Middle English Dictionary Entry
ō interj.
Entry Info
| Forms | ō interj. Also oo, oa. |
| Etymology | L & OF |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
Oh, ah: (a) preceding a noun or pron. of address; (b) expressing surprise, awe, anger, scorn, anguish, emphasis, etc.; ~ alas, ~ fi, ~ ho, ~ nai, ~ wo, ~ yis, etc.; (c) in prov.: bettre is ~ than no, hesitation or grumbling is better than outright refusal [o adv. is hardly possible in view of the early ME spellings].
Associated quotations
a
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)8548 : O Aurilie, þe king, þu fræinest me a sellic þing.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Juliana (Bod 34)45/483 : O ihesu, godes sune, þe hauest þin hehe seotel o meiðhades mihte.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Einenkel)1366 : O, leoue iferen, feire is us ifallen.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Einenkel)1442-3 : O mihti meiden! O witti wummon!...Nim ȝeme of þi ȝuheðe.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)32/1 : O mine leoue sustren, as eue haueð monie dehtren þe folhið hare moder, [etc.].
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)1109 : O Ihesu, swete þing, whar is oure heorte now?
- ?c1335 Þe grace of godde (Hrl 913)130 : O sinful man, wo worþ þi rede!
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)233/24 : O þu þet art cristen, lyerne hou þou sselt louie god.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)1342 : 'O madame,' seide þe messageres, 'what mele ȝe nouþe?'
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Ps.117.25 : O Lord, mac me saaf.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.1303 : O cruel goddes, that gouerne This world with byndyng of youre word eterne.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.ML.(Manly-Rickert)B.1172 : O Iankyn, be ye there?
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.124 : O thou Cupide, O thou Venus..Wher is pite?
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)737 : For al men seyn, o þou lady, Þat þou art modyr of mercy.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)298/5 : O Lord, whi is it so greet difference bitwixe a cirurgian & a phisician?
- a1400 Crist made to man (Htrn 512)5 : O Loue, loue, what hast þou ment?
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)269 : 'Oo madame,' he seide, 'Olympyas, Heiȝe maister in Egipte J was.'
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)861 : Oo, my frendez so fre, yor fare is to strange.
- c1400 *Bk.Mother (Bod 416)197/17 : O ȝe alle þat passen bi þe wei, takeþ hede and lokeþ.
- (1402) Hoccl.Cupid (Hnt HM 744)461 : O womman, þat of vertu art hostesse, Greet is thyn honur.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)prol.372 : Laude and honour..O Guydo maister, be vn-to thi name.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)3.617-18 : O Fortune, executrice of wyrdes, O influences of thise hevenes hye.
- a1425 Dial.Reason & A.(Cmb Ii.6.39)39/10 : O amyable pouerte, þat compellith þe gredi to be mesurable!
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)77/18 : O inestymable mercy, I wil neuere wondir if þou seye þat word to hem þat cam out of synne.
- c1450(c1440) Scrope Othea (StJ-C H.5)5/7 : O good lord, how am I desiryng Thi grete availe.
- a1450 Castle Persev.(Folg V.a.354)3314 : O þou Fadyr, of mytys moste, Mercyful God in Trinite!
- c1450(c1370) Chaucer ABC (Benson-Robinson)105-6 : O verrey light of eyen that ben blynde, O verrey lust of labour and distresse!
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)79/226 : O my god, devocion depe in me dryve.
- a1500 GRom.(Glo 42)764/11 : Þe mayde..Cryed, 'O ye gentilman, haue mercy on me.'
b
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)21 : 'O,' seið þus þe boc, 'wei þet he eure hit wule iþenche in his þonke!'
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)126/27 : O, muchel is þe mihte of schir & cleane bone.
- a1250 Ancr.(Nero A.14)126/5 : 'O,' þouhte ure louerd ðet al þis biheold, 'i schal don ðe enne turn ðet tu ne kuðest neuer.'
- a1250 Orison Lord (Lamb 487)189 : O muchele menske to beon moder of swuche sone!
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.ML.(Manly-Rickert)B.782 : Fy, mannyssh, fy, o nay, by god I lye.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Cl.(Manly-Rickert)E.139 : O, wo were vs alyue!
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.CY.(Manly-Rickert)G.1407 : O fy for shame! they that han been brent, Allas, kan they nat flee the fyres hete?
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)10566 : O þai war glad and ioiful þan.
- a1400 WBible(1) (Add 15580)Rom.11.33 : O [Dc 369(2): A, the hiȝnesse..and kunnynge of God].
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.1823 : But o, allas, þer lakked hiȝ prudence.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)4288 : But O allas, whil he lay alofte, Ful yrously Ethiocles..his brother smoot.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)4.972 : O, welaway! so sleigh arn clerkes olde, That I not whos opynyoun I may holde.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)149/9 : Þou..answerist to þe feend þus: 'O, what wrecche am I!'
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)197/32 : O, how swete is sich oonheed and vnyoun to a taastynge soule.
- a1450 Glo.Chron.B (Lond-U 278)815 : O waye [A: A wey, doȝter cordeille, woder ssal ich nou fle].
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)342/154 : Oo, doulfully nowe is he dight.
- c1450(1369) Chaucer BD (Benson-Robinson)179 : This messager com fleynge faste And cried, 'O,ho! awake anoon!'
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)706 : 'O yis, yis,' Quod he to me, 'that kan I preve.'
- c1450 ?C.d'Orl.Poems (Hrl 682)12/348 : O what felicite Which y haue for your plesaunt acqueyntaunce!
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)48 : 'Oo,' quod sapience, 'and shalt thou therfore conclude me?'
- a1475 Siege Troy(1) (Hrl 525)1665 : 'How shulld I þenne bryng him downe?' 'Oo yes, sone, with treson.'
- c1475 Body Pol.(Cmb Kk.1.5)110/26 : O, what thyng may do mor harme..than the wille and the delytes of the fleshe!
- c1475 Body Pol.(Cmb Kk.1.5)142/15 : O, houghe it is gretly allowed and comendid in holy scriptur that God is trouthe and so he calleth himselfe.
- c1450(a1400) Libeaus (Clg A.2)715 : 'Oo,' seyde Lybeaus, 'Be Seynt Jon!'
- a1500 GRom.(Glo 42)782/7 : O how many are it þat Crucifien criste by her syn!
- 1530(c1450) Mirror Our Lady (Fawkes)91 : Thys hympne begynneth wyth O..here yt meanyth praysynge and meruelynge, as when a man seyth or heryth a thynge that ys ryghte meruaylous, he sayeth..'O, what ys thys?' or such other.
c
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)173/10 : Betere is o [Cleo: oa] þene no.