hau, interjection
- Forms:
- Show more Also haau, hao, hawu, hou.
- Origin:
- IsiZulu
Especially among isiZulu-speakers: an exclamation expressing any of a range of feelings, from the mildest to the most forceful, encompassing surprise, wonder, admiration, amusement, pleasure, anger, disapproval, disappointment, distress, sympathy, resignation, shock, and fear; au; auk. Cf. mawo, wau.
1898 B. Mitford Induna’s Wife 27I see it all — the angry infuriated countenance of Umzilikazi, the dread anxiety on the faces of the other izinduna, which was as the shrinking before a great and terrible storm about to burst. Hau!
1994 D. kaNdlovu in Sidelines Dec. 23Hawu! That is our home. How can it be a no-go area? Hawu madoda!
- Derivatives:
- Hence hau noun, the exclamation ‘hau’; as transitive verb (nonce), to exclaim ‘hau’.1968 K. McMagh Dinner of Herbs 22They loved the drum-major. He it was who called forth soft ‘Haus’ from the watching thousands.
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