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Etymology
Dictionary
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Origin of the word ALACK. Etymology of the word
ALACK.
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From An Etymology
Dictionary of the English Language, by Walter W. Skeat, 1893 |
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ALACK,
interjection. (E.) Very common in Shakespeare; Temp. i. 2.
151; L. L. L. ii. 186, &c. Said in some dictionaries to be 'a
corruption of alas!' which would be an unusual phonetic
change. It is more probably a corruption of 'ha! lord!' or 'ah! lord
Christ!' Otherwise, it may be referred to M.E. lak,
signifying loss, failure, defect, misfortune. 'God in the gospel
grymly repreueth Alle that lakken any lyf, and lakkes han hem-selue' =
God grimly reproves all that blame anybody, and have faults themselves;' P.
Plowman. x. 262. Thus alack would mean 'ah! failure' or 'ah!
a loss;' and alackaday would stand for 'ah! lack on (the) day,' i.e. ah!
a loss to-day! It is almost always used to express
failure. Cf. alack the day! Shak. Pass. Pilgrim,
227. In modern English lack seldom has this sense, but merely
expresses 'want.'
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| Etymology
Dictionary Index |
| A, B,
C, D, E,
F, G, H,
I, J, K,
L, M, N,
O, P, Q,
R, S, T,
U, V, W,
X, Y, Z
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| Key |
| Arab.=Arabic. |
| A.S.=Anglo
Saxon. |
| Bavar.=Bavarian |
| Bohem.=Bohemian. |
| C.=Celtic,
used as a general term for Irish, Gaelic, Welsh, Breton,
Cornish, &c. |
| Corn.=Cornish. |
| Dan.=Danish. |
| Du.=Dutch |
| E.=English. |
| E.E.=Early
English. |
| Europ.=European. |
| F.=French. |
| G.=German. |
| Gk.=Greek. |
| Goth.=Gothic. |
| Icel.=Icelandic. |
| Ital.=Italian. |
| L. or
Lat.=Latin. |
| Lith.
& Lithuan.=Lithuanian. |
| M.E.=Middle
English. |
| M.F.=Middle
French |
| M.H.G.=Middle
High German. |
| Norw.=Norwegian. |
| O.F.=Old
French. |
| O.H.G.=Old
High German. |
| Pers.=Persian. |
| Port.=Portuguese. |
| Scand.=Scandinavian,
used as a general term for Icelandic, Swedish, Danish,
&c. |
| Sc.=Scottish. |
| Skt.=Sanskrit. |
| Span.=Spanish. |
| Swed.=Sweish. |
| Teut.=Teutonic |
| Turk.=Turkish. |
| W.=Welsh. |
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