ALAS    嗚呼

EXCLAMATION EXPRESSing SADNESS OR REGRET. 
Old Chinese Criteria
[DECLARATIVE/EXCLAMATORY] [EMOTIONAL/UNEMOTIONAL] [EMPHATIC/UNEMPHATIC] [HIGH-DEGREE/LOW-DEGREE] 1. Wū hū 嗚呼 / 於乎 / 於呼 expresses an emphatic complaint. Note that there is is specially large number of graphic variants used to write this word. [EMOTIONAL], [EXCLAMATORY], [HIGH-DEGREE] 2. A1i zāi 哀哉 adds to the complaint the judgment that something is indeed sad. [DECLARATIVE], [EMPHATIC]
Modern Chinese Criteria
唉呀 唉 哎呀 哎喲 喔唷 什麼 嘻 啊 嘿 喲 呀 呦 咦 哎 唉 噯 咳 嗚呼 於戲 於乎 rough draft to BEGIN TO identify synonym group members for analysis, based on CL etc. 18.11.2003. CH /
    Hypernym
    • SAD DISTRESS ARISING from BAD THOUGHTS NOW IN ONE'S MIND which CAUSE one to LACK DELIGHT:joy.NB: The words I have chosen to include in this group pose special problems of contrastive analysis. There is something irretrievably diffuse about their usage, in many cases, and in many others the number of relevant examples in the early literature is so small that it is impossible to get anything like a firm grip on their precise semantics. Under these circumstances I have tried to compensate for lack of neat analysis with more quotation, especially from Chǔcí. Throughout this section I quote my teacher David Hawkes' translations, mindful of the fact that many of these were written in the third year of his study of Chinese... (anc: 13/0, child: 7)
    • DISTRESS FEELING that one's SELF:own SITUATION IS INTENSELY BAD. (anc: 12/0, child: 5)
    • FEELING NATURAL REACTION IN one's MIND. (anc: 11/0, child: 17)

    Words (10 items)

    哀哉  āi zāi OC: qɯɯl skɯɯ MC: ʔəi tsəi 27 Attributions

    Āi zāi 哀哉 adds to the complaint the judgment that something is indeed sad. [DECLARATIVE], [EMPHATIC]

      Syntactic words
    • VP+Salas for
    • VPibe a tragedy; be deeply tragic.CH
    • VPi(0)(always with understood and unexpressed subject:) what a tragedy!; how deeply tragic!
    嗚呼  wū hū OC: qaa qhaa MC: ʔuo̝ huo̝
    嗚虖  wū hū OC: qaa qhlaa MC: ʔuo̝ huo̝
    於呼  wū hū OC: qaa qhaa MC: ʔuo̝ huo̝ 13 Attributions

    1. Wū hū 嗚呼 expresses an emphatic complaint. Note that there is is specially large number of graphic variants used to write this word. Ancient scribes seem to have been uninterested in the orthography of this word. [EMOTIONAL], [EXCLAMATORY], [HIGH-DEGREE]

      Syntactic words
    • PP+NprOh Npr!
    • PPadSalas
    • PPadVoh, how (the subject) V-ed!
      jiē juē MC: tsjae OC: skal 3 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • nabautonym"alas"DS
    • padSalasCH
    • ppostadSalasLZ
    於乎  wū hū MC: 'u hu OC: qaa ɢaa 2 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • PPadS(= wu1hu1 嗚呼) alas!, ah!LZ
      yǐ OC: k-lɯʔ MC: jɨ 2 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • padSAlas!
    已而  yǐ ér OC: k-lɯʔ njɯ MC: jɨ ȵɨ 2 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • PPexclamatoryI've had it; we're finished
    惜乎  xī hū MC: sjek hu OC: sqaɡ ɢaa 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • VPiemphaticWhat a pity!CH
    於呼  wū hū OC: qaa qhaa MC: ʔuo̝ huo̝ 1 Attribution

    Wū hū 嗚呼 expresses an emphatic exclamatory complaint. >>EXCLAMATORY, HIGH-DEGREE

      Syntactic words
    • PPalas
      yī OC: qee MC: ʔei 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • padSalas
      xī OC: qhɯ MC: hɨ 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words