutch: *wē

Middle Dutch: wee

Dutch: wee

Old High German: wah, wa, wē

Middle High German: wāch, wē

Cimbrian: bèa

German: weh, Weh, wehe, Wehe

Yiddish: וויי (vey)

→ English: vey

→ Vulgar Latin: *wai, *guai

Catalan: guai

Emilian: ouais (Modenese)

Old French: gway, gwai, guai, way, wai

Middle French: vé, vee (merger with or from Latin vae)

French: vé (dialectical, Montbéliard)

Italian: guai

Piedmontese: guaj

Portuguese: guai (obsolete)

Old Spanish: guay

Spanish: guay, guais (plural)

Ladino: guay, uay

Sicilian: vai


wai

Middle Breton: goa

Breton: gwa

Old Irish: fae

Welsh: gwae

Cornish: go, gew

From Proto-Indo-European *wáy. Compare Latin vae, Lithuanian vaĩ, vái, Proto-Germanic *wai, Russian увы́ (uvý, “alas”), Avestan 𐬬𐬀𐬫𐬋𐬌 (vayōi), Sanskrit उवे (uvé), Persian وای (vây).


putain

Inherited from Old French putain, originally the oblique case of pute (“dirty woman”) formed with the suffix -ain, from Vulgar Latin pūtta, from Latin pūta (“girl”). Compare with salope, Italian puttana, Spanish puta.

(vulgar) fuck, fucking hell, bloody hell


нет

Inherited from Old East Slavic нѣту (nětu), Proto-Slavic *nětu, from *ne (“not”) + *e, short form of *estь (“is”) + *tu (“there, here”).


wait

From Middle English waiten, from Anglo-Norman waiter, waitier (compare French guetter from Old French gaitier, guaitier), from Frankish *wahtwēn (“to watch, guard”), derivative of Frankish *wahtu (“guard, watch”), from Proto-Germanic *wahtwō (“guard, watch”), from Proto-Indo-European *weǵ- (“to be fresh, cheerful, awake”). Cognate with Old High German wahtēn (“to watch, guard”), German Low German wachten (“to wait”), Dutch wachten (“to wait, expect”), French guetter (“to watch out for”), Saterland Frisian wachtje (“to wait”), West Frisian wachtsje (“to wait”), North Frisian wachtjen (“to stand, stay put”). More at watch.
In some senses, merged or influenced by Middle English waiten, weiten (“to do good to, lie in wait for, to contrive good or harm on, catch, snare”), from Old Norse veita (“to give help to, assist, grant, cause to happen”), from Proto-Germanic *waitijaną (“to show, guide, advise, direct”), from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (“to see, know”).
Largely overtook native Middle English biden, from Old English bīdan.

der

Wait. Stop talking for a moment while I get my head straight.

(informal) Tells the other speaker to stop talking, typing etc. for a moment.


bravo

Borrowed from Italian bravo. Doublet of brave.

Bravo, you have done a brilliant job!

Used to express acclaim, especially to a performer.


bravo

[ˈbrɑ̝ˈʋo̞(ː)]


bravo

bravo!, hear, hear!, well said!, well done!


bravo

head

bravo m (feminine brava, masculine plural bravi, feminine plural brave)

brava (feminine)
bravi (masculine plural)
brave (feminine plural)

→ English: bravo

→ French: bravo

→ Romanian: bravo

→ Turkish: bravo

Uncertain. Probably from Vulgar Latin *bravus, from a fusion of Latin prāvus and barbarus. Less likely from Provençal brau (“show-off”), from Gaulish *bragos (compare Middle Irish breagha (modern breá) 'fine', Breton braga 'to strut'). Or perhaps borrowed from a descendant of Proto-Germanic *hrawaz (“raw, uncooked”). Or possibly from a root *bravus, from bravium. Borrowed into French and English as brave.
Pierre Carpentier, in an 18th-century edition of du Cange's 17th-century dictionary of medieval and modern Latin, argued Latin branus originated in a misreading of Italian and Spanish bravo. However, George Nicholson argues the opposite in a 1950 Festschrift article, namely bravo being a misreading of Latin branus, which would have the origin du Cange had originally argued for, from Old French brahaigne (“barren”) (see barren). Compare English gravy, possibly a misreading of French grané (“stew”).


bravo

Bravo! Você acertou!


bravo

Borrowed from French bravo or Italian bravo.


bravo

at the theatre; etc; at the theatre; etc


bravo

Inherited from Ottoman Turkish براوو, from Italian bravo.


whoopee

Whoopee! I won!

A spontaneous expression of delight or joy.


keck

From Old Irish cacc (“dung, excrement”), from Proto-Celtic *kakkā, from Proto-Indo-European *kakka- (“to shit”).


shut up

Shut up! We're sick of your whining!

(highly impolite, dismissal) Stop talking, crying, etc.

highly impolite; dismissal; highly impolite; dismissal

šuti!

(more polite than "začepi", but still impolite: )

I got accepted to Yale! —Shut up, really? That's awesome!

No, I know what home-school is, I'm not retarded! So you've actually never been to a real school before? Shut up! Shut up!

2004, Tina Fey, Mean Girls (motion picture), spoken by Regina George (Rachel McAdams):

Jen: Douglas has asked me to be his PA.
Moss: Oh. My. God! Well, that is something and a half. His PA? How... Whoa! His PA... Shut up! His PA!
Jen: It means "personal assistant".
Moss: Thank you. Right, OK. What does that actually involve?

2007 September 28, Graham Linehan, The IT Crowd, Season 2, Episode 6

(colloquial) I don't believe it!, no way!


monde

From Old French monde (12th c.), semi-learned form of mont (10th c.), itself inherited from Latin mundus. The alteration was likely driven by the desire to distinguish from unrelated mont (“mountain”).


quotha

From quoth + a (“he”) (dialectal, obsolete).

Here[ticus]. Then I praie you tell me, when we shall mete agayne:
Cath[olicus]. Mete againe? why art thou not well yet?
Here[ticus]. Well yet quotha? Mary sir all this is nothynge to that I looke for.

1554, John Gwynneth, chapter 30, in A Manifeste Detection of the Notable Falshed of That Part of John Frithes Boke Whiche He Calleth His Foundacion, London:

1678, Thomas d’Urfey, The Fool Turn’d Critick, London: James Magnes and Richard Bentley, Act II, Scene 2, p. 15,
1st. Fid[dler]. Will it please you Gentlemen to hear a new Lesson, or a Song A-la-mode.
Sir For[mal]. S’bud you impertinent Raskal get you gone, / Or I’le so batter that Musical sconce of yours. / Song A-la-mode Quotha, I had as lieve hear a / Gibb Catt howl, and as much pleasure I take in’t.

Mrs. Hardcastle. […] My son is not to live by his learning. I don’t think a boy wants much learning to spend fifteen hundred a year.
Hardcastle. Learning, quotha! A mere composition of tricks and mischief.

1773, Oliver Goldsmith, She Stoops to Conquer, London: F. Newbery, act I, pages 2–3:

A pretty way to conciliate 'little tempers' indeed, to add to the offence of spoiling the fish the crime of bringing an unexpected friend to eat it. Pot luck, quotha, when the pot's boiled over this half hour!

1853, Pisistratus Caxton [pseudonym; Edward Bulwer-Lytton], chapter VII, in “My Novel”; Or Varieties in English Life […], volume I, Edinburgh; London: William Blackwood and Sons, →OCLC, book first, page 30:

The four boys pumped up their hate to hissing steam. Harmless, quotha. Innocent, forsooth.

1959, Anthony Burgess, Beds in the East (The Malayan Trilogy), published 1972, page 596:


kot

(onomatopoeia, usually repeated) cluck (sound made by hen)


kot

Kot-kot-kot-kot-kotkodács, minden napra egy tojás! (nursery rhyme)

cluck (imitative of the sound made by a hen, especially when brooding, or calling her chicks; can be used repetitively)


piss off

Piss off, pal! This is my work table and yours is in the corner.

(Commonwealth, idiomatic, vulgar, dismissal) Go away!

painu vittuun

interjection of telling someone: go away!


fax

Formed with -x from facts; the pronunciation of facts and fax is identical in certain varieties of English.

(informal) Alternative form of facts (“used to express agreement”).


of course

Will you come with me? — Of course!

Thank you! — Of course!

Used to acknowledge thanks; ritual reply to “thank you”.


pow

Whap, Biff, Ooooof, Sock, Pow, Zok! Batman is back. Gotham City is again leaving its law and order in the hands of a man who wears plastic underpants over his tights.

1989 June 5, The Canberra Times, Australia Captial Territory, page 10, column 2:

The sound of a violent impact, such as a punch.

Pow, they took off.

1982, Douglas Adams, Life, the Universe and Everything, page 71:


pronto

(telephony) hello (when answering the phone)


damn

From Middle English dampnen, from Old French damner, from Latin damnāre (“to condemn, inflict loss upon”), from damnum (“loss”).

(sometimes vulgar) Used to express anger, irritation, disappointment, annoyance, contempt or surprise, etc. See also dammit.


ready

From English ready, from the English-language sequence on your marks, ready, set, go, of which only ready is used translingually.

(sports) The command to make ready, regardless of language of competitors, used in multiple sports to get contestants to their marks in preparation to start.


avast

Probably borrowed from Dutch hou vast, houd vast (“hold tight”), from houd (imperative of houden (“to hold”)) + vast (“fast, firm”).

Then pull avvay, hoa up, hoa up, hoa up, ſo avaſt there, Sir.

1681, Thomas Otway, The Souldiers Fortune: A Comedy. […], London: […] R. Bentley and M. Magnes, […], →OCLC, Act IV, page 51:

Avaſt, brother, avaſt! ſheer off—Yo ho! you turnkey, vvhy don't you keep a better look out? here's one of your crazy priſoners broke from his laſhings, I do ſuppoſe.

1748, [Tobias Smollett], “I am Seized with a Deep Melancholy, and Become a Sloven […]”, in The Adventures of Roderick Random. […], volume II, London: […] [William Strahan] for J[ohn] Osborn […], →OCLC, page 305:

[T]he sail went into the water, and he could not drag it in. "Avast heaving," said Gascoigne, "till I throw her up and take the wind out of it."

1836, [Frederick Marryat], “In which our hero sets off on another cruise, in which he is not blown off shore”, in Mr. Midshipman Easy […], volume II, London: Saunders and Otley, […], →OCLC, page 87:

[S]he caught me as I was again trying to force the open the door. "I won't allow it; I won't have my premises spoiled. Go for the locksmith, there's one about a mile from here. But avast!" putting her hand in her side-pocket, "here's a key that'll fit, I guess; let's see." And with that, she turned it in the lock; but, alas! Queequeg's supplemental bolt remained unwithdrawn within.

1851 November 14, Herman Melville, “The Ramadan”, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 93:

"Avast, there!" cried Silver. "Who are you, Tom Morgan? Maybe you thought you was cap'n here, perhaps. By the powers, but I'll teach you better![…]"

1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, “In the Enemy’s Camp”, in Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC, part VI (Captain Silver), page 233:

"Avast there!" cried the captain, and as though to punctuate his remark he swung the heavy stick he usually carried full upon the back of Billy's head.

1914 October – 1916 July, Edgar Rice Burroughs, “Shanghaied”, in The Mucker, Chicago, Ill.: A[lexander] C[aldwell] McClurg & Co., published 31 October 1921, →OCLC, part I, page 15:

"That landlubber's stole me dog!" Armpit cried. "Avast, ye dog thief!" he roared to the man.

2008, Nadia Higgins, Avast, Ye Dog Thief! (Barnacle Barb & Her Pirate Crew), Edina, Minn.: Magic Wagon, ABDO Publishing Group, →ISBN:

Avast, ye landlubbers!

[“Pirate Talk: How to Make It Work for You”, page 35] Avast—"Stop and give attention." It can be used in a sense of surprise: "Whoa! Get a load of that!" when a beautiful woman walks into the room. "Avast! Check out the bowsprit on that fine beauty!" you might say. […] [“Cap’n Slappy’s Practical Parrot Pointers”, page 166] Arrrr! Avast, Cap'n Slappy. Does ye know where the treasure of the Sierra Madre be buried? If ye don't tell me its whereabouts, I'll have to swing ye from the yardarm, matey.

2005 September, John Baur, Mark Summers, Piratitude! So You Wanna be a Pirate? Here’s How!, New York, N.Y.: New American Library, →ISBN, pages 35 and 166:

(slang) In imitation of pirates: listen!; pay attention!


kai

From Proto-Polynesian *tai (compare with Maori tai), from Proto-Oceanic *tasik, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *tasik (compare with Malay tasik).

kai ka nani!

kai ke kolohe!


awn

Awn, você é tão fofo!

(Internet slang) aw, aww (express affection)


vaffanculo

→ English: va fangool

Contraction of va' a fa' 'n culo, where fa' and 'n are contractions of fare and in, respectively. Literally, “go do [it] in [the] ass”.
Compare French va te faire enculer.

shove it up your ass
shove it up your ass

(vulgar, slang) fuck you, fuck off, go fuck yourself; get lost, up yours; shove it up your ass.


ou

(Mallorca, Menorca) whoa! (command to an animal to stop)


ou

(colloquial) oi!, hey!, used for calling out to someone


ou

Ôu mèu Crego? Seica qués,
que eu vote a lengoa â pastàr?
Catao ben, e despois non
che pese, ò que ágora fás.
Se contra toda concencia
pensache de min tàn màl,
e estou quixòsa, ¿por que
non me has ti de aloumiñar?

1775, María Francisca Isla y Losada, Romance:

Oh, my clergyman? Perchance you want
that I let my tongue free range?
Watch it carefully, or either don't you later
regret what you do now.
If against all conscience
You thought so badly of me
And I'm cranky, why
wouldn't you cherish me?


ou

Ou, mi stai ascoltando?

(usually impolite) used to get someone's attention; oi, hey


ou

Ou, talè cca

Ou! Ascuta!

Ou! Tàgghiala!

Ou! Quant'avìa ca nun ti vidìa!

Ou! Comu jemu?


avaunt

First used 1275–1325; Middle English, from Old French avant (“to the front”).

Zuc. Hence auant I will marie a woman with no wombe, a creature with two noſes, a wench with no haire rather then remarie thee, […]

1604 (date written), Iohn Marston [i.e., John Marston], Parasitaster, or The Fawne, […], London: […] T[homas] P[urfoot] for W[illiam] C[otton], published 1606, →OCLC, Act IV, scene i:

In order to exorcise this she-devil, the attendants made circles on the walls with charcoal, within each was written: "Adam, Eve, Lilas, avaunt!"

1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 114:

(archaic) Begone; depart; used in contempt or abhorrence.


да

Веќе не сакам зима. ― Да?
Veḱe ne sakam zima. ― Da?
I no longer like winter. ― Really?


да

Inherited from Old East Slavic да (da), from Proto-Slavic *da.

yes (used to confirm that the person being addressed is listening)

Ты спра́вишься, да?

Он то́же там у́чится, да?

right, isn't it (used at the end of an affirmative sentence, turning what was said into a question, asking for confirmation)

— Мы с ней расста́лись уже́ как ме́сяц наза́д.
— Да?
— My s nej rasstálisʹ užé kak mésjac nazád.
— Da?
We broke up like a month ago.
Really?

really (used to express surprise or ask for confirmation)


pardon

From Middle English pardonen, from Old French pardoner (modern French pardonner), from Late Latin perdonare, from per- + donare, possibly a calque (if not vice-versa) of a Germanic word represented by Frankish *firgeban (“to forgive, give up completely”), from *fir- + *geban. Akin to Old High German fargeban, firgeban (“to forgive”), Old English forġiefan (“to forgive”). More at forgive.

cog

Often used when someone does not understand what another person says.


pardon

sorry, I'm sorry, I beg your pardon, I apologize


pardon

Negerhollands: pardon, bardon

→ Saramaccan: padón


pardon

desc

→ Bulgarian: пардон (pardon) (colloquial)

→ Czech: pardon (colloquial)

desctree

→ Dutch: pardon
Negerhollands: pardon, bardon
→ Saramaccan: padón

→ English: pardon

→ Greek: μπαρδόν (bardón)

→ Hungarian: pardon

→ Macedonian: пардон (pardon)

→ Ottoman Turkish: پاردون (pardon)
Turkish: pardon

→ Polish: pardon

→ Romanian: pardon

→ Russian: пардон (pardon) (colloquial)


pardon

From French pardon, primarily via German Pardon.

I beg your pardon
I beg your pardon#English

pardon!, pardon me!, excuse me!, I beg your pardon!, sorry!


pardon

(colloquial) sorry, excuse me, I beg your pardon


pardon

From Ottoman Turkish پاردون (pardon), from French pardon.


ciel

Inherited from Old French ciel, from Latin caelum, from Proto-Italic *kailom, from Proto-Indo-European *keh₂i-lom (“whole”), from *keh₂i-.


abo

an exclamation that denotes aversion, contempt, or negation, equivalent to fie


abo

→ Swedish: abow


ko

exclamation suggesting a personal reaction


quite

A development of quit, influence by Anglo-Norman quite. For an analogous semantic development from the same root, compare Armenian շատ (šat).

“That's a rather ugly colour for a house, don't you think?” — “Quite.”

(chiefly UK) Indicates agreement; exactly so.


droga

From French drogue, from Middle French drogue, from Old French drogue, from drocgue, possibly from Middle Dutch droge (“dry”).

LL-Q5146 (por)-Nelson Ricardo 2500-droga.wav

(Brazil) damn! (expresses anger or irritation)


aire

Encouraging to start a movement, just like let's go


aire

Inherited from Latin āēr, from Ancient Greek ἀήρ (aḗr).


šach-mat

Derived from Persian شاه مات (šâh mât, “the king is dead”).

der+

the words spoken at the end of a chess game by the winner, checkmate


aye

"Appears suddenly about 1575, and is exceedingly common about 1600." Probably from use of aye (“ever, always”) as expression of agreement or affirmation, or from Middle English a ye (“oh yes”), or synthesis of both. Compare Faroese ája (“certainly, ah yes”). More at oh, yea. Online Etymology Dictionary also with these posits a possible descent from I (as if clipped from e.g. "I assent").

yes; yea; a word expressing assent, or an affirmative answer to a question.

(nautical) a word used to acknowledge a command from a superior, usually preceded by a verbatim repeat-back.


aye

(MLE, MTE, regional African-American Vernacular, Chicano) Misspelling of eh.

(New Zealand) Alternative spelling of ay (question tag)


zo

From Middle English so, from Old English swā, from Proto-West Germanic *swā.

Zo bless all oore frends, an God zpeed ee plowe.

1867, “A YOLA ZONG”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 14, page 90:

So bless all our friends, and God speed the plough.


tio

(Singlish, uncommon) Correct; that's right.


æ

Æ, já nú man ég!

Æ, hvað heitir lagið aftur?

Remind me again, what that song's called?

Æææ, ég er kominn með bólu.

Æ, það er leitt að heyra.

Æ, því miður.

Æææ, en sætt!

Æ! Hann beit mig!


nome

Mother said, “Is he cold, Versh.”
“Nome.” Versh said.

1929, William Faulkner, The Sound and the Fury, Folio Society, published 2016, page 7:

(US, regional) Alternative form of no'm (“no ma'am”)


pad

Probably imitative, perhaps related to or influenced by Etymology 5, above.

unk

I heard her soft footsteps, pad, pad along the corridor.

Indicating a soft flat sound, as of bare footsteps.


heavens

“Heavens!” exclaimed Nina, “the blue-stocking and the fogy!—and yours are pale blue, Eileen!—you’re about as self-conscious as Drina—slumping there with your hair tumbling à la Mérode! Oh, it's very picturesque, of course, but a straight spine and good grooming is better.[…]”

1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, “Chapter IX: A Novice”, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC, page 359:

An expression of surprise, contempt, outrage, disgust, boredom, or frustration.


lo

From Middle English lo, loo, from Old English lā (“exclamation of surprise, grief, or joy”). Conflated in Middle English with lo! (interjection), a corruption of lok!, loke! (“look!”) (as in lo we! (look we!)). Cognate with Scots lo, lu (“lo”). See also look.

inh

Caliban: Lo, lo again! Bite him to death, I prithee.

c. 1610-11, William Shakespeare, The Tempest, act III, scene ii:

Awake! for Morning in the Bowl of Night,
Has flung the Stone that puts the Stars to Flight:
And Lo! the Hunter of the East has caught
The Sultán's Turret in a Noose of light.

1859, Edward Fitzgerald, The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám: The Astronomer-Poet of Persia, page 1:

[...], Lo, these many years do I serve thee, [...].

first published 1611, reprinted c. 1900, The Bible, King James version, Luke 15:29:

Emperor Ling went in state to the Hall of Virtue. As he drew near the throne, a rushing whirlwind arose in the corner of the hall and, lo! from the roof beams floated down a monstrous black serpent that coiled itself up on the very seat of majesty. The Emperor fell in a swoon.

1925, Charles Henry Brewitt-Taylor, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, translation of original by Luo Guanzhong:

"Tambi will be here in..." He computed carefully. "... in exactly twenty seconds." And, lo, Tambi appeared at that very moment.

1959, Anthony Burgess, Beds in the East (The Malayan Trilogy), published 1972, page 588:

(archaic) look, see, behold (in an imperative sense).


lo

When Spade entered, Wise was buting a fingernail and staring at the window. He took his hand from his mouth, screwed his chair around to face Spade, and said: " 'Lo. Push a chair up."

1929, Dashiel Hammett, The Maltese Falcon, New Yock: Vintage Books (Random House, published 1992, →ISBN, page 112:


lo

From Old Swedish lō, from Old Norse lóa, derived from or related to Proto-Germanic *luhsaz.

(slang) An intensifier put at the end of a sentence.


poof

pouffe (with certain dialects and/or accents)

Poof, he was gone.

Even now, in the spring, the river softly cries, 'Menthol, Menthol, you are one wazoo. One day I'm the elf next door and the poof I'm a river.'

1969, Beard & Kennedy, Bored of the Rings, page 87:

The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist. And like that, poof. He's gone.

1995, Christopher McQuarrie, The Usual Suspects (motion picture), spoken by Verbal (Kevin Spacey):

Onomatopoeia indicating a small explosion with a cloud of smoke; as caused by a deflating object, or a magical disappearance.

puff

deflating object or a magical disappearance


תודה

he-interj

תּוֹדָה • (todá)

Root
 י־ד־ה (y-d-h)
From the root י־ד־ה (y-d-); closely related to the verb הוֹדָה (hodá, “to acknowledge, to thank”). Compare Classical Syriac ܬܘܕܝ.


šach

Via Arabic, from Classical Persian شاه (šāh).


story

Alternative form of what's the story (“how are you?”)

*Any non-Irish person should be aware that it is not necessary to take the question literally i.e. one shouldn't start to explain your life story when greeted with 'What's the story?' rather they should respond in kind e.g. Greeting: 'What's the story?' Response: 'What's the story?' There are several variations on the theme, the most popular being 'What's the story, bud?' or the pithy : 'Story, bud?' or the pithier still 'Story?'

2012, Colin Murphy, Donal O'Dea, “18 - Saying 'What's the story?'”, in More Stuff Irish People Love, 2017 edition, The O'Brien Press Ltd, →ISBN:

(idiomatic, Ireland, Dublin) Used as a greeting, short for what's the story?


ave

Borrowed with an unspelled /h/ from Punic [script needed] (ḥawe, “live!”, 2sg. imp.), cognate to Hebrew חוה (“Chava, the biblical Eve”), and as avō from Punic [script needed] (ḥawū, 2pl. imp.), from Semitic root ḥ-w-y (live). The form might have been contaminated by Etymology 2, especially as the latter one's long vowel also ended up short via iambic shortening; this would explain the reluctance to spell the aspirate, as well as its interpretation as a verb form. Attested since Plautus.

bor

Aue Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum.

Avē̆ atque valē!

Hail and farewell! (esp. before a long departure and as a last good-bye to the dead).

Avē̆ imperātor, moritūrī tē salūtant!

Hail, commander, the ones going to their deaths salute you!

hail, hello, farewell, greetings! (a formal expression of greeting)


ave

From Old Galician-Portuguese ave, from Latin avē (“hail”).

Ave César!


ave

Inherited from Old Spanish ave, from Latin avē (“hello, hail”).

(used when coming into a house) hello, hail


sup

Procopic form of what's up (“how are you doing?”)

of supremum and of words beginning with super-

— Sup?
— Not much.

(slang) what's up (either as a greeting or actual question)


corno

From Old Galician-Portuguese corno, from Latin cornu (“horn”). Cognate with Portuguese corno and Spanish cuerno.


va

Inherited from Latin vādit, third person singular present active indicative of vādō.

now, let's go (as an incitement to action or to a decision)

aha (An Expression of incredulity or doubt)

please (When asking for something in a familiar tone)


va

here you are; here you go; voilà; lo; behold


va

Va?

huh? what? A request that the speaker repeat their last statement, or an expression of disbelief. Contraction of vad.


tra

A meaningless syllable used when singing a tune.


tra

(vulgar, Internet slang, text messaging) fuck


bu

boo! Used to indicate derision or disapproval.


bu

an onomatopoeic interjection imitating the sound of crying, usually written with two or more 'u's


bu

boo (loud exclamation intended to scare someone)


bu

säga varken bu eller bä

say neither this nor that (not express an opinion)

Bu! Blev du rädd?

boo; a loud exclamation intended to scare someone, usually a child.

boo; an exclamation used to indicate derision or disapproval of what has just occurred.


dang

First attested in c. 1797, a minced oath of damn.


prosím

Nevíte prosím, kolik je hodin?

Tumáš. Děkuji. Prosím.

Here you are. #: - Thanks. #: - You're welcome.

Mahodary je skvělé místo. Prosím?

Mahodary is a great place. #: - Sorry? (/ Pardon me!)


ay

Tro. Have I not tarried?
Pan. Ay, the grinding; but you must tarry the bolting.
Tro. Have I not tarried?
Pan. Ay, the bolting; but you must tarry the leavening.
Tro. Still have I tarried.
Pan. Ay, to the leavening; but […]

c. 1602, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:

"Good morrow to thee, jolly fellow," quoth Robin, "thou seemest happy this merry morn."
Ay, that am I," quoth the jolly Butcher, "and why should I not be so? […]"

1883, Howard Pyle, chapter V, in The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood […], New York, N.Y.: […] Charles Scribner’s Sons […], →OCLC:

"I swear also that I will honour and will cherish thee, Kallikrates, who hast been swept by the wave of time back into my arms, ay, till the very end, come it soon or late."

1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC:

(Mid-Ulster, others) Alternative spelling of aye ("yes")


ay

For example, New Zealanders tended to say "ay" at the end of sentences, but in the Asian community people used different tags to check whether people were still listening.

2013 November 13, “Surprising changes in the way Aucklanders speak”, in Stuff:

New Zealand spelling of eh (question tag)


ay

Origin uncertain; possibly related to eh and hey; popularized by a catch phrase in a 1970s sitcom.

All right (inter); hooray (inter); cool (inter).


ay

yes; yea; a word expressing assent, or an affirmative answer to a question


ay

¡Ay de ti si no te rebelas!


ay

From Proto-Austronesian *ai and/or Spanish ay. Related to English ay. Compare Hokkien 哎 (ai).

Ay! Nahulog.

Ay! Mali.


ay

From Ottoman Turkish آی (ay!), akin to Karakhanid [script needed] (ay!, “oh!”), Old Uyghur 𐽰𐽶𐽶 (ay!, “hey!, oh!”).

Ay kim gelmiş!

exclamation of surprise, shock or fear: oh!

Ay, başım!


takk

Borrowed from Danish tak, from Old Norse þǫkk (whence inherited Faroese tøkk), from Proto-Germanic *þankō, *þankaz.


takk

Borrowed from Danish tak, from Old Norse þǫkk (whence inherited Icelandic þökk), from Proto-Germanic *þankō, *þankaz. Cognates include Faroese and Norwegian takk, Danish tak, Swedish tack, English thank, West Frisian tank, Dutch dank and German Dank.

takk fyrir mig

thanks for myself; commonly said to a host for having been received as a guest; both after dining and when departing

Einn kaffibolla, takk.

Já, takk.


takk

From Old Norse þǫkk, from Proto-Germanic *þankō, *þankaz. Equivalent cognates: Danish tak, Faroese tøkk, Icelandic þökk, Swedish tack.


smeg

A clipping of smegma, popularised by the British sitcom Red Dwarf.


Peter

From Old Norse Pétr, from Latin Petrus, from Ancient Greek Πέτρος (Pétros), from πέτρος (pétros, “stone, rock”), related to πέτρα (pétra). Later reinforced by the German Peter.

The letter "P" in the Swedish spelling alphabet


Euphemism by similar pronunciation, after 십팔 (十八, sip'pal, “eighteen”).

(vulgar, euphemistic) euphemistic spelling of 씨발 (ssibal). fuck!


εντάξει

head

εντάξει • (entáxei)

Univerbation of the Katharevousa phrase εν τάξει (en táxei), modelled after Ancient Greek ἐν (en, “in”) τάξει (táxei, “order”), the latter a dative form of τάξις (táxis). Calque of German in Ordnung.


ahoj

hello, hi (informal greeting said when meeting someone)


ahoj

Internationalism; compare English ahoy. First attested in 1925.

Ahoj, przygodo!


ahoj

Ahoj, kje ste?

Hey, where are you?


Adam

From Hebrew אָדָם (adam, “earth, man, soil, light brown”).

der

The letter "A" in the Swedish spelling alphabet


eaw

From the sound. An early print use was in a 1988 instruction booklet for the video game Zelda II; probably used earlier.


merda

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese *merda, from Latin merda, from Proto-Italic *(s)merdā, from Proto-Indo-European *smerd-h₂- (“stench”).


merda

LL-Q5146 (por)-Nelson Ricardo 2500-merda.wav

LL-Q5146 (por)-Juliano P. Junho (Jjunho)-merda.wav

From Old Galician-Portuguese *merda, from Latin merda, from Proto-Italic *(s)merdā, from Proto-Indo-European *smerd-h₂- (“stench”).

Merda, nunca errei nessa distância.

1978, Sérgio Faraco, Hombre: contos, Rio de Janeiro: Civilização Brasileira, page 84:

shit! (expression of worry, failure, shock, etc.)

"O guardião" girou a maçaneta e entrou, com os braços dobrados para trás, mas fitando-a firmemente: / — Vim te desejar muita merda!

2011, Stella Maris Rezende, A mocinha do Mercado Central, São Paulo: Globo, →ISBN, page unnumbeded:

Boa leitura e merda!

2023, Tuna Serzedello, O teatro que muda o mundo: experiências com teatro jovem, São Paulo: Peirópolis, unnumbered page:

(theater, slang) break a leg! (a superstitious expression of encouragement prior to a performance)


ñ

From n with a nasal dash, which is a medieval shorthand for m or n (e.g. fõtẽ or fōtē for fontem). The sign ñ thus represents nn, the usual Old Spanish spelling for /ɲ/, generalised from words like año, where the sound goes back to Latin -nn-.

Used by Spanish speakers on the internet to taunt non-Spanish speakers


yoink

Back in a pool game, Lindsey comes by between shots and leans over my shoulder and whispers, "Don't look now, but that blonde girl is checking you out." YOINK!

2005, Adam Harris, A Single Southerner Across America, →ISBN, pages 16–17:

yoink! The US will never close the border to Mexico. Politicians here don't have the political will to do such thing.

2009 May 5, Dias Leonardo, “yoink!”, in politics.r.us (Usenet):

“What do you mean, don't kill me?” Major Healy said, sneering. “In case you didn't notice, I'm the one with the weapon.” “Oh, yeah,” Remo said. “Yoink.”

2016, Richard Sapir, Warren Murphy, The Wrong Stuff, →ISBN:

(colloquial) Used for emphasis or to express that one is impressed.


yoink

Coined by writer George Meyer for the TV show The Simpsons; perhaps from yank, or imitative of the sound effect (a quick upward slide on a violin) that accompanies something being snatched in classic comedies.

Marge: But you look better, you don't sweat when you eat any more, and look – [holds up a wad of cash] You've saved more than a hundred dollars. I found it in your pants.
Homer: [snatches money] Yoink!

1993, “Duffless”, episode of the Simpsons [television]

Yoink! He snatched Granny Glee's frilly pink hat with his little feet.

2012, John Sazaklis, Candy Store Caper, →ISBN, page 24:

The way I've always done this stunt is to grab my partner and jump us over together. It's absolute hell on my knees. I lean toward Brando and raise my eyebrows. “Yoink.” “Definite yoink,” he replies, equally inspired.

2014, G. T. Almasi, Hammer of Angels: A Novel of Shadowstorm, →ISBN:

YOINK! Coach Pittman snatched the puck out of midair.

2015, Marty McKnight, Jim Nasium Is a Hockey Hazard, →ISBN, page 42:

2021 (November 13) "Olivia & Yunan" (Amphibia s3e7b) Yunan grabbing a crossbow
Ooh, ominous. After you, milady. Yoink!

(colloquial) Onomatopoeic, accompanying or describing a yank, swipe, or snatch.


/paɪ̯³⁵ paɪ̯³⁵/

/paɪ̯⁵⁵ paɪ̯³⁵/

/paɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ paɪ̯⁵¹/

/paːi̯⁵⁵ paːi̯³³/

/paɪ̯³⁵ paɪ̯³⁵/

/paɪ̯⁵⁵ paɪ̯³⁵/

/paɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ paɪ̯⁵¹/

/paːi̯⁵⁵ paːi̯³³/

(slang, text messaging, Internet slang) bye-bye


rat-tat-tat

The sound made by knocking on a door with a hard object (such as a door knocker).

The sound made by firing an automatic machine gun.


pes

Inherited from Ottoman Turkish بس (bes, “Enough! Hold!”, interj.), from Persian بس (bas, “enough”).

inh+

Used when accepting defeat; "I yield!" or "Uncle!"

Yalanın bu kadarına da pes doğrusu!

To be honest, I don't even know what to say about such a lie!

at a loss for words
at a loss for words#English

Used when at a loss for words at someone's extraordinary behavior or action; "I don't even know what to say!", "This is too much!" or "This takes the cake!"


like

From Old English līcian (“to be pleasing”).

Oo jist saw it the now, like.

(Southern Scots) Used to place emphasis upon a statement.


prosit

Toast to indicate one is drinking to someone's, or to each other's, health.


prosit

Borrowed from Latin prōsit (“may it be good”), the third-person singular present active subjunctive of prōsum (“be good”)

bor+

bless you! (said to someone who has just sneezed)


prosit

Borrowed from Latin prōsit (“may it be good”), the third-person singular present active subjunctive of prōsum (“be good”).

cheers (toast used when drinking in company)


prosit

bless you! exclamation said to someone who has just sneezed


prosit

bless you! (said to someone who has just sneezed or yawned)


terse

Humorous form of terve, possibly influenced by perse.


swish

"Just like parade it had been a minute before then stumble, bang, swish! Wiped out!" he said.

1898, H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds, London: William Heinemann, page 84:

A hissing or whistling sound of something travelling quickly through the air.


para

Borrowed from Spanish parar (“to stop”).

stop! (used as a command to stop a vehicle)


para

Borrowed from Spanish para (“stop”) (second person singular imperative), from parar (“stop”).

Said by any jeepney passenger to call onto the driver to halt the vehicle, with the intention of dismounting.


az

Az, nə qayırırsan?!


prost

Prost! Sarjentuak dantzara atera zuen Justina, eta neskatxak onartu.

2002, Felipe Juaristi, Itzarri nahi ez zuen printzesa, Alberdania, →ISBN, page 160:

Cheers! The sergeant asked Justina to dance, and the girl accepted.


prost

Contraction (early 18th c.) of prosit (16th c.), from Latin prōsit (“may it be beneficial”). Originally used as a blessing in various contexts, e.g. as a response to sneezing. Remnants of such freer use are prost Mahlzeit and prost Neujahr. Compare Dutch proost.

cheers (the usual toast when drinking alcohol)


moi

From Low German; see German Low German moin. Has also been compared with moro, suggesting a connection with Swedish morgon, but this is now considered unlikely.


moi

Moi, ist der Hase süß!

(Austria, colloquial) aw (Used to express affection.)


fudge

Probably a variant of fadge (“to fit”), the confectionery sense having evolved from the meaning of “merging together” or “turning out as expected”.

Fudge! if you had such a fine instinct, why did you let us go to Transome Court and make fools of ourselves?

(colloquial, minced oath) Used in place of fuck.

Oh, fudge! Don't lecture me.

(colloquial, archaic) Nonsense; tommyrot.


ơ

Ơ, sao lại thế?

Ơ… thằng này láo nhỉ!


siap

From Malay siap, probably from Proto-Mon-Khmer *srap (“ready, prepared”) (compare Khmer ស្រាប់ (srap, “ready”) and Vietnamese sắp. Compare to Japanese 気(き)を付(つ)け (kiotsuke, “attention”) and Malay sedia for military command.

der

(military) Used as a command to bring soldiers to the attention position.


slut

From Swedish slut, from Middle Low German slūt.

(radio communications) over and out, out (ending a conversation)


ala

Ala, nə eləyirsən?!


ala

Learned borrowing from Latin āla. Compare the inherited doublet á.


ala

expressing negation or disapproval, or sometimes agreement, depending on the tenor of expression


za

From an apheretic pronunciation of wossat or (directly) of what's that.

"Really, the best evidence that Liam was under mind control is that everyone here is still alive." "Za?"

2022 May 11, Dan Shive, El Goonish Shive (webcomic), Comic for Wednesday, May 11, 2022:

An expression of surprise or confusion; compare wha, huh, eh.


za

(usually said to an animal) scat, get out of here, shoo


fen

(obsolete) Used in children's games to prevent or forestall another player's action; a check or bar.


youch

Youch! I stubbed my toe!


چشم

head

چشم • (čašm)

From Middle Persian [script needed] (AYNE), [script needed] (čšm /čašm/), from Proto-Iranian *čášma, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *čáćšma. Cognate with Sanskrit चक्षस् (cakṣas).

(deferential, somewhat formal) OK, all right


ow

Now don't you wait or hesitate / Let's move before they raise the parking rate, ow!

1970, Free (lyrics and music), “All Right Now”:

Then you ran into the bedroom / You were struck down / It was your doom, Annie / Ow!

1987, Michael Jackson (lyrics and music), “Smooth Criminal”:


yo

As a greeting first attested in 1859, attested first as a cry of sailors and huntsmen (first attested in the 1400s; compare e.g. huzzah, giddyup). Originally from Middle English yo, io, ȝo, yeo, yaw, variant forms of ya, ye (“yes, yea”), from Old English ġēa (“yes, yea”), from Proto-Germanic *ja (“yes, thus, so”); or perhaps from Old English ēow (“Wo!, Alas!”, interjection). Compare Danish, Swedish, German, Norwegian jo (“yes (flexible meaning)”), Dutch jow (“hi, hey”) and Dutch jo (“hi, hey”). More at yea, ow, ew.
Modern popularity apparently dates from World War II (claimed to be a common response at roll calls; see definition 4), and then most intensely attested in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; it thence spread globally from American dominance of pop culture post-WWII.

inh

Yo Paulie! How's it going?

Yo, check this out!

Check this out, yo!

Yo, that's crazy, but I don't remember asking.

I have quickly acclimated myself to the standard form of greeting on campus: "Oh hey what’s your name? … Yeah, nice to meet you, what're you studying? … Yo that’s sick!" A script to recite, nearly verbatim, 10 times a day or more.

2021 October 2, Mason Cannon, “Don't Feel Pressured To Declare Your Major Right Away”, in Study Breaks:

(slang) An expression of surprise or excitement.

Sergeant: Smith?
Private Smith: Yo!

JESSE: That is messed up, yo.

2010, "Kafkaesque" (Breaking Bad TV series, season 3, episode 9)

(chiefly African-American Vernacular) Emphatic conclusion to a statement.


yo

“Yo!” Mathias så op.

2016, Lisbeth Zornig, Mikael Lindholm, Bundfald, Art People, →ISBN:


yo

(slang) yo (informal greeting, interjection similar to hey)


yo

(slang) yo (greeting, interjection similar to hey)


yo

(informal) Term of objection, roughly equivalent to nope, nah or naw.


David

From Vulgate Latin David, ultimately of Hebrew origin. First recorded as a given name in Sweden in runes around 1200.

The letter "D" in the Swedish spelling alphabet


rubbish

term-label

(chiefly UK, Ireland, Commonwealth, colloquial)

Inherited from Middle English robous (“rubbish, building rubble”), further origin uncertain; possibly from Anglo-Norman rubous, rubouse, rubbouse (“refuse, waste material; building rubble”), and compare Anglo-Latin rebbussa, robousa, robusium, robusum, rubisum, rubusa, rubusium (although the Anglo-Norman and Anglo-Latin words may be derived from the English word instead of the other way around, as there are no known Old French cognates of the word). The English word may be related to rubble, though the connection is unclear. Possibly derived ultimately from Old Norse rubba (“to huddle, crowd together, heap up", also possibly "to rub, scrape”), from Proto-Germanic *rubbōną (“to rub, scrape”). Compare Swedish rubba (“to move, displace, dislodge, upset”).
The verb is derived from the noun.

pahus

used to express that something is exceedingly bad

The one day I actually practice my violin, the teacher cancels the lesson.
Aw, rubbish! Though at least this means you have time to play football.

Used to express that something is exceedingly bad, awful, or terrible.

Rubbish! I did nothing of the sort!

Rubbish, sir, rubbish! Pestilent and pernicious rubbish! An honest man must consider what he owes to his name and his rank. That is the first consideration.

1906, Alfred Sutro, The Walls of Jericho: A Play in Four Acts, French’s Standard Library edition, New York, N.Y., London: Samuel French, →OCLC, act II, page 44:

Used to express that what was recently said is nonsense or untrue; balderdash!, nonsense!

глупости

used to express that what was recently said is nonsense or untrue


ojo

Inherited from Old Spanish ojo, from Vulgar Latin oclus, from Latin oculus. Doublet of óculo. Cognate to Portuguese olho, French œil, Italian occhio, Romanian ochi, Russian око (oko).


aba-aba

Reduplication of aba (“exclamation of surprise”).


fitte

Uncertain, possibly related to Old Norse fita (“greasy fluid, fat”) or Old Norse fit (“meadowy plain adjacent to lake”) or more possible to Old Norse fitje (“rift in rock, cliff”) according to Wikipedia.no. Related to Swedish fitta.

(strongly vulgar) an expletive used to express displeasure; fuck!


tush

"Tush, Sir Minstrel," replied the archer, displeased at Bertram's interference, […]

1831 June–November (date written), Jedadiah Cleishbotham [pseudonym; Walter Scott], chapter [XIII], in Tales of My Landlord, Fourth and Last Series. […], volume IV (Castle Dangerous), Edinburgh: […] [Ballantyne and Company] for Robert Cadell; London: Whittaker and Co., published 1 December 1831 (indicated as 1832), →OCLC, page 275:

He glanced through the letter and shook his head. "Tush! tush! And the wife of the bank manager too—the bank manager of Pudlington, James! Can you conceive of anything so dreadful?"

1920, Herman Cyril McNeile, chapter 1, in Bulldog Drummond:

(archaic) An exclamation of rebuke or scorn.


pagan

Ultimately from Latin paganus, through either Old East Slavic поганъ (poganŭ) or directly from Latin, through the German crusaders. Cognate to Finnish pakana.


flop

Recorded since 1602, probably a variant of flap with a duller, heavier sound

"One step. Steady. Another step. Flop! I got him!"

1900, Joseph Conrad, Lord Jim, page xx. 154:

Indicating the sound of something flopping.


normal

Du hast mit zwölf schon geraucht? ― Normal.

(colloquial) sure, of course, obviously; usually implies that something is trivial


cave

Borrowed from Latin cavē, second-person singular present active imperative of caveō (“to beware”). Used at Eton College, Berkshire.

Ssh! Cave! Mum's the word! Not 'arf, or what?

1989, Ben Elton, Richard Curtis, Private Plane (Blackadder Goes Forth), season 4, episode 4, spoken by Lt. George (Hugh Laurie):

(British, school slang) look out!; beware!


aba

Aba lenjistis!


aba

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *abá. Compare Tagalog aba.

an exclamation of surprise, admiration, wonder


aba

expresses wonder or draws attention to something


aba

Either inherited from Latin apage (“go away”), from Ancient Greek άπαγε (ápage), or alternatively borrowed from Arabic اِبْعَد (ibʕad, dialectally also abʕad), imperative of بَعِدَ (baʕida, “to go away”). As both words have the same meaning and could both easily have yielded Spanish aba, it is hardly possible to decide.


aba

Aba! Bakit ngayon mo lang sinabi?

Aba! Ikaw ang bahala.

Aba oo.

an exclamation of surprise, wonder, or admiration; wow


aba

Borrowed from Spanish ave, from Latin avē (“hello, hail”). The senses “calling of attention” could possibly be borrowed from Spanish aba (“watch out”), either from Latin apage (“go away”), from Ancient Greek άπαγε (ápage), or from Arabic اِبْعَد.

der

Arabic اِبْعَد

Aba Ginoong Maria!


blast

From Middle English blasten, blesten, from Old English blǣstan (“to blow, blast”), from Proto-West Germanic *blēstijan, from Proto-Germanic *blēstijaną. Possibly related to Middle High German blesten (“to stand out, plop, splash”).

noncog

(chiefly British, informal, mildly blasphemous) Used to show anger or disappointment: damn


vittu

Mida vittu sa teed?

(vulgar) A swear word that is equivalent to fuck


vittu

From Proto-Norse. Compare Swedish fitta and Old Norse fytta. Cognate to Estonian vitt, Ingrian vittu, and Veps vitõińe.


mat

English: mate

From Old French mat, a backformation from eschec mat (“checkmate”).

(chess) Said when the opponent's king is captured.


wakey wakey

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-wakey wakey.wav


shite

From the Middle English shite, schite, scīte (“excrement”), cognate with Middle Low German schīte, Middle High German schīze, Dutch schijt. Compare Middle English shitel, scitel, scytel (“dung, excrement”), from Old English sċitel. More at shit. Doublet of scheisse.

Shite! I left my wallet at home.

(chiefly UK, Ireland, vulgar) An expression of annoyance or dismay.


thack

From Middle English thacce, from thakken (“to stroke”): see etymology 1.

1860, Albany Fonblanque, Jun., Hector Mainwaring; or, A lease for lives, Ward and Lock, page 205,
Thack ! thack ! thack ! the heavy hunting whip came down upon the head and shoulders of Charles Dudley.

Whishhh—THACK! The strap is a blur as it comes to meet my outstretched hand.

2012, Campbell Bolwell, From the Mountaintop, Xlibris, page 33:


hip

An exclamation to invoke a united cheer: hip hip hooray.


d'oh

Audio (US)

Imitative. Popularised by the cartoon character Homer Simpson in the TV show The Simpsons. Voice actor Dan Castellaneta has said that he modelled his version on the drawn-out "do-o-o-o" sound made by Jimmy Finlayson in the films of Laurel and Hardy.
The OED has references from the BBC as far back as 1945.

—I just paid for our food. —You didn't have to. It's free. —D'oh!

Expresses frustration or anger, especially at one’s own stupidity.

British Broadcasting Corporation
Homer Simpson
Jimmy Finlayson
Laurel and Hardy
Oxford English Dictionary
The Simpsons


surprise

From Middle English surprise, borrowed from Middle French surprise (“an overtake”), nominal use of the past participle of Old French sorprendre (“to overtake”), from sor- (“over”) + prendre (“to take”), from Latin super- + Latin prendere, contracted from prehendere (“to grasp, seize”). Doublet of suppli.

"Surprise!" we shouted as we jumped out from the cupboard. "Happy birthday!"

Drawing attention to a surprising action by oneself.

When we add code modules, we will have an additional folder called (surprise!) Modules.

2013, John Connell, Beginning Visual Basic 6 Database Programming, page 129:

Sarcastically drawing attention to something that should have been obvious.


heck

Late 19th century, originally dialectal northern English, from a euphemistic alteration of hell.

Heck, what did I expect? It's too muddy out to go biking today.


eek

onomatopoeic

Imitative

Eek! There's a mouse in the bathtub!

Representing a scream or shriek (especially in comic strips and books).

I almost got fired from my job yesterday. Eek!

Expressing (sometimes mock) fear or surprise.

Representing the shrill vocal sound of a mouse, rat, or monkey.


azul

Possibly from Tuareg ăhul (“to send a greeting”), coined by Mammeri Mouloud.


azul

Borrowed from Moroccan Amazigh azul (“hello”), from Zenaga azul (“peace”)


indeed

From Middle English indede, contraction of the phrase in dede (“in sooth, in fact”); equivalent to in + deed (similar in formation to in fact, in truth, etc.). Cognate with Saterland Frisian innerdoat, innedoat (“indeed”), West Frisian yndied (“indeed”), Dutch inderdaad (“indeed”), German in der Tat (“indeed”). First attested in the early 14ᵗʰ century.

etydate

"I am a great runner." "Indeed!"

"I am a great runner." "Indeed?"

With interrogative intonation (low-high) indicates serious doubt.


арба

From ары /aːrə/ "indeed" + suffix ба /baː/.

кӏалэр мэкӏошъут арба?

кӏалэм укӏонэу къуиӏуагъ арба?

арба кӏалэм иӏуагъэ?


чай

Clipping of ча́ю (čáju), first-person singular present of ча́ять (čájatʹ).

ты, чай, замёрз?

(colloquial) methinks, must be, may be, hopefully, probably


yea

From Middle English ye, ȝea, ya, ȝa, from Old English ġēa, iā (“yea, yes”), from Proto-West Germanic *jā.

(in some dialects of American English, including Southern, Western, and African American Vernacular) Yeah, right, yes.


yea

(nonstandard, proscribed) Alternative spelling of yeah


ribbit

Widow Toad: Looks kinds puny to me. Looks like a breeze could carry her off. Ribbit, ribbit. Maybe she could cook and clean my house.

1943, Vera Morris, transl., Thumbelina, Denver, Colorado: Pioneer Drama Service, page 9:

Frogs croaking ribbit, ribbit
Trees rustling sssshh, ssshh
Water rushing over rapids splash, clash.

1992 April 19, The Canberra Times, Australian Captial Territory, page 2, column 1:

(onomatopoeia) The vocal sound made by a frog or toad.

The students fell momentarily silent while he finished writing on the board. Then, "Ribbit!"

Used to anonymously and disrespectfully break silence, as in educational or ceremonial settings.


shame

From Middle English schame, from Old English sċamu, from Proto-Germanic *skamō.

Mr John Golding: One would not realise that it came from the same Government, because in that letter the Under-Secretary states: "The future of BT's pension scheme is a commercial matter between BT, its workforce, and the trustees of the pensions scheme, and the Government cannot give any guarantees about future pension arrangements."
#*: Mr. Charles R. Morris: Shame.

1982, “Telecommunications Bill”, in Hansard:

[…] the Duke of Dorset charged in the list with "not known, but supposed forty thousand per year" (charitable supposition) had when formerly in office only about 3 or £4,000, and has not now, nor when the black list was printed, any office whatever — (Much tumult, and cries of "shame" and "doust the liars")

1831, The Bristol Job Nott; or, Labouring Man's Friend:

A cry of admonition for the subject of a speech, either to denounce the speaker or to agree with the speaker's denunciation of some person or matter; often used reduplicated, especially in political debates.

Shame, you poor thing, you must be cold!


gad

That's the trouble — it was too easy for you — you got reckless — thought you could turn me inside out, and chuck me in the gutter like an empty purse. But, by gad, that ain't playing fair: that's dodging the rules of the game.

1905, Edith Wharton, chapter 13, in The House of Mirth:

goodness gracious
goodness gracious#English

for goodness' sake
for goodness' sake#English

An exclamation roughly equivalent to by God, goodness gracious, for goodness' sake.


phwoar

Imitative of the sound made, with the mouth initially partly closed and then opened wide.

onom

Imitative

That Susan, phwoar!

For quotations using this term, see Citations:phwoar.

(UK, slang) Expresses sexual desire on seeing a person that one is attracted to.


en route

en route mauvaise troupe


oink

Representing the grunting sound made by a pig.

Mom swallowed a spoonful of pudding and looked Daddy straight in the eye. "Oink, oink," she said, to let him know he was being a male chauvinist pig.

"The tub is too small!" "Then, I'll go first and you'll have to wait!" "Chauvinist pig!" "Oink, oink!"

2003, Robert N. Mansfield, Randy Maas, The Assassin: Attack on America:

You are such a male chauvinist oink, oink. You think that you are the only one who can drive a car or fly an airplane.

2005, Alinka Zyrmont, Forbidden Passion:

Drawing attention to male chauvinism (from the term male chauvinist pig).


soft

From Middle English softe, from Old English sōfte, alteration of earlier sēfte (“soft”), from Proto-West Germanic *samft(ī) (“level, even, smooth, soft, gentle”) (compare *sōmiz (“agreeable, fitting”)), from Proto-Indo-European *semptio-, *semtio-, from *sem- (“one, whole”). Cognate with West Frisian sêft (“gentle; soft”), Dutch zacht (“soft”), German Low German sacht (“soft”), German sanft (“soft, yielding”), Old Norse sœmr (“agreeable, fitting”), samr (“same”). More at seem, same.

inh

Soft, you; a word or two before you go.
But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks?

c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii]:

(archaic) Be quiet; hold; stop; not so fast.


może być

/ˈmɔ.ʐɛ ˈbɘt͡ɕ/

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see może, być.

(idiomatic) OK, that will do (expresses acceptance with a hint of reluctance or indifference)


oh my God

ja-r

オーマイガー (ōmaigā)

→ Japanese: オーマイガー (ōmaigā), オマイガッ (omaiga') (slang)

→ Korean: 오마이갓 (omaigat)

desc

→ Mandarin: 喔麥尬／喔麦尬 (ōmàigà), 歐買尬／欧买尬

→ Mandarin: 喔麥尬／喔麦尬 (ōmàigà), 歐買尬／欧买尬

Creep niggas like a seal
Tote the steel
Stick a nigga, make him squeal
"Oh, my God!"
Those can't be the last words of ya man
Damn, ya man was so hard

2001, “We Right Here”, in Earl Simmons (lyrics), The Great Depression, Ruff Ryders Entertainment:

Jen: Douglas has asked me to be his PA.
Moss: Oh. My. God! Well, that is something and a half. His PA? How... Whoa! His PA... Shut up! His PA!
Jen: It means "personal assistant".
Moss: Thank you. Right, OK.

2007 September 28, Graham Linehan, The IT Crowd, Season 2, Episode 6

(potentially offensive) An expression of anger, frustration, excitement, shock, awe, dismay, etc.


really

From Middle English really, realy, rialliche, equivalent to real + -ly.

وَٱللّٰه؟

indicating surprise at, or requesting confirmation of, some new information

gosh

incredulity, phatically contrived incredulity, or in ironic/sarcastic sense

A: He won the Nobel Prize yesterday.

B: Really?

(informal) Indicating surprise at, or requesting confirmation of, some new information; to express skepticism.

A: You know, I saw Oliver the other day.

B: Really? What's he been up to?

"Literally" is not the only word that has lost touch with reality: look at "really." That word also was meant to describe a state of reality, or literalness. Even as a substitute for "Is that so?," the word asked, "Is that true, or real?" Nowadays, one guy goes, "I literally flew off the handle," and the other guy goes "Really." It's a grunt, meaning, "I'm still here."

1979 November 4, William Safire, “On Language [column]”, in New York Times:

(informal, by extension) A phatic confirmation by a listener, to signal active listening; mostly devoid of literal meaning, with the phatically contrived incredulity being merely formulaic.

така ли

A: I've just been reading Shakespeare - he's one of the best authors like, ever!

B: Really.

(informal, sarcastic, typically exaggerated question.) Indicating that what was just said was obvious and unnecessary; contrived incredulity

A: That girl talks about herself way too much.

B: Really. She's a nightmare.

(informal, chiefly US) Indicating affirmation, agreement.

Well, really! How rude.

(informal) Indicating displeasure at another person's behaviour or statement.

oikeasti

indicating displeasure at another person's behaviour


ॐ

the sacred syllable and mantra in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism


ॐ

Bengali: ওঁ (ō̃)

Burmese: ဥုံ

Chinese: 唵 (ǎn)

English: om

Khmer: ៚

Hindi: ॐ (om)

Japanese: 唵 (on)

Malayalam: ഓം (ōṁ)

Kannada: ಓಂ (ōṃ)

Tamil: ௐ

Telugu: ఓం (ōṁ)

Thai: โอม (oom)

Tibetan: ཨོཾ (oṃ)

Sundanese: ᮃᮅᮙ᮪ (aum)

Etymology disputed.
* A. Parpola proposes borrowing from Dravidian, ultimately from Proto-Dravidian *ām (“let it be so, it is so, yes”), a contraction of *ākum, cognate with Tamil ஆம் (ām, “yes”).
* M. Blumfield proposes derivation from Proto-Indo-European *au (introductory particle) via *ō >* ōṃ > ōm, cognate with Ancient Greek αὖ (aû).
* The Upaniṣads propose multiple Sanskrit etymologies, including: from आम् (ām, “yes”); from एवम् (evam, “that, thus, yes”); and from आप् (āp, “to attain”) or अव् (av, “to urge”).

der

the sacred syllable and mantra in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism: om, aum


faith

From Middle English faith (also fay), borrowed from Old French fei, feid, from Latin fidem. Displaced native Old English ġelēafa, which was also the word for "belief."
Old French had [θ] as a final devoiced allophone of /ð/ from lenited Latin /d/; this eventually fell silent in the 12th century. The -th of the Middle English forms is most straightforwardly accounted for as a direct borrowing of a French [θ]. However, it has also been seen as arising from alteration of a French form with -d under influence of English abstract nouns in the suffix -th (e.g. truth, ruth, health, etc.), or as a recharacterisation of a French form like fay, fey, fei with the same suffix, thus making the word equivalent to fay + -th.