oy

See also: Appendix:Variations of "oy"

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɔɪ/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔɪ

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Yiddish אוי (oy, “oh, oy”).

Interjection

oy

1. An exclamation typically expressing mild frustration or expressing feelings of uncertainty or concern.

Alternative forms

• oi

Derived terms

• oy gevalt
• oy vey

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Interjection

oy

1. Alternative spelling of oi (“hey, hi, yo”).

Anagrams

• YO, y.o., y/o, yo, yo'

Cornish

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *āwyom, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ōwyóm (“egg”), likely a derivative of *h₂éwis (“bird”) (whence also Latin avis (“bird”)). Compare Welsh wy, Breton vi.

Pronunciation

• (Revived Middle Cornish) IPA^(key): [ɔˑɪ]
• (Revived Late Cornish) IPA^(key): [ʊˑɪ]

Noun

oy m (plural oyow)

1. egg

Derived terms

• gwynn oy m (“egg white”)
• melyn oy m (“egg yolk”)
• oy bryjys m (“boiled egg”)
• oy frankres m (“free-range egg”)
• oy friys m (“fried egg”)
• oy skramblys m (“scrambled egg”)

Faroese

Alternative forms

• oyggj (Modern Faroese)

Etymology

From Old Norse ey.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɔiːj]

Noun

oy f (genitive singular oyar, plural oyar)

1. (obsolete, poetic) island

Usage notes

Survives in Faroese island names, e.g. Borðoy, Eysturoy, Fugloy, Hestoy, Kalsoy, Kunoy, Nólsoy, Sandoy, Skúvoy, Streymoy, Suðuroy, Svínoy, Vágoy Viðoy and Føroyar

Declension

(NB: This is not in use at the island names, see oyggj)

f6	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	oy	oyin	oyar	oyarnar
accusative	oy	oyina	oyar	oyarnar
dative	oy	oyini	oyum	oyunum
genitive	oyar	oyarinnar	oya	oyanna

Finnish

Alternative forms

• OY, Oy

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈoːˌyː/, [ˈo̞ːˌyː]
• Rhymes: -yː

Noun

oy

1. (business) LLC; initialism of osakeyhtiö (“limited liability company”)

Usage notes

According to KOTUS the non-capitalized form oy is the recommended one. It is also used in the current Limited Liability Companies Act in force since 2006. In the older law the abbreviation was Oy and it is still widely used in non-official contexts.

Declension

Inflection of oy (Kotus type 18/maa) singular plural nominative oy oy:t genitive oy:n oy:iden oy:itten partitive oy:tä oy:itä accusative oy oy:n oy:t inessive oy:ssä oy:issä elative oy:stä oy:istä illative oy:hyn oy:ihin adessive oy:llä oy:illä ablative oy:ltä oy:iltä allative oy:lle oy:ille essive oy:nä oy:inä translative oy:ksi oy:iksi abessive oy:ttä oy:ittä instructive – oy:in comitative – oy:ineen

See also

• oyj

Further reading

• “oy”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎ (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 3 July 2023

Gutnish

Etymology

From Old Norse ey, from Proto-Germanic *awjō. Cognates include Swedish ö, and Faroese oy.

Noun

oy f (definite oyi)

1. island