yo en · INTJ · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /jəʊ/ (UK)
- /joʊ/ (US)
- (Australia) audio
Etymology
As a greeting first attested in 1859, attested first as a cry of sailors and huntsmen (first attested in the 1400s; compare e.g. huzzah, giddyup). Originally from Middle English yo, io, ȝo, yeo, yaw, variant forms of ya, ye (“yes, yea”), from Old English ġēa (“yes, yea”), from Proto-Germanic *ja (“yes, thus, so”); or perhaps from Old English ēow (“Wo!, Alas!”, interjection). Compare Danish, Swedish, German, Norwegian jo (“yes (flexible meaning)”), Dutch jow (“hi, hey”) and Dutch jo (“hi, hey”). More at yea, ow, ew. Modern popularity apparently dates from the early 20th century in Philadelphia, PA; amongst the Italian Community there, where io, with (as opposed to in standard Italian language) the stress on the ultima, was a common salutatory response among residents, particularly young males. This usage was apparently reinforced by the aforesaid English terms. It has been claimed to have been a common response at roll calls during World War 2 (see definition 4), and then most intensely attested in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; it thence spread globally from American dominance of pop culture post-WWII.
Meanings
-
(slang) A greeting similar to hi.
Yo Paulie! How's it going?
-
(slang) An interjection similar to hey.
Check this out, yo!
Yo, check this out!
-
(slang) An expression of surprise or excitement.
I have quickly acclimated myself to the standard form of greeting on campus: "Oh hey what’s your name? … Yeah, nice to meet you, what're you studying? … Yo that’s sick!" A script to recite, nearly verbatim, 10 times a day or more.
2021 October 2, Mason Cannon, “Don't Feel Pressured To Declare Your Major Right Away”, in Study Breaks:Yo, that's crazy, but I don't remember asking.
-
(slang) Present! Here!
Sergeant: Smith? Private Smith: Yo!
-
(qualifier:chiefly African-American Vernacular) Emphatic conclusion to a statement.
JESSE: That is messed up, yo.
2010, "Kafkaesque" (Breaking Bad TV series, season 3, episode 9)
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| yoh | alternative, pronunciation-spelling | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Synonyms
hoi · oi oi · yo · oi · hey · ahoy · ahem · oi · hi · hey (greeting) · wotcher · cooee · heyo · ahoy · yoohoo · hey · oi
Translations (33)
pt eba (expression of surprise or excitement) · pt oba (expression of surprise or excitement) · ro măi (greeting similar to hi) · fi moi (greeting similar to hi) · ro mă (greeting similar to hi) · fi joo (expression of surprise or excitement) · pl ej (interjection similar to hey) · sv tja (greeting similar to hi) · ja よ (greeting similar to hi) · ro măi (interjection similar to hey) · ro băi (greeting similar to hi) · pl siema (greeting similar to hi) · pt oi (greeting similar to hi) · ro mă (interjection similar to hey) · fi jou (greeting similar to hi) · sv sho (greeting similar to hi) · ro bă (greeting similar to hi) · ro băi (interjection similar to hey) · ms hoi (greeting similar to hi) · pl ej (expression of surprise or excitement) · fi jou (expression of surprise or excitement) · ro mă (expression of surprise or excitement) · fi hei (interjection similar to hey) · ro măi (expression of surprise or excitement) · ro băi (expression of surprise or excitement) · id oi (greeting similar to hi) · id hoi (greeting similar to hi) · hu csá (greeting similar to hi) · ro bă (expression of surprise or excitement) · ru йо́у (greeting similar to hi) · ms oi (greeting similar to hi) · ro bă (interjection similar to hey) · pt ei (interjection similar to hey)
wikipedia: roll call · wikipedia: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania