''Oorah'' is a
battle cry
A battle cry or war cry is a yell or chant taken up in battle, usually by members of the same combatant group.
Battle cries are not necessarily articulate (e.g. "Eulaliaaaa!", "Alala"..), although they often aim to invoke patriotic or religiou ...
common in the
United States Marine Corps since the mid-20th century. It is comparable to
Hooah
Hooah is a battle cry used by members of the United States Army, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Space Force. Originally spelled "Hough", the battle cry was first used by members of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment during the Second Seminole War in 1841, ...
in the
United States Army, the
United States Air Force, and the
United States Space Force, or
Hooyah Hooyah is the battle cry used in the United States Navy and the United States Coast Guard to build morale and signify verbal acknowledgment. It originated with special forces communities, especially the Navy SEALs, and was subsequently adopted by ot ...
in the
United States Navy and the
United States Coast Guard.
Origins
There are several potential sources from which the word "oorah" may have originated.
* Turkish:
** The term may have been derived from the
Ottoman Turkish
Ottoman Turkish ( ota, لِسانِ عُثمانى, Lisân-ı Osmânî, ; tr, Osmanlı Türkçesi) was the standardized register of the Turkish language used by the citizens of the Ottoman Empire (14th to 20th centuries CE). It borrowed extens ...
phrase "vur ha" translated as "strike" or the
Mongolian word "urakh" meaning "rip off". It was used as a battle cry of the
Ottoman Empire army and adapted as a
Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
* Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and p ...
battle cry "ura".
** 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 "Vur Hadi!") Then this exclamation turned into "Hurrah!" in
heWest... The difference represents diachronic change in the phonology and verbal usage in Turkish. The verb for "to hit" or "to strike" was urmak, which became vurmak in Modern Turkish. Moreover, a former subjunctive imperative verbal ending of e/a is not productive in Modern Turkish. Therefore, "ura", meaning "may it hit", which would have changed phonetically to "vura" in Modern Turkish, is expressed with "vursun".
* Mongolian:
** The term may have come from warriors of Ancient Hun or of Mongolian Empire "hurray" meaning "to move attack" or "appeal for goodness", which was formed into "(h)urra" in Russian with same meaning, and from which the Mongolia "Uria" (callings or slogans) comes from. "Hurray and Uria" words are used today in Mongolia from the ancient soldiers.
** 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 13th century, 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.
* Germanic:
** The term may have come from Middle High German of 1580–1590 "hurren" meaning "to move fast", which was formed into "hurra" and from which the English "hurry" comes. It is still used in the Netherlands and Dutch-speaking Belgium during celebrations in the form of "hoera", as well as in Sweden, Norway and Denmark as "hurra".
* The term may be a variation of 18th century sailors exclamation "
huzzah
Huzzah (sometimes written ''hazzah''; originally spelled huzza and pronounced huz-ZAY, now often pronounced as huz-ZAH; in most modern varieties of English hurrah or hooray) is, according to the '' Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED''), "appa ...
", traditionally said during salutes.
* In
World War II injured US Marines were treated in northern Australia. The term 'OoRah' is said to be local slang for 'farewell' or 'until then', although it is likely to be a mishearing of the more common 'ooroo'.
* The
1st Amphibious Reconnaissance Company,
FMFPAC can be credited with the introduction of "Oo-rah!" into the
Marine Corps in 1953, shortly after the
Korean War. Recon Marines served aboard the
USS ''Perch'' (ASSP-313), a WWII–era diesel
submarine retrofitted
Retrofitting is the addition of new technology or features to older systems. Retrofits can happen for a number of reasons, for example with big capital expenditures like naval vessels, military equipment or manufacturing plants, businesses or go ...
to carry Navy
Underwater Demolition Teams and
Recon Marines. Whenever the boat was to dive, the
1MC (PA system) would announce "DIVE! DIVE!", followed by the sound of the diving
klaxon
A horn is a sound-making device that can be equipped to motor vehicles, buses, bicycles, trains, trams (otherwise known as streetcars in North America), and other types of vehicles. The sound made usually resembles a "honk" (older vehicles) o ...
: "AHUGA!" In 1953 or 1954, while on a conditioning run, former
Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps John R. Massaro, while serving as company
Gunnery Sergeant of 1st Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion, simulated the "Dive" horn sound "AHUGA!" as part of the
cadence
In Western musical theory, a cadence (Latin ''cadentia'', "a falling") is the end of a phrase in which the melody or harmony creates a sense of full or partial resolution, especially in music of the 16th century onwards.Don Michael Randel (1999) ...
. Legend has it, he took it with him when he went to serve as an instructor at the
Drill Instructor
A drill instructor is a non-commissioned officer in the armed forces, fire department, or police forces with specific duties that vary by country. Foot drill, military step, and marching are typically taught by drill instructors.
Australia
Aust ...
school at
Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego. He there passed it on to the Drill Instructor students and they, in turn, passed it on to their recruits where it eventually and naturally became a part of the Recon cadence, and thereafter infiltrated Recon Marine lexicon.
Over time, "AHUGA!" morphed into the shorter, simpler "Oo Rah!" Today, the official Marine Corps Training Reference Manual on the history of Marine Recon is titled "AHUGA!"
Marines are known to exclaim "Oorah" with a exaggerated growl to sound like a vicious canine. This growl/bark is representative of the nickname "Devil-Dogs," as Marines are known. The bark is similar in sound to the short bark of their official mascot, the Bulldog.
Other uses
* "Hoorah" is also used by
United States Navy Hospital Corpsmen
A hospital corpsman (HM r corpsman is an enlisted medical specialist of the United States Navy, who may also serve in a U.S. Marine Corps unit. The corresponding rating within the United States Coast Guard is health services technician (HS ...
,
Masters-at-Arms, and
Seabees because of their close association with the Marine Corps.
*"Urrà" is traditionally the war cry of the Italian Army Bersaglieri Corps, since their return from the Crimean War. It is speculated that it comes from the Cossacks whose battle cry was Gu-Rai! which meant "Towards the bliss of heaven!"
* "Ura" or "
Hura
Hura, or Houra ( he, חוּרָה, ar, حورة) is a Bedouin town in the Southern District of Israel. It is located near Beersheba and beside the town Meitar. The town was established in 1989 as a part of solution offered by the state for th ...
" is the battle cry of the
Russian Armed Forces
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (, ), commonly referred to as the Russian Armed Forces, are the military forces of Russia. In terms of active-duty personnel, they are the world's fifth-largest military force, with at least two ...
, as well the
Soviet Armed Forces and
Red Army that preceded it. Its usage dates back to the
Medieval era, derived from the Mongolian phrase ''hurray'', meaning "to move" or "to attack". Mostly used during
World War II, it is still used during military parades and
Victory Day celebrations by all branches of the Russian military as well as most armed forces of the
Commonwealth of Independent States and in the
Bulgarian Armed Forces
The Bulgarian Army ( bg, Българска армия, Bŭlgarska armiya) is the military of Bulgaria. The commander-in-chief is the president of Bulgaria. The Ministry of Defense is responsible for political leadership, while overall military ...
. It was and is also used as a patriotic phrase denoting respect to the military as well as the country itself.
* "Vashaa" (ვაშა) is the
Georgian language
Georgian (, , ) is the most widely-spoken Kartvelian language, and serves as the literary language or lingua franca for speakers of related languages. It is the official language of Georgia and the native or primary language of 87.6% of its p ...
version of the Soviet-era ''"Ura"'' that is used by personnel of the
Defense Forces of Georgia
The Defence Forces of Georgia ( ka, საქართველოს თავდაცვის ძალები, tr), or Georgian Defence Forces (GDF), are the combined military forces of Georgia, tasked with the defense of the nation's indep ...
during official parades.
*
Oorah
''Oorah'' is a battle cry common in the United States Marine Corps since the mid-20th century. It is comparable to Hooah in the United States Army, the United States Air Force, and the United States Space Force, or Hooyah in the United States Na ...
is the name of a Jewish non-profit in the United States.
* "Rah" is a shortened form of the word, typically said in greeting or in agreement, used in a more casual tone.
See also
* Boo-yah!, a catchphrase popularized by sportscaster
Stuart Scott in the 1990s
*
Hooah
Hooah is a battle cry used by members of the United States Army, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Space Force. Originally spelled "Hough", the battle cry was first used by members of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment during the Second Seminole War in 1841, ...
*
Hooyah Hooyah is the battle cry used in the United States Navy and the United States Coast Guard to build morale and signify verbal acknowledgment. It originated with special forces communities, especially the Navy SEALs, and was subsequently adopted by ot ...
*
Hurrah
*
Huzzah
Huzzah (sometimes written ''hazzah''; originally spelled huzza and pronounced huz-ZAY, now often pronounced as huz-ZAH; in most modern varieties of English hurrah or hooray) is, according to the '' Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED''), "appa ...
*
Semper fidelis
''Semper fidelis'' () is a Latin phrase that means "always faithful" or "always loyal" (Fidelis or Fidelity). It is the motto of the United States Marine Corps, usually shortened to Semper Fi. It is also in use as a motto for towns, families, ...
References
External links
*
{{US Marine Corps navbox
Battle cries
Interjections
Military slang and jargon
United States Marine Corps lore and symbols
English words