Word
och
US/ˈɑk/
UK/ˈɒk/
Definition
interj. a word used in Scottish English to show you are surprised, annoyed, or to get someone's attention. It is like saying 'oh' or 'hey' in other parts of the UK.
interj. an exclamation used in Scottish English to express surprise, annoyance, or to address someone. It functions as a vocative or an interjection to signal a shift in the speaker's emotional state.
Examples
“Och, I didn't know you were coming.”
“Och, look at that weather! We should have stayed home today.”
“Och, I've had enough of this nonsense; we need to get back to the farm before the rain starts.”
Examples
simple
“Och, I didn't know you were coming.”
contextual
“Och, look at that weather! We should have stayed home today.”
complex
“Och, I've had enough of this nonsense; we need to get back to the farm before the rain starts.”
Etymology
Compare Early Modern English och, Scottish Gaelic och, Irish och. Compare also Scots ach, Scots ouch.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/och