Contionary:o fei

Carnian

Etymology

From o (“oh”) + fei (“point, issue”), the latter inherited from Late Old Carnian huei (“cock”), from Proto-Slavic *xujь. The phrase originated as a vulgar expressive construction and later underwent semantic bleaching.

Pronunciation

• (Standard) IPA: [ɞ‿fɛ̂ɪ̯]

Phrase

o fei

1. (informal) An intensive expression used in questions, conveying surprise, irritation, disbelief, or confusion; roughly equivalent to what the hell, what on earth.

Usage notes

The phrase o fei is informal but not vulgar in Modern Carnian. It functions as a fixed idiomatic unit.