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holla

Archaic Terms
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

To shout or cry out; hello!—an archaic interjection for calling attention or greeting, used for period flavor.

Detailed Definition
“Holla” functions as greeting or alarm, common in dramatic dialogue. In poetry, it signals encounter or warning—hunters holla, ghosts holla. The exclamation’s openness suits rustic or supernatural scenes. Poets use it to break silence with human or otherworldly voice, marking moments of contact, surprise, or summoning in narrative and lyrical contexts.
Example
Example in poetry:
“Holla! Who goes there?” cries the sentinel in a historical drama; In Shakespeare’s As You Like It: “Holla, you pampered jades of Asia!”; “Holla, friend—or foe?” challenges the knight at the bridge; “Holla! The hunt is up!” begins a hunting song; “She hollaed for help, but none came”; Holla not in anger, but in joy.
Additional Notes
“Holla” functions as both greeting and shout of alarm; in dramatic or rustic verse, it adds colloquial energy, often signaling sudden appearance or interruption, bridging dialogue and narrative action.
Also Known As
hello hallo shout
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