One of the main sources of confusion in common phrases is the prevalence of archaic and obsolete words, some of which only linger on because of their presence in these phrases. That’s the case with one of today’s words, a word that, apart from a few cliche terms, you’ll most likely never encounter outside of a church. It’s therefore completely reasonable that people would substitute the more modern word.
Lo: an expression meaning “Look! See!”
Low: Close to the ground.
Lo is an old word, first showing up around 900. It’s from an Old English word, la, an exclamation of surprise, grief or joy. Another Old English word, loke, meaning look, has been shortened to lo, the two words being conflated into one.
Low is of a bit more recent vintage, originating around 1150. It makes its way to Middle English from the Old High German laege, which means to lie (lying down, not telling a fib.)
If you quote Jesus saying “low, I tell you…” you’re suggesting that he’s doing his Barry White impression.
Jim MacQuarrie
When he's not arming children for the zombie apocalypse or coaching the USC Trojan Archery team, Jim is writing about "all the stuff that would have gotten you a wedgie in 1976" at AtomicJunkShop.com and serving as the President of CAPS, the Comic Art Professional Society. His kids are all grown up, and his wife is patiently waiting for him to do likewise.
My aunt used to play Scrabble with my brother and me when we were little. She once added an “L” to an already in place “O”. We challenged her on the basis of incorrect spelling. She handed us the dictionary. We, of course, found it, and she looked across the table at us and said “Lo and behold, it’s there, isn’t it?” Scrabble…an excellent teaching tool.