6 Mary Crawford 
[Eh]. This may be a modernization of ey. The examples 
quoted are from A. W. Pollard’s Fifteenth Century Prose and 
Verse, in which the modern spelling has been used throughout. 
For other illustrations, see [Ef] in Affirmation, xiv. 
The Nativity, Pastor: Eh! friends, there came a pirie of 
wind. 
how, howe, howe now. Modern how! or what! In expanded 
form, how is this? OE. hi. In exclamations, hu la! 
York Mystery Plays, xv, 37, Pastor (on seeing the star): 
We! howe! York, xi, 386, Rex: Howe nowe! es there any 
noyes of newe? Towneley Plays, xxv, 152, Satanas: How! in 
tyme that tale was told. 
hudde. This interjection is equivalent to modern whew! ac- 
cording to L. T. Smith (York Mystery Plays, 119). The ex- 
amples cited are perhaps the only instances of an interjectional 
use of the word. The etymology is dark. The form may be 
connected with hudd(e), a dialectical form of hood, in common 
use during the fifteenth century. The verb huddle is a dimin- 
utive, perhaps from Teutonic root *hud, to cover. (See Ox- 
ford Dictionary.) OE. hydan, hide. 
York Plays, xv, 37, Pastor: We! hudde! York, xv, 46, 
Pastor: Whe! hudde! be-halde into the heste! (east). 
ille hayle. Originally meaning il] luck. Here, expressing aston- 
ishment. Compare OE.. hel, prosperity. The Middle Eng- 
lish hayle is probably of Scandinavian origin. (Bjorkman, 
Scandinavian Loan-W ords in Middle English, pp. 39, 44.) Cf. 
hayle expressing a greeting (XII). See also combinations with 
hayle, expressing terror (II). 
York Plays, xxviii, 287, Malcus (when his ear is restored) : 
What! ille hayle! I hope pat I be hole! 
0. Equivalent to modern why! See O! expressing lamentation 
(IIL) ; impatience (IV); adoration (IX) ; and its use with the 
vocative (XXI). This interjection is more common with us 
than in ME., having to a great extent replaced the older A! 
York Plays, viii, 41, Noe: O! mercy, lorde, quat may pis 
meyne? 
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