An archaic exclamation or interjection used to call attention, similar to 'behold' or 'lo,' often expressing surprise or emphasis.
Possibly from Middle English or influenced by Old French expressions. The exact origin is uncertain, but it appears in medieval texts as a call word used to grab someone's attention.
Medieval writers threw random interjections into their work—'abay' is one of those lost expressions that we don't even know how people actually pronounced it, making it impossible to understand the genuine emotion behind it.
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