*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of oy

Borrowed from Yiddish אוי (oy, “oh, oy”).

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 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 ↗
intj

An exclamation typically expressing mild frustration or expressing feelings of uncertainty or concern.

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

Borrowed from Yiddish אוי (oy, “oh, oy”).

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":bor",
        "3": "yi:אוי<t:oh, oy>",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "[Appendix:Glossary#loanword|Borrowed]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"gloss\" : \"oh, oy\", \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Yiddish\", \"term\" : \"אוי\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"yi\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"oy\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"oy\">\nBorrowed from Yiddish אוי (oy, “oh, oy”)."
    },
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":bor",
        "3": "yi:אוי<t:oh, oy>",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Yiddish אוי (oy, “oh, oy”)."
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "אוי",
      "אוי#Yiddish"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "intj",
      "glosses": [
        "An exclamation typically expressing mild frustration or expressing feelings of uncertainty or concern."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "d56c7a1b09e65c07d8146bec439bc571c1fbc46f0c4ac80af5041972aa4ad79b",
      "rawRecordSha256": "030a0ba8e8e34994a16bb1e85b673a729ec68cc032da78d5de882813eb31fcc3",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 254620
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  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
intj

Alternative spelling of oi (“hey, hi, yo”).

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

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "nonlemma",
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form."
    }
  ],
  "links": [],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "intj",
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative spelling of oi (“hey, hi, yo”)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative"
      ],
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      "rawRecordSha256": "1e9f16e75075eb4dc9154b3652dd98417ea17cd430b6b353c202d4f97e720f19",
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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 oy →

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-b3k