10 Mary Crawford 
drede, by Sent Powle! See, also, examples cited under we, 
below. 
we, whe. For discussion, see we expressing surprise, I above. 
Cf. also we under sections III and IV. 
York Plays, xxxiii, 269, Cayphas: We! out, we are shente 
alle for shame. York, ix, 99, Uxor: We, owte, herrowe! 
York, xxxviii, 298: Whe! harrowe! deuill, whare is he away? 
York, xi, 338, Rex: We! lorde, new harme is comon to hande. 
III. Sorrow, Lamentation 
Exclamations of sorrow are most frequent, although they are 
not found in so great variety as those of some other classes. All 
the interjections listed in this division are common in the fifteenth 
century, and all occur more or less frequently in modern literature. 
a, ha, haa. Sometimes repeated, a,a. Not foundin OE. Per- 
haps from OF. a! ah! As an expression of physical pain it 
has been superseded, in modern usage, by Oh! Cf. also A! ha! 
expressing anger (IV); and joy (X). 3 
Merlin, 546: A, leeve Soster what do ye here? Merlin, 1019, 
A, Faire sone, quod sche thanne tho. Three Kings’ Sons, p. 8, 
1. 18. A, verray God! y may do the no service. York Plays, 
v, 150, Dominus: A! wikkid worme, woo worthe the ay. Digby 
Plays, Burial of Christ, 450, Mary: A, a, my dere sone Jesus. 
Merlin, 439: Ha, Sire, sche Seide, J am ful wo! Eneydos, ch. 
41: Ha, a, fayre sone! The following from Magnyfycence, 
1729, expresses physical pain: Magn.: A, my hede! 
alas, allas, alasse, allace, alese, allese. Meaning ah wretched! 
Compare French hélas! OF. ha las! a las! a combination of 
ha and las, lasse, wretched, originally, weary, from Latin 
lassum. Sometimes found with a substantive, as alas the while. 
Digby Plays, Burial of Christ, 453: Allese, scho commys! A, 
what remedye! Magnyfycence, 1847, Fansy: Alasse, alasse, an 
heuy metynge! Castell of Perseverance, 1289, Bonus Angelus: 
alas! Mankynde is bobbyt & blent as pe blynde! Everyman: 
Alas! shall I have no longer respite? Digby Plays, Christ’s 
Resurrection, 1191, Petrus: Alese! of myself why presumyd I. 
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