alas en · INTJ · etymology 1
Pronunciation
Etymology
From Middle English alas, from Old French a las (French hélas), from a (“ah”) + las, from Latin lassus (“weary”). Compare Dutch helaas, North Frisian ielas, West Frisian eilaas.
Meanings
-
Used to express sorrow, regret, compassion, grief, resignation, or disappointment.
Standing afarre off for the feare of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great citie Babylon, that mighty citie: for in one houre is thy iudgement come.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Revelation 18:10:I wanted to catch the last bus home, but alas, I was ten minutes late and had to take a taxi instead.
Helas I lamente the dull abuſyd brayne The enfatuate fantaſies the wytles wylfulnes Of on and hothyr at me that haue dyſdayne
c. 1521, John Skelton, Speke Parott:The thorough and shameless commercialism of Sex has alas! been reserved for what is called "Christian civilization," and with it (perhaps as a necessary consequence) Prostitution and Syphilis have grown into appalling evils, accompanied by a gigantic degradation of social standards, and upgrowth of petty Philistinism and niaiserie.
1920, Edward Carpenter, Pagan and Christian Creeds, New York: Harcourt, Brace and Co., published 1921, page 188:Alas poore Yorick, I knew him Horatio, a fellow of infinite Ieſt; of moſt excellent fancy, he hath borne me on his backe a thouſand times: And how abhorred my Imagination is, my gorge riſes at it.
c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i], page 278, column 1:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| helas | alternative | lexicographic |
Deriveds
alas the day · alas the while · alas and alack · alack and alas
Synonyms
Translations (128)
gd mo sgal (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · ru увы́ (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · hu sajnos (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · sh jȏj (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · fi kuinka ikävää (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · got 𐍅𐌰𐌹 (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · ja あたら (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · bo ཀྱི་ཧུད (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · fi kauheaa (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · eo ve (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · ga abhó (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · hu sajna (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · hil abáo (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · io ve (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · es caballero nomás (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · th อพิโธ่พิถัง (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · es (pues) ni modo (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · et paraku (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · ka ვაი მე (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · mi taukuri (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · egy i-imi-m-w-A30 (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · sh àvāj (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · cy druan ohonof (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · pl biada (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · bo ཀྱེ་མ (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · ckb ئاخ (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · hu jaj (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · es pero bueno (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · th อพิโธ่ (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · ckb ھاوار (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · pt ai de mim (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · th อพิโถ (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · de bedauerlicherweise (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · br siwazh (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · th พุทถัง (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · th พุทโธ่พุทถัง (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · sh ја̏о (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · th พิโธ่ (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · sh jȁo (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · nl ach en wee (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · oc ailàs (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · de weh (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · es ay (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · sh lȅle (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · es así que nada (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · bo ཀྱེ (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · hil abá (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · tr ah (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · tr eyvah (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · et kahjuks (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · ckb ئەفسۆس (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · pt heu (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · sh а̀ва̄ј (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · kn ಅಯ್ಯೋ (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · gd mo thruaighe (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · th อนิจจา (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · cs běda (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · he אֲהָהּ (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · gl ai (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · fr hélas (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · ru ах (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · fa افسوس (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · ar وَا حَسْرَتَاه (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · es (pues) en fin (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · it purtroppo (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · sh kȕkū (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · srn eru (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · sh јо̑ј (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · kix éishêu (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · cmn 哎呀 (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · cmn 嗚呼 /呜呼 (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · ca ai las (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · fa وای (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · he אוֹי (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · ang ēalā (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · sq bobo (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · hy ավաղ (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · de ach (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · grc φεῦ (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · th โถ (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · th โธ่ (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · am ወዮ (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · sq vaj (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · hu ajjaj (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · es ya ni modo (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · la vae (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · no akk (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · el αλίμονο (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · fi voi kauhistus (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · da ak (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · ar وَاهًا (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · hu haj (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · he אֵיכָה (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · tr aman (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · de leider (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · ja ああ (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · kmr mixabin (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · te అయ్యో (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · fa آوخ (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · it ahimé (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · ckb ھەی ھاوار (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · la heu (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · cmn 唉 (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · mi auē (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · bo ཀྱེ་མ་ཧུད (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · th อพิโธ่อพิถัง (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · gd mo chreach (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · pt guai (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · sk bohužiaľ (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · bo ཀྱཻ (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · sh ле̏ле (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · srn ke (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · la eheu (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · cy och fi (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · bg уви́ (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · sq bubu (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · gd och (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · ro vai (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · nl helaas (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · sh ку̏кӯ (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · cy gwae fi (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · hy ափսոս (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · el φευ (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · sv ack (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · th พุทโธ่ (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · ckb داخاکەم (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · ka ვაი (exclamation of sorrow, etc.) · ga faraor (exclamation of sorrow, etc.)