Ho
1960s: representing a dialect pronunciation of whore.
wiktionary
From Middle English ho, hoo(interjection), probably from Old Norse hó!(interjection, also, a shepherd's call). Compare German ho, Old French ho !(“hold!, halt!”).
Pronunciation spelling of whore in a non-rhotic accent with the dough-door merger, which is found in some varieties of African American Vernacular English. Compare mo(“more”), fo'(“for; four”).
From Middle English howe, houwe, hoȝe, from Old English hogu and hoga, from Proto-Germanic *hugô, *hugiz, *huguz(“mind, thought, understanding”), akin to Old High German hugu, hugi (Middle High German hüge), Old Saxon hugi (Middle Dutch höghe, Dutch heug ), Old Norse hugr, Gothic 𐌷𐌿𐌲𐍃( hugs).
From Middle English howen, hoȝen, hogien, from Old English hogian, hugian, from Proto-Germanic *hugjaną. Cognate with Middle Scots huik, Old High German hucken, Old Saxon huggjan, Dutch heugen, Old Norse hyggja, Gothic 𐌷𐌿𐌲𐌾𐌰𐌽( hugjan).
etymonline
ho (interj.)
exclamation of surprise, etc., c. 1300; as an exclamation calling attention or demanding silence, late 14c. Used after the name of a place to which attention is called (as in Westward-Ho) it dates from 1590s, originally a cry of boatmen, etc., announcing departures for a particular destination. Ho-ho-ho expressing laughter is recorded from mid-12c.
ho (n.)
by 1993, American English slang, representing an African-American vernacular pronunciation of whore.
