hélas

See also: helas and helás

French

Etymology 1

From Old French elas, variant of a las, from a (“ah”) + las, from Latin lassus (“weary”). See also Dutch helaas.

Pronunciation

• ^{(aspirated or mute h)} IPA^(key): /e.las/
• IPA^(key): /hela/

• audio:

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Interjection

hélas

1. alas; exclamatory or declarative conjunction expressing affliction, regret, deception or dissatisfaction.
   • 1837 Thomas Carlyle, The French Revolution: A History

     Tough Abbé Maury, when the obscure country Royalist grasps his hand with transport of thanks, answers, rolling his indomitable brazen head: "Hélas, Monsieur, all that I do here is as good as simply nothing."

Descendants

• → Dutch: helaas

Etymology 2

See héler.

Pronunciation

• ^{(aspirated h)} IPA^(key): /e.la/

Verb

hélas

1. second-person singular past historic of héler

Noun

hélas m (plural hélas)

1. (Louisiana) noise

Synonyms

• bruit m

Anagrams

• hales, halés, hâles

Further reading

• “hélas”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.