Particle Interjection¶
Summary¶
An interjection is a word that expresses strong emotion.
Article¶
Interjections usually appear at the beginning of a sentence or clause and are grammatically disconnected from the rest of the sentence. As in many languages, interjections are often “natural sounds”, that is, vocal gestures or sounds that a person utters when experiencing certain emotions. Interjections can be used to express both positive and negative emotions.
There is a whole family of interjections in Biblical Hebrew, and none of them occur very frequently.
הָהּ or אֲהָהּ¶
הֵילִ֖ילוּ הָ֥הּ לַיֹּֽום׃ |
helilu hah layyowm |
Wail ah to-the-day! |
Wail, “Woe is the coming day.” |
הוֹ¶
וּבְכָל־חוּצֹ֖ות יֹאמְר֣וּ הֹו־הֹ֑ו |
uvekhol-hutsowth yomeru how-how |
and-in-all_outside they-wil-say woe_woe |
and they will say in all the streets, “Woe! Woe!” |
הֶאָח¶
הֶאָ֔ח נִשְׁבְּרָ֛ה דַּלְתֹ֥ות הָעַמִּ֖ים |
he’ah nishberah dalthowth ha’ammim |
Aha! Broken doors-of the-people! |
Aha! The gates of the people are broken! |
אָנָּא¶
This term can function as an interjection, an exhortation particle, or perhaps both.
אָ֣נָּ֗א חָטָ֞א הָעָ֤ם הַזֶּה֙ חֲטָאָ֣ה גְדֹלָ֔ה |
‘onna hata ha’am hazzeh hata’ah gedolah |
Oh it-has-sinned the-people the-this sin great |
Oh, these people have committed a great sin |