Contionary:o fei
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Carnian
Etymology
From o (“oh”) + fei (“point, issue”), the latter inherited from Late Old Carnian huei (“cock”), from Proto-Slavic *xujь. The phrase originated as a vulgar expressive construction and later underwent semantic bleaching.
Pronunciation
- (Standard) IPA: [ɞ‿fɛ̂ɪ̯]
Phrase
- (informal) An intensive expression used in questions, conveying surprise, irritation, disbelief, or confusion; roughly equivalent to what the hell, what on earth.
Usage notes
The phrase o fei is informal but not vulgar in Modern Carnian. It functions as a fixed idiomatic unit.