α. 1700s– lor, 1800s– lor'.
β. U.S. regional 1900s– lo, 1900s– lo'.
Lorint.n.
/lɔː/, U.S. /lɔ/, /lɑ/ colloquial.
A. int.
Expressing surprise, emphasis, regret, etc.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > exclamation of emotion [interjection]
goodness1623
agad1672
Godsokers1672
Oh dear!1694
law1763
lud1767
Dear me!1773
Lor1776
dear knows!1805
Great God!1819
Great Scott1852
Jehoshaphat1857
lors1860
Great Sun!1867
Great Caesar!1870
gracious me!1884
my (giddy, sainted, etc.) aunt!1886
snakes1891
lieber Gott1898
my gosh!1920
cor1931
1776 B. Simonds Treat. Field Diversions 48 Consume it though—Oh Lor! Oh Lor! Oh Lor!
1836 C. Dickens Sketches by Boz 1st Ser. I. 81 ‘Lor! how nice!’ said the youngest Miss Ivins.
1870 M. Bridgman Robert Lynne I. xiii. 213 Lor'! what a fuss.
1923 N. Coward Park your Fanny in B. Day N. Coward: Compl. Lyrics (1998) 57/2 Compared with that Ohio shore It makes this poor guy sigh, ‘Oh my, oh lor!’
1959 I. Opie & P. Opie Lore & Lang. Schoolchildren iii. 53 Oh lor, last time I heard that the tears rolled down my bib.
2014 Grimsby Tel. (Nexis) 24 July 18 Oh lor! No one'll believe me.
B. n.
Used for ‘Lord’ in various phrases, as Lor' knows, Lor-a-mussy. Cf. lord n. and int. Phrases 2. Now somewhat archaic.In quot. 1789: = lord n. 10a(a).
ΚΠ
1789 ‘P. Pindar’ Subj. for Painters 28 ‘Bravissimo! my Lor’, replied Squalind.
1844 Rural Life in New Eng. vi. 29 Her cousin, a college chap, and Lor' knows what else.
1855 J. Middleton Lov versus Law III. ii. 19 Lor' love you, man! he has been dead an' buried for the last twenty years!
1864 C. Dickens Our Mutual Friend (1865) I. i. ix. 75 ‘Lor-a-mussy!’ exclaimed Mrs. Boffin.
1903 J. London People of Abyss iv. 31 ‘Lor' lumme,’ she laughed.
1962 S. Middleton Just Exchange xviii. 126 We'll goo an' see 'em, Charlie, I says. Lor' knows what they're up to.
2006 S. Overall Realm of Shells 243 You shall have to stop them, Lor knows how.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2016; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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int.n.1776