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The OED gives /wou/ as the pronunciation. Says it's from who also /wou/ meaning stop. Examples of usage: come hither whoa, gee-whoa, hait whoa, whoa back. I've always heard it pronounced /wou/ to rhyme with woe and oh. And who comes from ho. There's definitely some interesting stuff going on here.
There are two Shakespeare citations in the OED entry, but for a different meaning than stopping a horse, i.e., calling attention from a distance: "Whoa hoe, hoe, Father Paige." Merry Wives Windsor V.v.187. "He hallow'd but euen now, Whoa-ho-hoe." Winter Tale III.iii.79.
Entire Thread Subject Posted By Posted whoa wwh 01/15/04 09:25 PM Re: whoa Bingley 01/16/04 04:58 AM Re: whoa maverick 01/16/04 09:04 AM Re: whoa Bingley 01/16/04 09:14 AM Re: whoa wwh 01/16/04 02:22 PM Re: "the Bingster" AnnaStrophic 01/16/04 02:38 PM Re: "the Bingster" jheem 01/16/04 02:40 PM Re: "the Bingster" Bingley 01/16/04 02:42 PM Re: "the Bingster" wwh 01/16/04 02:55 PM Re: "the Bingster" jheem 01/16/04 03:02 PM Re: "the Bingster" AnnaStrophic 01/16/04 03:18 PM Re: "the Bingster" maverick 01/16/04 04:59 PM Re: whoa jheem 01/16/04 02:36 PM
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