etymology - Origin of "man!", "(oh) boy!", and "oh brother"


Where did these interjections:



  • man!

  • (oh) boy!

  • oh brother


come from, and why are they all male?


If you don’t know their current meanings as interjections, it sounds very strange to say Man! when you are disappointed or frustrated, and Oh boy! when you are excited (although people are increasingly using it for other emotional contexts), and Oh brother (well, I'm not even sure of this interjection’s usage).


Why are they used as interjections, and why are they all male?



Answer



These are all considered "minced oaths". "Oh, man" could be replaced one-to-one with a Commandment-breaking "Oh, God" or "Oh, Jesus", which are generally shortenings of some prayer for strength.


An alternate etymology is that of friendly condescension; the terms can be literally used when talking to one's peer, junior, or brother: "Oh boy, you've screwed up this time" could be used when talking to your son or one of his friends after they break a window. The terms have evolved out of their literal meaning to simply become an exclamation indicating exasperation at a situation, even when you're not really referring to anyone else in particular.


The gender bias of the interjections is largely reflective of the historical gender bias in English-speaking cultures throughout the evolution of the language. There has been some insertion of the fairer sex in interjections: "oh girl" and simply "girl" are heard in informal conversation nearly universally now, virtually always when speaking directly to a "girl". Even then, there's no small amount of chauvinism in the term; the word as an identifier for females in general stems from the general male preference for youthful-looking women.


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