An Irish exclamation or lamentation, expressing sorrow or pity; also spelled 'ochone' or 'ochree'.
From Irish Gaelic 'a chroí' meaning 'oh heart' or 'oh soul,' used as a mournful interjection passed into English from Irish speakers.
This beautiful Irish word perfectly captures a moment of emotional release—it's the kind of untranslatable interjection that carries cultural meaning, used in keening (traditional Irish lament singing) and still heard in Irish English!
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