hoo

See also: Hoo, hóo, hōō, and höö

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /huː/

• Audio (RP)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -uː

Etymology 1

From Middle English hoo, shoo (“she”) from Old English hēo (“she”). More at she.

Pronoun

hoo (third-person singular, feminine, nominative case, accusative and possessive her, possessive hers, reflexive herself)

1. (South Lancashire, Yorkshire, Derbyshire) she
   • 1854, Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell, North and South, Chapter VIII:

     'Aye, aye,' said the father, impatiently, 'hoo'll come. Hoo's a bit set up now, because hoo thinks I might ha' spoken more civilly; but hoo'll think better on it, and come. I can read her proud bonny face like a book.

2. (West Midlands and South West England) he, also a gender-neutral third person pronoun

Derived terms

• hoo-justice
• hoo'll
• hoose
• hoost
• hoor

Etymology 2

From Middle English hoo, ho. More at ho.

Interjection

hoo!

1. (obsolete) hurrah; an exclamation of triumphant joy
   • c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):

     Our enemy is banish'd! he is gone! Hoo! hoo!

   • c. 1599–1602, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):

     With, hoo! such bugs and goblins in my life

2. (Tyneside) Used to grab the attention of others.

   "Hoo yee!"

Etymology 3

From Middle English howe, hu (“how”), from Old English hū (“how”). More at how.

Adverb

hoo (not comparable)

1. (Northumbria, Tyneside) how

References

• Northumberland Words, English Dialect Society, R. Oliver Heslop, 1893–4
• Todd's Geordie Words and Phrases, George Todd, Newcastle, 1977[1]
• Newcastle 1970s, Scott Dobson and Dick Irwin, [2]

Etymology 4

From Middle English hough, hogh, ho, from Old English hōh. Doublet of hough.

Noun

hoo

1. (obsolete outside placenames) A strip of land; a peninsula; a spur or ridge.

Anagrams

• OOH, oho, ooh

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Arapaho

Noun

hoo

1. porcupine

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Finnish

Etymology 1

Interjection

hoo

1. (dated) eek (displaying shock and surprise)

Etymology 2

From Swedish hå, ultimately from Latin hā with raising of /aː/ to /oː/.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhoː/, [ˈho̞ː]
• Rhymes: -oː
• Syllabification: hoo

Noun

hoo

1. aitch (The name of the Latin-script letter H.)

Usage notes

• Speakers often use the expression h-kirjain ("letter h") instead of inflecting this word, especially in the plural.

Declension

Inflection of hoo (Kotus type 18/maa, no gradation)
nominative		hoo	hoot
genitive		hoon	hoiden hoitten
partitive		hoota	hoita
illative		hoohon	hoihin
		singular	plural
nominative		hoo	hoot
accusative	nom.	hoo	hoot
	gen.	hoon
genitive		hoon	hoiden hoitten
partitive		hoota	hoita
inessive		hoossa	hoissa
elative		hoosta	hoista
illative		hoohon	hoihin
adessive		hoolla	hoilla
ablative		hoolta	hoilta
allative		hoolle	hoille
essive		hoona	hoina
translative		hooksi	hoiksi
instructive		—	hoin
abessive		hootta	hoitta
comitative		—	hoineen

Possessive forms of hoo (type maa)
possessor	singular	plural
1st person	hooni	hoomme
2nd person	hoosi	hoonne
3rd person	hoonsa

Synonyms

• h-kirjain

Derived terms

• hoomoilasena

Anagrams

• oho

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Middle English

Etymology 1

Pronoun

hoo

1. Alternative form of who (“who”, nominative)

Etymology 2

Noun

hoo

1. Alternative form of hough (“hough, hock”)

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Scots

Adverb

hoo (not comparable)

1. how
2. why

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Westrobothnian

Etymology

From Old Norse hóa.

Verb

hoo (preterite hoe)

1. To shout.

Synonyms

• hååj
• roop