oy vey

English

Etymology

From Yiddish אוי וויי (oy vey, literally “oh woe”), from Middle High German ōwē, from ō + wē, the latter being from Old High German wē, from Proto-Germanic *wai, from Proto-Indo-European *wai. Cognate with German o weh, Dutch oh wee, Latin vae, and Esperanto ho ve.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɔɪ̯ veɪ̯/

Interjection

oy vey

1. (slang, ascribed to Jewish people, potentially offensive) oh dear

Usage notes

• Sometimes used by anti-Semites to ridicule stereotypical (Ashkenazi) Jews; may as such be perceived as offensive when used by non-Jews.

Translations

oh dear — see oh dear

See also

• oy