This interjection expresses strong emotion—sometimes admiration, more often mockery or ironic surprise. Mark records it on the lips of those taunting Jesus at the cross. The particle, borrowed from Latin ('vah!'), functions across languages with minimal change: 'Ha' (English), 'Ah' (Spanish/French), 'Wehe' (German, though that leans toward 'woe'). It's the verbal equivalent of a scornful gesture, dripping with derision. The brevity of the word belies the venom in the context where religious leaders mock a dying man.