okh un vey

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Pronunciations

okh un vey (OYKH uhn VAY) listen

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Definitions

  • interj. A pity on him/her/them.

  • n. An unenviable position.

Example Sentences

  • "Och un vey is his sad position in life."

  • "Och in Vey how they are degrading our yiddishkeit." (source)

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Languages of Origin

  • Yiddish

Etymology

  • אַז) אָך און װײ) (az) okh un vey (often followed by preposition צו tsu 'to') 'alas, alack, woe'

      • Who Uses This

      • Orthodox: Jews who identify as Orthodox and observe halacha (Jewish law)
      • Ashkenazim: Jews with Ashkenazi heritage

      Regions

      • North America
      • Great Britain
      • South Africa

      Dictionaries

      • Yiddish and English: A Century of Yiddish in America, by Sol Steinmetz (Tuscaloosa, 1986).

      Alternative Spellings

      och un vey, az och un vey, och in vei, akh un vey, ach un vey, och un vei, okh in vey, och in vay

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