Middle English Dictionary Entry
hei interj.
Entry Info
| Forms | hei interj. Also hai, ai & hẹ̄ & heh, heigh. |
| Etymology | Prob. imitative; cp. Ger., Du., Norw., Dan. hei, Swed. hej & OF hay, hé, hahai, F eh. It is often hard to distinguish this interj. from ei interj. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Implying challenge, rebuttal, anger, derision; (b) indicating sorrow or concern; ~ weilawei; (c) an exclamation of encouragement to dogs, esp. in hunting; (d) as a burden in songs and carols; ~ ha (ho, hou), hou ~; (e) indicating embarrassment or evasiveness.
Associated quotations
a
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Einenkel)580 : Þa onswerede þe an swiðe prudeliche..'Hei! hwuch wis read of se icudd keiser!'
- c1300 SLeg.Devil Serv.(Hrl 2277)24 : 'Hai parde,' quaþ þe frere, 'zut þer failleþ on.'
- c1300 SLeg.Kath.(Hrl 2277)137 : 'Hei traitours!' quaþ þemperour, 'beo ȝe icome herto?'
- a1425 KAlex.(LinI 150)874 : He [Ld: Fy], fyle asteynte hore sone, To misdo was ay þy wone.
- c1450 Battlefield Gram.(Trin-C O.5.4)117 : How knowyste an jnterieccion'? A party of reson that by tokenyth talente of a mannys thouȝte and is not declinyd, as fy, hay.
b
- c1300 SLeg.Kath.(Hrl 2277)211 : 'Hei, hende maide Katerine,' seide þemperour, 'Þench on þi noble gentrise, for of maidenes þu ert flour.'
- a1325(?a1300) Interl.CG (Add 23986)19 : For ye hy sory nicht and day, Y may say, hay wayleuay!
- a1400 HEuen it es (Adv 18.8.1)7 : Þu mon singge hay, wailaway!
- c1475(?c1451) Worcester Bk.Noblesse (Roy 18.B.22)41 : 'Heh allas!' thei did crie and, 'woo be the tyme,' they saide.
c
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)1158 : Þe hindez were halden in, with hay & war.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)1445 : [Þ]ise oþer halowed hyghe! ful hyȝe, & hay! hay! cryed.
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)1213 : The herde of hertes founden is anon, With 'Hay! go bet! pryke thow! lat gon, lat gon!'
- c1475 Mankind (Folg V.a.354)713 : Hay, doog! hay, whoppe! whoo! go yowur wey lyghtly!
d
- (1349) Wardrobe Acc.Edw.III(1) in Archaeol.3143 : Cum dictamine Regis Hay, hay, the Wythe swan, by godes soule I am thy man.
- a1400 Hey how ȝe (RBOss)1176 : Hey how, ȝe chevaldoures woke [?read: wok] al nyght.
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)7.108 : Þanne seten somme & sungen at þe ale, And holpen ere þe half akir wiþ 'hey [vrr. hay, ay] trolly lolly.'
- a1450(?1404) As þe see (Dgb 102)234 : They rekene his richesse..Ete and drynke, synge, 'hay, ȝol, hayl!'
- a1450 Ying men I warne (Sln 2593)p.271 : How, hey! It is non les, I dar not seyn quan che sey 'Pes!'
- a1500 Swet Ihesus is cum (BodPoet e.1)p.58 : Hey now, now, now! Swet Jhesus Is cum to vs, This good tym of Crystmas.
- a1500 The bysshope Scrope (Trin-C R.4.20)p.288 : Hay, hay, hay, hay! Thynke on Whitson Monday.
- a1500 Thys indrys day (BodPoet e.1)p.274-5 : Hey, howe, Sely men God helpe yowe..Sche toke hym be the berd so fast Tyll bothe hys eyn on watyr gan brast With hey, how!..Neybyr, why wepyst soo? With hey, ho.
- a1550 *Ripley CAlch.(BodeMus 63)53b : These monkes, they sayen, haue manye A pownde; 'wold god,' saith one, 'that some were mine! heigha [vr. Hay hoe] carre awaye, let the cuppe go rownde.'
e
- (1469) Paston (Gairdner)5.21 : When I axyd hym whedyr C. desyird hym to meve me that qwestyon or not, he wold have gotyn it aweye by humys and by hays, but I wold not so be answeryd.