WAR CRY OF ITALIAN AIRMEN

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 280, 23 November 1918, Page 15

WAR CRY OF ITALIAN AIRMEN

"Eja! Eja! Eja! Alala!" is the war cry of the Italian aviators, adapted by the p° et anrt daring airman. Gabriele d'Annumio, from a war cry centuries old.

The early French Crusaders used as their marching order the sinple word, "Outre." meaning beyond or farther on—in brief, forward. This was taken up by their Italian comrades as "Ootreja" or "Ultre]a." and this in turn tras snortened Into "Eja " For centuries thereafter the call ot Italian sentinels at night was "Eja. Tirflar and the echoes repeated "KJa vipila <" (the J Is, of course, sounded as y and the can Is thus pronounced "ay-yah"). Tn<- second word of O-Aonunsio's battle err .pronounced. "Ah-lah-Uh." with the ac-ent on the last ayUable) is simply the fornTand ••Hallllo!" and "Halloo:" aad the -Tieu halloo" are. of. course, familiar Ito the Enclish: from which, indeed, the iriniverral -Hello:' , of tho telephone catl. 'There are those who would derive this from the ancient Hebrew "halal." meaning to shine, whenre 'halelu" or ■•praise ye,~ and finally "nalleln-.Tah." or "Pratse ye Jehovah." This Identification of a retljrlous ejacnlatlon with a hunting call may ibe fantastic, bnt of the hontinc call there can be no question. It has long been as familiar to Italy a* to Frajuce f«4 E&ElautS.