Huzzah

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Huzzah (originally huzza, and in North American dialects hurrah) is an English interjection of joy or approbation. According to the Oxford English Dictionary it is "apparently a mere exclamation"^[1]. The dictionary does not mention any specific derivation. Whatever its origins, it has seen occasional literary use since at least the time of Shakespeare. The North American spelling gave rise to the phrase "the last Hurrah", meaning a final, significant incident within a greater event, which became popular after it was used as the title of Edwin O'Connor's 1956 novel The Last Hurrah.

Contents 1 Usage 1.1 Military 2 See also 3 References

[edit] 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, the speaker need not make distinction and the words are distinguished by regional dialect and accent.

It may also be used to describe significant and positive aspects of a topic, as in, "The seminar focused on Julia Child's culinary huzzahs."

Though it is often pronounced /həˈzɑː/, Alexander Pope's An Essay on Man (1734), line 256, rhymes the second syllable as /ˈzeɪ/, as in hooray.

[edit] Military

The origin of the word in its various forms is not clear, but it may have been influenced by war cries from various languages: the OED suggests Swedish, Danish, Dutch, Russian and Prussian words that may have played a part. Jack Weatherford asserts that it comes from the Mongolian Hurree, used by Mongol armies and spread throughout the world during the Mongol Empire of the 1200s.^[2], but he does not appear to present any supporting evidence. Weatherford says that in Mongolian Hurree is a sacred praise much like amen or hallelujah.

The OED notes that in the 17th and 18th centuries it was identified as a sailor's cheer or salute, and suggests that it was possibly related to words like heeze and hissa which are cognates of hoist.

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: The British Soldier in the Age of Horse and Musket by Richard Holmes indicates that this was given as two short "huzzahs" followed by a third sustained one as the charge was carried out.

According to Jean Paul Roux the word "Hurrah" comes from Old Turkic, in use until medieval times. In his book, History of Turks he states:

...For example, while attacking to their enemies, they (Turks) used to shout "Ur Ah!" which means "Come on, hit!" (In modern Turkish 'Haydi Vur!') Then this exclamation turned into "Hurrah!" in West...^{[citation needed]}

[edit] See also

• Hooray

[edit] References