hooray
UK[hʊˈreɪ]US[hʊˈreɪ]
interj
used to express joy, approval, or encouragement.
Etymology
the word 'hooray' is an exclamation of joy or triumph, first appearing in english in the late 17th century. its origin is uncertain but it is widely considered a variant or alteration of 'hurrah', which itself likely has a germanic origin, possibly related to the middle high german and middle dutch exclamation of encouragement. the formation is onomatopoeic or reduplicative in nature, mimicking a shout of excitement. the word's journey into modern english reflects the common linguistic process of creating expressive interjections through sound symbolism rather than from complex morphological roots.
Analysis
this is a simplex word of uncertain origin, likely formed by onomatopoeia or reduplication. it functions as a whole unit expressing an exclamation.
Examples
hooray! we finally won the championship.
the crowd shouted "hooray!" as the parade passed by.
hooray for you! that's a fantastic achievement.