English word origin

Etymology of oi

Variant of the interjection hoy with h-dropping in working class and Cockney speech; first recorded in the 1930s. Compare also unrelated Portuguese oi and Japanese おい (oi).

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 3 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

noun

An exclamation of 'oi'. · A working-class punk rock subgenre of the 1970s, sometimes associated with racism.

intj

Said to get someone's attention; hey. · An expression of surprise. · An informal greeting, similar to hi.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Variant of the interjection hoy with h-dropping in working class and Cockney speech; first recorded in the 1930s. Compare also unrelated Portuguese oi and Japanese おい (oi).

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "m+",
      "args": {
        "1": "pt",
        "2": "oi"
      },
      "expansion": "Portuguese oi"
    },
    {
      "name": "m+",
      "args": {
        "1": "ja",
        "2": "おい",
        "tr": "oi"
      },
      "expansion": "Japanese おい (oi)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "hoy",
      "hoy#English"
    ],
    [
      "working class",
      "working class"
    ],
    [
      "Cockney",
      "Cockney"
    ],
    [
      "oi",
      "oi#Portuguese"
    ],
    [
      "おい",
      "おい#Japanese"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
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      "glosses": [
        "An exclamation of 'oi'.",
        "A working-class punk rock subgenre of the 1970s, sometimes associated with racism."
      ],
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        "Hong-Kong",
        "Ireland",
        "UK",
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        "Said to get someone's attention; hey.",
        "An expression of surprise.",
        "An informal greeting, similar to hi."
      ],
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

intj

Alternative spelling of oy.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Variant of oy, from Yiddish.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [],
  "links": [
    [
      "oy",
      "oy#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "intj",
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative spelling of oy."
      ],
      "tags": [
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        "Ireland",
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Source etymology 4

Original entry ↗

intj

Alternative spelling of oy.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Borrowed from oyez, 2nd person plural imperative of the verb oir (“to listen”), as used as an interjection in duplicated form “Oyez, oyez” by public speakers of medieval times to draw attention before a public address; see oi oi.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [],
  "links": [
    [
      "oyez",
      "oyez#French"
    ],
    [
      "oir",
      "oir#Old_French"
    ],
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      "oi oi",
      "oi oi#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
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      "pos": "intj",
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative spelling of oy."
      ],
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for oi →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-b2k