| 释义 |
▪ I. ah
obs. f. owe v.; and var. of ac conj. Obs., but.
▪ II. ah, int.|ɑː|
formerly 2–6 a!
[perh. a. OFr. a, ah, since not found in OE. Cf. MHG. â, ON. æ. In northern dial. pronounced (eː), sometimes written ay! eh! the regular phonetic descendant of ME. a.]
An exclamation expressing, according to the intonation, various emotions, as
1. Sorrow, lamentation, regret, passing into the regretful expression of a vain wish. (Actual pain or suffering is now more commonly expressed by O! Oh! North. dial. have a |eː| in both senses.)
c1440Gesta Rom. i. i. 2 A! Sir, I knowe welle that my wife is an hore. 1523Ld. Berners Froissart I. xliv. 61 A fayre uncle, your absence hath sette the frenchmen in a pride. 1611Bible Jer. xxii. 18 They shall not lament for him, saying, Ah my brother, or ah sister. 1718Pope Iliad x. 632 Yet much I fear (ah! may that fear be vain!) a1842Tennyson Golden Year 47 Ah! when shall all men's good Be each man's rule.
2. Surprise, wonder, admiration.
1826Disraeli Viv. Grey v. vi. 191 A-a-h! what a box! a Louis-Quatorze, I think?
¶ In the two prec. senses often followed by me (north. eh me!). Cf. It. ahime!
1592Shakes. Rom. & Jul. v. i. 10 Ah me, how sweet is loue. c1720Prior (J.) Ah me! the blooming pride of May, and that of beauty, are but one.
3. Entreaty, appeal, remonstrance; passing in former times into simple exclamation to excite attention, where O! would now be used. (North. dial. still have ā man!)
c1280A Sarmun in E.E.P. (1862) 1 Þer for he seiith. a! man hab munde þat of þis lif þer commiþ ende. 1382Wyclif 2 Cor. vi. 11 A! ȝe Corynthis, oure mouth is opyn to ȝou. c1450Merlin 353 A here, Arthur, ride faste. 1593Shakes. 3 Hen. VI, i. iii. 8 Ah, Clifford, murther not this innocent Child. 1711Addison Spect. No. 130 ⁋2 Ah Master, says the Gipsy, that roguish Leer of yours makes a pretty Woman's Heart ake. a1843Southey Devil's Walk Wks. III. 91 With throbs and throes, and ahs and ohs, Far famed his flock for frightening. 1855Tennyson Maud ii. iv. 13 Ah Christ, that it were possible For one short hour to see The souls we loved.
4. Dislike, aversion; passing into contempt, mockery, exultation over or satisfaction at misfortune.
c1435Torr. Portugal 184 A! fellow! wylt thow so? 1580Baret Alvearie A 253 Ah, ah, I dye poore wench in laughing thee to scorne. 1593Shakes. 2 Hen. VI, iv. x. 28 A villaine, thou wilt betray me. 1611Bible Mark xv. 29 Ah thou that destroyest the Temple, and buildest it in three dayes.
5. Opposition, objection (to what has been said). Often followed by but.
Mod. Ah! but I know something better than that.
6. Realization, discovery, inspiration.
c1785W. Blake Island in Moon iii, in Compl. Writings (1972) 47 ‘It was Phebus,’ said the Epicurean. ‘Ah, that was the Gentleman,’ said Aradobo. 1915Conrad Victory iii. vii. 245 Suddenly he moved, and murmured: ‘Ah, here's the trolley.’ 1934W. B. Yeats Words upon Window Pane 58 Where did I put that tea-caddy? Ah! there it is. 1955J. P. Donleavy Ginger Man xvii. 201 Ah, you want money, Miss Frost. Money is what you're after. 1972T. Stoppard Jumpers ii. 62 Ah!—I knew there was something.
▪ III. ah, v.|ɑː|
[f. ah int.]
intr. To say ‘ah’ (as an expression of surprise, wonder, etc.); also, = er v.
1897‘Mark Twain’ Foll. Equator in Writ. (1900) V. 111 We..went oh-ing and ah-ing in admiration. 1924D. H. Lawrence Indians & Entertainment in Adelphi Nov. 500 The men sing in unison..for hours..it goes on..gurgling, aah-h-h-ing! of the male voices. 1931[see er]. 1934‘Rebecca West’ Mod. Rake's Progr. 113 These visitors from the next civilisation..will walk about oh-ing and ah-ing. 1960C. Ray Merry Eng. 128 The spectators ooh! and ah! and roar their delight.
▪ IV. ah
repr. dial. and U.S. Black pronunc. of I pers. pron. See a pron. ¶ .
1869Good Words 1 Mar. 171/2 Ah couldn't groind wi'out un. 1898[see ain't v.]. 1904Dialect Notes II. 423 The pronoun I when unemphatic is often pronounced ah, as ah be, ah hain gunty (I'm not going to), [etc.]. 1911D. H. Lawrence in Eng. Rev. June 424 Ah've said many a time as Ah'd fill up them ruts in this entry. 1935Z. N. Hurston Mules & Men 19 It's de strongest thing Ah ever made. 1942W. Faulkner Go down, Moses 136 ‘Whar you gwine?’ she said. ‘Ah'm goan home,’ he said. 1961S. Chaplin Day of Sardine vii. 145 Cut me throat if Ah'm lyin'..Ah never knew Ah'd so much talkin' in me; that kid draws me out. 1973[see me pers. pron. 10]. |