An onomatopoeic cry found almost exclusively in the prophetic literature, expressing grief, lamentation, or the announcement of divine judgment. Isaiah uses it repeatedly to introduce 'woe oracles' against the unjust (Isa 5:8, 11, 18, 20-22), and Jeremiah employs it in funeral laments (Jer 22:18). Spanish ay and German wehe capture the sharp emotional force. In one striking instance (Isa 55:1), the same word functions as an attention-getting summons — 'Ho, everyone who thirsts!' — where Spanish Oh and the shift in tone confirm a distinct beckoning sense.