Early-17th-Century Italian Interjections

John Florio's Qveen Anna's New World of Words was published in London in 1611. It includes a number of interesting elements, among them the list I've reproduced here and a detailed guide to pronunciation that should be useful if you're not quite sure how to pronounce any of the words on it.

I've endeavored to make this a faithful transcription, with two exceptions: I have replaced every long "s" with a short one. (The former is a variant, no different in function or pronunciation from the former, that we no longer use. Modern readers often confuse it for an "f".) And I've used an e-breve [ĕ] in place of an unusual sort of letter "e" that appears in the original text which has an upward-, leftward-curving line attached to its top. (I couldn't find an ASCII code for the original letter, and since I'm not sure what the curve indicates I didn't want to just replace it with an unmarked "e".)

If you're new to reading this sort of thing, you might find the following notes helpful: The letters "V" and "U" and "v" and "u" were used more-or-less interchangeably in the period during which this book was typeset. And "idem" means 'the same' and indicates that the word it describes has the same definition as the preceeding one.

Interiections of griefe, of calling, of intreating, of feare, of loathing, or of any passion.

Ah  ah, oh, alas.   E'h oh, alas, aye me.   Oi bò figh, fogh, fie, out
Ai  aye me, alas, welladaie.    E'i mè Idem.   Oh dío oh God alas.
Aih oh, aye me, alas.   Fi figh, fie, fough, out.   Oi mè aye me alas
Ai mè aye me, alas my selfe.   Fih figh, fie, fough, out   Oi me dio aye me, oh God.
Ai sè alas himselfe.   oh, hah, what ho.   uh.
Ai tè alas thy selfe.   Hái aye me, alas, oh me.   Póh figh, fough-out.
Báco boh, boe-peepe.   Hái lásso aye me alas.   Può God, cods.
Báco báco boe-peepe.   Hái mè aye me, alas me.   Puo fare Gods me.
Báu boh, boe-peepe.   Hái sè alas himselfe   Puh phuh, phah.
Báubáu bough bough, boe-peepe.   Hái tè alas thy selfe   goe, out, away, vah.
Chéto whosht, still.   aye me, alas, welladay   Vh ugh, out alas.
Chili whosht, still, z't.   Hĕh Idem.   Vh uh out alas and well ad.
oh for Gods sake.   Hĕi Idem.   Zita whosht, still, z't.
Dĕà Idem.   Hĕi lasso aye me alas.   Zit Idem.
Dĕh Idem.   Oh, ó what oh, ho me.   Zi idem.
Dĕh nò oh for Gods sake no.   Oh mè aye me alas, good Lord.      
Dĕh sì yes for Gods sake.            



This page was written and is maintained by Coblaith Muimnech, who owns its copyright. Please do not reproduce any portion of it without express permission.

Click to head to Coblaith's homepage.