Huzzah

Huzzah

Huzzah (originally huzza) is an English interjection of joy or approbation. According to the "Oxford English Dictionary" it is "apparently a mere exclamation" without any particular derivation. Whatever its origins, it has seen occasional literary use since at least the time of Shakespeare. It may be a contraction of "Hosanna!",Fact|date=April 2008 which is Hebrew for "please save" or "save now." [See ArtScroll Siddur, p. 727.]

Usage

"Huzzah" may be categorized with such interjections as "hoorah" and "hooray". According to the "OED", "In English the form "hurrah" is literary and dignified; "hooray" is usual in popular acclamation."

In common usage, such as cheers at sporting events and competitions, distinction need not be made by the speaker and the words are distinguished by regional dialect and accent.

Military

"Hooray" comes from the Mongolian "Hurree", used by Mongol armies and spread throughout the world during the Mongol Empire of the 1200s. In Mongolian "Hurree" is a sacred praise much like "amen" or "hallelujah". [cite book
last = Weatherford
first = Jack
title = Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World
publisher = Three Rivers Press
date = 2004
id = ISBN 0-609-80964-4 ]

The "OED" notes that in the 17th and 18th centuries it was identified as a sailor's cheer or salute, and thus was possibly related to words like "heeze" and "hissa" which are cognates of "hoist". This behavior is depicted in the Disney movie Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl.

In the 18th and early 19th centuries, three 'huzzahs' were given by British infantry before a charge, as a way of building morale and intimidating the enemy. The book 'Redcoat' by Richard Holmes indicates that this was given as two short 'huzzahs' followed by a third sustained one as the charge was carried out.

Literary

"Huzzah" is also the exclamation used by the slapstick villain Punch as he outwits the Devil in the finale of the classic version of the Punch and Judy show, which dates back to the 18th and 19th centuries in England.

"Huzzah" is also the exclamation cheered by the South Carolina Militia upon the arrival of Colonel Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson) carrying an American flag on his horse in the 2000 Revolutionary War film The Patriot.

Though it is often pronounced IPA| [hə'zɑː] , Alexander Pope's An Essay on Man (1734), line 256, rhymes the second syllable with IPA| [zeɪ] (rhyming with "weigh", "neigh" and "hooray"):

ee also

*Football chant
*Cheerleading
*Ōendan
*hooray

References


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  • Huzzah! — is an out of print board game that was produced by Cheapass Games until 2002. It is based on Renaissance fairs.The game can now be downloaded as a PDF file from the company s website.External links* [http://www.cheapass.com/free/games/hazzah.html …   Wikipedia

  • huzzah — or huzza [hə zä′, həzô′] interj., n., vi., vt. [echoic] archaic var. of HURRAH …   English World dictionary

  • huzzah — /heuh zah /, interj. 1. (used as an exclamation of joy, applause, appreciation, etc.) hurrah! n. 2. the exclamation huzzah. 3. an instance of giving praise or applause; accolade: The newspaper s review was one big huzzah for the new movie. v.i. 4 …   Universalium

  • huzzah — 1. noun /həˈzɑː/ A cheer often associated with sailors, shouted by a group in praise of a thing or event. 2. verb /həˈzɑː/ To cheer with a huzzah sound. Syn: heave, heave ho, hooray, hurrah …   Wiktionary

  • Huzzah, Missouri — Huzzah is an unincorporated community in eastern Crawford County, Missouri, United States. It is located about twelve miles east of Steelville in the Mark Twain National Forest. The name is derived from Wazházhe or Osage Nation …   Wikipedia

  • huzzah — or huzza noun Etymology: origin unknown Date: 1573 an expression or shout of acclaim often used interjectionally to express joy or approbation …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • huzzah — Synonyms and related words: alleluia, applaud, applause, cheer, chorus of cheers, cry, cry for joy, give a cheer, hallelujah, hooray, hosanna, hurrah, hurray, paean, rah, shout, shout hosanna, yell, yippee …   Moby Thesaurus

  • huzzah! — expression of triumph and contempt, takes place of phrases like How d you like the taste of THAT?! …   Dictionary of american slang

  • huzzah! — expression of triumph and contempt, takes place of phrases like How d you like the taste of THAT?! …   Dictionary of american slang

  • huzzah — interj. hurray! (used to express excitement and enthusiasm) …   English contemporary dictionary

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