alas

[Roi Marphille]

Hi,

I don't reckon to have heard this adverb in a conversation but I have read it in some books.
what's the story about this odd adverb?
do you use it everywhere... UK, USA, Australia..?
young people, old people..?

Thanks!


Roi

 

[Sean Brian Kirby]

I am 34, relatively young, and have been known to use it. It is admittedly of old usage, but serves its purpose, which is to say, "regretfully." Of course, I also have been calling people "cats" since my late-teens. Just none-too-keen on the word, "dude."

 

[Kelly B]

I would be very surprised to hear alas from the mouth of an American.

 

[Amityville]

It's a bit mock-heroic though, SBK, wherever it comes from. "Alas, woe is me, all is doom and despondency, wherefore art thou fortune ?". Nowadays surely we'd just say 'Aw shit'.

 

[angeluomo]

Amityville has got the right line here. "Alas" is more often written than spoken; and there is a bit of the mock-heroic in it, as when a sports writer says: "But alas, in the fourth quarter, the Broncos passing game ran out of steam".

angeluomo

 

[timpeac]

Yes, I agree with the above. "Alas" is a bit tongue in cheek but definitely still said - in the UK anyway.

 

[elroy]

I find it rather akin to "woe is me!"

Meaning clear, to be used sparingly (most of the time somewhat sarcastically).

 

[Isotta]

I would be very surprised to hear alas from the mouth of an American.

What's this? I heard it quite often, even in mundane situations, "I had a hankering for a milkshake, and I even drove to the old drugstore, but--alas! It was closed. Bought by Walgreens."

Z.

 

[Kelly B]

I stand corrected - and remain surprised.... (sorry...)

 

[GenJen54]

I would be very surprised to hear alas from the mouth of an American.

I guess you can make that at least twice surprised, then. I, too, use it, in contexts much like the one Isotta has provided.

 

[Aupick]

If you really want to turn up the mock-heroism, add an 'alack': 'I went back to the town I grew up in with my wife and tried taking her to my favourite cafe, but alas alack! it had been taken over by Starbucks'.

(Caution: this is really heavy--not to be taken seriously.)

 

[Sean Brian Kirby]

Yes, I think we use it with the tongue in the cheek. Does not mean it is not said...

 

[Roi Marphille]

thank you guys for rich discussion. I got the picture now.

 

[xav]

May I add that it comes from the French "hélas", not obsolete in French ?
Probably composed from "hé" = "hey" + "las"= "tired, sad".

 

[Isotta]

Which in turn comes from the Latin "lassus," meaning "weary." Which is now obsolete.

Z.

 

[Roi Marphille]

Which in turn comes from the Latin "lassus," meaning "weary." Which is now obsolete.

Z.

yep, you put the arrow on it!