Huh
/hʌ/noun
An exclamation used to express confusion, surprise, or to ask for repetition.
Did you know?Unlike many words with a traceable ancient pedigree, English "huh" is usually treated as an imitative interjection, meaning its power comes from raw human sound rather than a neat classical root.
Etymological Timeline
Modern English
English
huh
“A brief exclamation used to signal confusion, surprise, or request repetition.”
19th Century
English
huh
“Recorded in colloquial speech as an attention-getting or questioning interjection.”
Early Modern English
English
huh
“Likely present in spoken use as a natural exclamation, though not well documented in formal writing.”
Proto-language
Unknown
onomatopoeic interjection
“A human vocal sound shaped by instinctive expression rather than inherited lexical descent.”