English Interjections in Fifteenth Century 13 
IV. Impatience and Anger 
Most of the interjections expressing anger perform a double 
office, being found in other uses. A few of the forms are peculiar 
to Middle English and, even in the fifteenth century, are of rare 
occurrence. Of those which have come down to us, some have 
lost much of their original force. 
a,ah. For discussion, see a! ah! expressing sorrow (III) above. 
Cf. also a! ah! expressing joy, in X below. 
Nativity, Herod: Ah, that these villain traitors hath marred. 
Towneley Plays, ix, 76, Imperator: A, fy, and dewyls! whens 
cam he? York, xxviii, 235, Cayphas: A! sir, of your speech 
lette, and late vs spede. 
ay. Cf. ey expressing surprise, in I, above; also ay in affirmation 
(XIV). 
York Plays, xxviii, 232, Malcus: Malcus! a ay! and I schulde 
be rewarde. 
dogge, dogges. In use from the thirteenth to the fifteenth cen- 
turies as a deformation of the name of God, but found infre- 
quently in the fifteenth. Indeed, in the examples cited, it may 
not be an expletive, but simply the substantive dog, as a term 
of abuse. However, the general context indicates its inter- 
jectional use. Compare modern French, “Quel chien de 
temps!” and English slang, ‘What dog-gone weather!” 
Julian Sharman, in A Cursory History of Swearing, ch. iv, 
says: “Examples can be quoted of the occurrence of the word 
dog or dogue, as a malediction similar to that of ‘goddam,’ and 
at a date nearly as distant.” Mr. Sharman, however, explains 
the term as originating in a game of chance, popular with the 
old Greeks and Romans. In that case it would be similar in 
meaning to the word deuce! used in games, and, in modern 
usage, an exclamation of annoyance. It may be noted here that 
this deuce! is not the ME. dewes! (cf. II, above). 
York Plays, xi, 240, Rex Pharao: A! dogg! pe deuyll pe 
drowne! York, xix, 106, Herod: A! dogges, pe deuell you 
spede! York, xvii, 121, Herod: In pe deuyl way, dogges, Fv! 
373 
