oy1
or oi
[oi]
- (used to express dismay, pain, annoyance, grief, etc.)
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Origin of oy1
Borrowed into English from Yiddish around 1890–95
oy2
or oe
[oi]
- a grandchild.
- Obsolete. a nephew or niece.
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Origin of oy2
1425–75; late Middle English (north and Scots) o(o), oy(e) < Scots Gaelic ogha; see O'
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for oy
Contemporary Examples
I urge my Republican friends … I look forward to working with leaders of both parties … Oy.
You put the id back in Yid, Portnoy instructed, and you come to understand the “oy” in goy.
Oy Vey: On Tuesday, Mr. Kanye Kardashian revealed a song for his girlfriend, Kim.
Historical Examples
Now, by the 12 e. as ea is to ai: so is so to oy: and therefore, by the grant, so is uo to oy.
The Way To GeometryPeter Ramus
Therefore seeing that uo, and os, are proportionall to oy, they are both equall.
The Way To GeometryPeter Ramus
The sound of oi or oy is dipthongal, composed of the third or broad a, and ee.
Dissertation on the English LanguageNoah Webster, Jr.
And then she says, 'You're Doyvy, oyn't you, that had the ax-nent?'
When Ghost Meets GhostWilliam Frend De Morgan
Then oy shall go and play with The Boys, because the forg's a-stoarping.
When Ghost Meets GhostWilliam Frend De Morgan
Word Origin and History for oy
Yiddish exclamation of dismay, 1892, American English. Extended form oy vey (1959) includes Yiddish vey, from German Weh "woe" (see woe).
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper