Wa
/wɑː/noun
An archaic or dialectal interjection expressing grief, distress, or lament.
Did you know?Old English speakers used wā as an anguished exclamation centuries before the modern noun “woe” became standard English.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wai
“An exclamation of pain, grief, or distress”
Proto-Germanic
Germanic
*wai
“A lamenting cry or expression of sorrow”
Old English
Old English
wā
“An exclamation meaning “woe!” or “alas!””
Middle English
Middle English
wo
“An interjection of grief or lamentation”
Scots and English dialects
Scots/English
wa
“A dialectal form used to express sorrow or distress”
Modern English
English
wa
“An archaic or dialectal cry of grief”