2007-07-27 04:34:28 · 13 answers · asked by cleopatra 4 in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
The word "okay" which people don't seem to use much anymore. Its origin is unknown, because there are many old languages such as Bantu, Choctaw and Scottish, just to name a few, that used it.
2007-07-27 04:38:09 · answer #1 · answered by ♂ ♫ Timberwolf 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Okay is a term of approval, assent, or acknowledgment, often written as OK or O.K.. This is also known as AOK. When used to describe the quality of a thing, it denotes acceptability. However, its usage can also be strongly approving; as with most slang, its usage is determined by context.
The historical record shows that O.K. appeared as an abbreviation for "oll korrect" (a conscious misspelling of "all correct") in Boston newspapers in 1839, and was reinterpreted as "Old Kinderhook" in the 1840 United States presidential election. Because it is a recent word born of word play, and because it is so widely used, O.K. has also invited many folk etymologies. These competing theories are not supported by the historical written record, except in that folk and joke etymologies influenced the true history of the word. Since the 19th century, the word has spread around the world, the okay spelling of it first appearing in British writing in the 1860s. Spelled out in full in the 20th century, 'okay' has come to be in everyday use among English speakers, and borrowed by non-English speakers
2007-07-27 05:13:57 · answer #2 · answered by Happy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The proper spelling is 'okay' which abbreviated means ok.
2007-07-30 23:43:28 · answer #3 · answered by Angel_Daisy 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i can give a really vague answer. there was once a politician running for office in america some time ago. his initials were O.K. so his campaign slogan thing became everything is gonna be OK, meaning that everything is goin to be fine with him. it became a really popular slogan that it became part of mainstream english. i am 90% sure this story is true.
2007-07-27 04:40:42 · answer #4 · answered by Gabe 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Many years ago the achronym was began to shorten Oll Korrect. This was done by teens and just like todays teens do, they made many other achronyms.
2007-07-27 04:46:33 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's an abreviation fror "All (is) Correct", and got slightly distorted to OK (Oll Korect). I think it stems from the first world war.
2007-07-27 04:55:36 · answer #6 · answered by AndrewG 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
it could have come from anywhere - the cherokee word "okeh" means "alright", and theres also two scottish words, "Oll Korrect" that mean "all correct", and also in a few other languages it means "all correct".
2007-07-27 04:52:32 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Okay is an agreement
2007-07-27 04:41:42 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
the word okay which means all right
2007-07-27 04:41:15 · answer #9 · answered by bandit 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
understanding / understood / got it.
2007-07-28 02:29:25 · answer #10 · answered by MR DESTINY 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋