Editing Eh (section)

{{short description|Spoken interjection in English}}
{{about|the English interjection|other uses|EH (disambiguation)}}
{{more sources|date=May 2023}}
{{italic title}}
'''''Eh''''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|eɪ}} or {{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɛ}})<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dictionary.com {{!}} Meanings & Definitions of English Words |url=https://www.dictionary.com/browse/eh |access-date=2024-01-13 |website=Dictionary.com |language=en}}</ref>  is a spoken [[interjection]] used in many varieties of [[English language|English]]. The oldest ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'' defines ''eh'' as an "[[interjection]]al [[Interrogative word|interrogative]] [[Grammatical particle|particle]] often inviting assent to the sentiment expressed."<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Dollinger |first=Stefan |date=2018-01-01 |title=How old is eh? On the early history of a Canadian shibboleth [published version] |url=https://www.academia.edu/34687118 |journal=Wa7 xweysás i nqwal'utteníha i ucwalmícwa: He loves the people's languages. Essays in honour of Henry Davis}}</ref> Today, while ''eh'' has many different uses, it is most popularly used in a manner similar in meaning to "Excuse me?", "Please repeat that", "Huh?", or to otherwise mark a question. It is also commonly used as an alternative to the [[question tag]] ''"right?"'', as a method for inciting a reply, as in "Don't you think?", "You agree with me, right?", as in, "It's nice here, eh?" (instead of "It's nice here, right?"). In the [[Americas]], it is most commonly associated with [[Canada]] and [[Canadian English]], though it is also common in [[England]], [[Scotland]], and [[New Zealand]]. It is also known in some [[United States|American]] regions bordering Canada, including the area stretching from northern [[Wisconsin]] up to [[Michigan]]'s [[Upper Peninsula of Michigan|Upper Peninsula]]. Similar [[interjection]]s exist in many other languages, such as [[Azerbaijani language|Azerbaijani]] and [[Italian language|Italian]] and [[Dutch language|Dutch]].{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}}

The spelling of this sound in English is quite different from the common usage of these letters. The [[vowel]] is sounded in one of the continental manners (as in [[French language|French]], only missing the [[apostrophe]]), and the letter ''h'' is used to indicate it is long, as though the origin of the spelling were [[German language|German]].

While evidence suggests that ''eh'' initially may have been considered as an [[Onomatopoeia|onomatopoeic]] sound, the earliest uses of ''eh'' found so far, date back to [[Early Modern English]] in 1662, but first mentions of it are found in [[Middle English]].<ref name=":0" /> In 1707, it was first used in a [[Theatre|play]], functioning "to create or confirm agreement."<ref name=":0" /> Later, in 1773, its earliest quotation, s.v. "eh" was in a play by [[Irish people|Irish]] playwright [[Oliver Goldsmith]].<ref name=":0" />  

It can also convey a lack of strong emotion and a neutral response. For example, if when asked how a movie was one replies with "Eh," this indicates that they did not find it particularly great or terrible. In this example, ''eh'' is used as a way to convey a middle-ground feeling or invite further discussion.