Huzzah (sometimes written hazzah; originally spelled huzza and pronounced , now often pronounced as ; in most modern varieties of English hurrah or hooray) is, according to the ''

Oxford English Dictionary The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the principal historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP), a University of Oxford publishing house. The dictionary, which published its first editio ...

'' (''OED''), "apparently a mere exclamation". The dictionary does not mention any specific derivation. Whatever its origins, it has seen occasional literary use since at least the time of

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

, as the first use was in 1573, according to

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Use

''Huzzah'' may be categorised with such interjections as ''hoorah'' and ''hooray''. According to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'', "In English, the form ''hurrah'' is literary and dignified; ''hooray'' is usual in popular acclamation". In common usage, such as cheers at

sport Sport is a physical activity or game, often Competition, competitive and organization, organized, that maintains or improves physical ability and skills. Sport may provide enjoyment to participants and entertainment to spectators. The numbe ...

ing events and competitions, the speaker need not make distinction, and the words are distinguished by regional dialect and accent.

Origin and military usage

The origin of the word in its various forms is unclear, but it may have been influenced by war cries from various languages: the ''

'' (OED) suggests Norse, Dutch,

Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...

and

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words that may have played a part. Anthropologist Jack Weatherford hypothesized that it comes from the Mongolian ''Huree''; used by

Mongol Mongols are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, China (Inner Mongolia and other 11 autonomous territories), as well as the republics of Buryatia and Kalmykia in Russia. The Mongols are the principal member of the large family of M ...

armies, and spread throughout the world during the

Mongol Empire The Mongol Empire was the List of largest empires, largest contiguous empire in human history, history. Originating in present-day Mongolia in East Asia, the Mongol Empire at its height stretched from the Sea of Japan to parts of Eastern Euro ...

of the 13th century. The word is a praise, much like ''

Amen Amen (, ; , ; , ; , ) is an Abrahamic declaration of affirmation which is first found in the Hebrew Bible, and subsequently found in the New Testament. It is used in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic practices as a concluding word, or as a respons ...

'' or ''

Hallelujah ''Hallelujah'' (; , Modern ) is an interjection from the Hebrew language, used as an expression of gratitude to God. The term is used 24 times in the Tanakh (in the book of Psalms), twice in deuterocanonical books, and four times in the Christ ...

'', shouted at the end of speeches or prayers. Contrary to popular belief, the word does ''not'' appear in

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

’s original works. Written in three parts around 1591, Shakespeare’s ''I'', ''II'', and ''III Henry VI'' were condensed by Charles Kemble in 1888 into a single text titled, ''Henry VI''. Though Kemble's condensed version records the last line of Act III, Scene III as, "''All.'' Huzza ! huzza ! huzza !— Long live the King !", this line does not appear in Shakespeare’s original text, but is rather Kemble’s own insertion between ''II Henry VI'', Act IV, Scenes VIII and IX. Often incorrectly used at Renaissance fairs and

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reenactment, Huzzah was originally spelled “Huzza” and pronounced “huz-ZAY”. In late 18th-century literature, words like “say”, “play”, and “day” were used to rhyme with Huzza, as in the song ''Keppel Forever'': "Bonfires, bells did ring; Keppel was all the ding, Music did play; Windows with candles in, for all to honor him: People aloud did sing, 'Keppel! Huzza!'"Anon., "Keppel Forever," 1779, Roxburghe Ballads, 8: 325. eprinted in Naval Songs and Ballads, 257–258./ref> The'' OED'' notes that in the 17th and 18th centuries, it was identified as a sailor’s cheer or salute, and suggests it was possibly related to words like ''heeze'' and ''hissa'', which are

cognate In historical linguistics, cognates or lexical cognates are sets of words that have been inherited in direct descent from an etymological ancestor in a common parent language. Because language change can have radical effects on both the s ...

s of '' hoist''. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, three 'huzzahs' were given by

British Army infantry The Infantry of the British Army comprises 49 infantry battalions, from 19 regiments. Of these, 33 battalions are part of the Regular army and the remaining 16 a part of the Army Reserve. The British Army's Infantry takes on a variety of roles, ...

before a bayonet charge, as a way of building their morale and intimidating the enemy. In the book '' Redcoat: The British Soldier in the Age of Horse and Musket,'' military historian Richard Holmes indicates that this was given as two short 'huzzahs', followed by a third sustained one as the charge was carried out.

References

{{Reflist Interjections English words Battle cries

Use

Origin and military usage

See also

References