och
English
Etymology
Compare Early Modern English och, Scottish Gaelic och, Irish och. Compare also Scots ach, Scots ouch.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɒx/
- Rhymes: -ɒx
Interjection
och
- (chiefly Scotland, Ireland) general interjection of confirmation, affirmation, and often disapproval.
- (chiefly Scotland, Ireland) an expression of anger, frustration, surprise
- 2014 September 14, “Scottish Independence”, in Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, season 1, episode 17, John Oliver (actor), via HBO:
- “Och, ooh, it’s so confusing, it hurts my wee head! I’m just a woman, you know, just a pair of ovaries and some bangs! How do I have the mental capacity to pick from one of two options? Put me down for a no, and never trust me with an important decision again!”
Derived terms
Dutch
Etymology
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɔx/
Audio (file) - Rhymes: -ɔx
Epigraphic Mayan
German
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɔx/
Interjection
och
- expressing endearment, pity, consideration, etc.
- Och, wie süß! ― Oh, how sweet!
- Och, Schatz! Das wird schon wieder! ― Oh, darling! It'll all be fine!
- Och, das ist eigentlich keine schlechte Idee! ― Hm, that's actually not a bad idea!
Usage notes
- For the most part interchangeable with ach, but the two are preferred in different respective contexts.
Lacandon
Luxembourgish
Etymology
From a Middle High German contraction och or possibly *uch, from ouch, from Old High German ouh, from Proto-Germanic *auk. Cognate with German auch (“also”), Dutch ook (“also”), West Frisian ek (“also, too”), Icelandic og (“and”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /oχ/
- Rhymes: -oχ
Synonyms
- (even): esouguer
Polish
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Slavic *oxъ, possibly from Proto-Slavic *o, ultimately of onomatopoeic origin. Compare Latin oh, German oh.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɔx/
Audio (file) - Rhymes: -ɔx
- Syllabification: och
Romansch
Scottish Gaelic
Swedish
Etymology
From Old Swedish ock, ok, from Old Norse ok, unstressed variant of Proto-Germanic *auk (“also”). Cognate with Norwegian and Danish og, Dutch ook, German auch, and English eke. The unusual spelling with the digraph ch may have been to avoid confusion with the now dated ock (“too, also”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɔ/, (stressed) /ɔkː/
audio (Gotland) (file) - Rhymes: -ɔk
- Homophone: ock
Conjunction
och
- and; used to connect two homogeneous (similar) words or phrases
- Jag gillar hundar och katter. ― I like dogs and cats.
- and; used to denote the last item of a list
- (mathematics) and, plus
- Synonym: plus
- Två och tre är fem. ― Two and three is five.
- used to connect two finite verbs to denote that the two actions are performed at the same time, often used similarly to the gerund in other languages
- Jag sitter och läser. ― I'm sitting and reading.
- to; in order to; used to connect two finite verbs to denote that the first is done in order to be able to do the second
- Ska vi gå och bada? ― Should we go swimming?
- (poetic) introduces a main clause which somehow is bound to a previous clause
- Och det vart afton, och det vart morgon, den andra dagen.
- And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.
Synonyms
- (for most senses) samt
Derived terms
Related terms
Interjection
och