A Comparative Grammar of the Modern Aryan Languages of India v3.c19.74

v3.c19.74

In O. and B. रे is only used in calling males; when addressing females, O. uses लो, and B. गो. Thus O. आस लो, मा बजारकु जिबा “Come along, mother, let us go to the bazar;” B. निबेद्ये धनी शुन गो जननि “The lady entreats, ‘hear me, oh my mother’” (Bhârat, Vid.-S. 338). लो, ओलो are also used in B. in contempt or reproof. Both these words seem to be fragments of लोगो, from Skr. लोक in the sense of “person,” the word लोग or लोगाई being used to indicate the women of the speaker’s family, and especially his wife, whom it is not considered proper to speak of directly.