Alas
/əˈlæs/noun
An exclamation used to express sorrow, regret, or pity.
Did you know?“Alas” comes through Old French from a Latin cry of lament, showing how interjections can preserve raw emotion across centuries without ever becoming ordinary vocabulary.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*leǵ-
“to let go, let lie, leave”
Latin
Latin
lassus
“weary, tired, exhausted”
Late Latin
Latin
lassus!
“an exclamation of weariness or lament”
Old French
Old French
las!
“alas!; woe!; expression of pity or regret”
Middle English
English
allas
“an exclamation of sorrow or regret”
Modern English
English
alas
“an exclamation of sorrow, pity, or regret”