Also alac, alacke, and north. alaik, alake. [(As suggested by Prof. Skeat) f. A int. Ah! O! + lak (north. laik) LACK, failure, fault, reproach, disgrace, shame; hence, used in ‘crying out upon’ a thing in depreciation or reprobation. Also aphetized lack!] An exclamation originally of dissatisfaction, reprobation or deprecation = pity or shame that it should be so; and hence of regret or surprise. Occ. with a dative obj. Now arch., poet. or dial.
c. 1480. Robt. Devyll, 25. Alacke, sayd the Duke, yet am I gladde.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, IV. x. 20. Thus fynaly scho out bradis, alaik!
1544. Bale, in Harl. Misc. (Malh.), I. 269. Alac, Sir, why do ye say so?
1599. H. Porter, Angry Women (1841), 54. Where I shall be adiudged, alack the ruthe, To penance for the follies of my youth!
1610. Shaks., Temp., I. ii. 152. Alack, what trouble Was I then to you?
1773. Goldsm., She Stoops, V. ii. (1854), 68. Alack, mamma, it was all your own fault.
a. 1842. Tennyson, Old Year, 47. Alack! our friend is gone.
b. esp. in phr. alack the day! alack-a-day! originally ‘Shame or reproach to the day! Woe worth the day!’ but in later usage of mere surprise, and aphetized lack-a-day!
1592. Shaks., Rom. & Jul., IV. v. 23. Shee’s dead, deceast, shee’s dead: alacke the day!
1703. Steele, Tender Husb., II. i. Alack-a-day, Cousin Biddy, these idle romances have quite turn’d your head.
1834. M. Scott, Cruise Midge, 177. Alas and alackaday both the pig and the wig were drowned.
