what does OK stand for? what is the origin?

Answer 1

it stands for okay
someone shortened it.

Answer 2

Ok stands for okay.

Origin of the word:
There have been numerous attempts to explain the emergence of this curious colloquial expression, which seems to have swept into popular use in the US during the mid-19th century. Most of them are undoubtedly pure speculation. It does not seem at all likely, from the linguistic and historical evidence, that it derives from the Scots expression 'och aye', the Greek ola kala ('it is good'), the Choctaw Indian oke or okeh ('it is so'), the French aux Cayes ('from Cayes', a port in Haiti with a reputation for good rum) or au quai ('to the quay', as supposedly used by French-speaking dockers), or the initials of a railway freight agent called Obediah Kelly who is said to have written them on lading documents he had checked.

The oldest written references to 'OK' result from its adoption as a slogan by the Democratic party during the American Presidential election of 1840. Their candidate, President Martin Van Buren, was nicknamed 'Old Kinderhook' (after his birthplace in New York State), and his supporters formed the 'OK Club'.

This undoubtedly helped to popularize the term (though it did not get President Van Buren re-elected!). During the late 1830s there had been a brief but widespread craze in the US for humorous misspellings, and the form orl korrekt which was among them could explain the initials 'OK'. Such a theory has been supported by more than one distinguished American scholar, and is given in many dictionaries, including Oxford dictionaries.

The only other theory with at least a degree of plausibility is that the term originated among Black slaves of West African origin, and represents a word meaning 'all right, yes indeed' in various West African languages. Unfortunately, historical evidence enabling the origin of this expression to be finally and firmly established may be hard to unearth.

Answer 3

During the Creek War Pres. Andrew Jackson asked the Chactaw Indian leader what the status was of his peoples and the chief answered ok which meant everything was fine. Pres Jackson liked the word ok and started using it and it caught on and is now a part of the English language.

Answer 4

[Origin: initials of a facetious folk phonetic spelling, e.g., oll or orl korrect representing all correct, first attested in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1839, then used in 1840 by Democrat partisans of Martin Van Buren during his election campaign, who allegedly named their organization, the O.K. Club, in allusion to the initials of Old Kinderhook, Van Buren's nickname, derived from his birthplace Kinderhook, New York]


—Usage note Few Americanisms have been more successful than ok, which survived the political campaign of 1840 that fostered it, quickly lost its political significance, and went on to develop use as a verb, adverb, noun, and interjection. The expression was well known in England by the 1880s. Today ok has achieved worldwide recognition and use. It occurs in all but the most formal speech and writing.

Answer 5

In Greek, OK stands for "Όλα Καλά(Ola Kala)" which means "Everything Alright".

Answer 6

In american english it means in agreement with. Approved or as we say "that'll work".
Basically it refers to or is a shortened version of "All Right". I think it came about as the many immigrans of europe came here with different backgrounds and different languages they developed a need for words with common meaning and ok was one of these developed from "All Right" as meaning approval. or in agreement with.

Answer 7

Short for "Okie Dokie Artichokie".

Answer 8

harry truman approved papers by marking them with an encircled k

Answer 9

For me...it's stand for "one kiss"....secret language for me and my bf

Answer 10

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/okay.html