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Origin and history of yea

yea(adv., interj.)

word expressing affirmation or assent, Middle English ye, from Old English gea (West Saxon), ge (Anglian) "so, yes," from Proto-Germanic *ja-, *jai-, a word of affirmation, reconstructed to be from PIE *yam-, from pronominal stem *i- (see yon). Germanic cognates include German, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish ja.

As an adverb, "certainly, truly," in Old English. As a noun, "affirmation, affirmative vote," from early 13c. Also from early 13c as a mere emphatic introductory word. By late 14c. as "namely," introducing matter meant to clarify or reinforce.

Entries linking to yea

yon(adj., pron.)

Middle English, from Old English geon "that or those," referring to objects at a distance, "that one (or those) over there," from Proto-Germanic *jaino-, source also of Old Frisian jen, Old Norse enn, Old High German ener, Middle Dutch ghens, German jener, Gothic jains "that, you."

This is reconstructed to be from PIE pronominal stem *i- (source also of Sanskrit ena-, third person pronoun, anena "that;" Latin idem "the same," id "it, that one;" Old Church Slavonic onu "he;" Lithuanian ans "he").

By late 14c. as "farther, more remote" in reference to another. As an adverb from late 15c., a shortening of yonder.

aye(interj.)

word of assent to a question, 1570s, of unknown origin; perhaps a variant of I, meaning "I assent;" or an alteration of Middle English yai "yes" (see yea); or from aye (adv.) "always, ever."

yes(adv., interj.)

Middle English yis, from Old English gise, gyse, gese "so be it!," probably from gea, ge "so" (see yea) + si "be it!," reconstructed to be from Proto-Germanic *sijai-, from PIE *si-, optative stem of root *es- "to be."

Originally stronger than simple yea. Used in Shakespeare mainly as an answer to negative questions. Yes, yes, indicating impatience, anxiety, enthusiasm is attested by mid-15c.

As a noun from 1712, "an utterance of 'yes,'" hence "assent, affirmative reply." As a verb, "assent," by 1820; as "flatter by agreement," by 1921.

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    any
    "one, a or an, some," Old English ænig (adjective, pronoun) "any, anyone," literally "one-y," from Proto-Germanic *ainagas (source also of Old Saxon enig, Old Norse einigr, Old Frisian enich, Dutch enig, German einig), from PIE root *oi-no- "one, unique." The -y may have diminuti
    affirmative
    "answering 'yes,' " mid-15c., from use in logic; from Old French affirmatif, earlier afirmatif (13c.), from Latin affirmativus, from affirmat-, past-participle stem of affirmare "to make steady; strengthen; confirm," from ad "to" (see ad-) + firmare "strengthen, make firm," from
    law
    Old English lagu (plural laga, combining form lah-) "ordinance, rule prescribed by authority, regulation; district governed by the same laws;" also sometimes "right, legal privilege," from Old Norse *lagu "law," collective plural of lag "layer, measure, stroke," literally "someth
    mimosa
    genus of leguminous shrubs, 1731, coined in Modern Latin (1619) from Latin mimus "mime" (see mime (n.)) + -osa, adjectival suffix (fem. of -osus). So called because some species (including the common Sensitive Plant) fold leaves when touched, seeming to mimic animal behavior. As
    crux
    1814, "a cross," from Latin crux "cross," a word of uncertain origin. Sometimes said to be cognate with Irish cruach "heap, hill," Gaulish *krouka "summit," Old Norse hryggr "backbone," Old English hrycg "back." But de Vaan is suspicious: The Celtic and Gm. forms are often recon
    contrive
    early 14c., controve, contreve, "to invent, devise, plan;" late 14c., "to manage by a plan or scheme," from Old French controver (Modern French controuver) "to find out, contrive, imagine," from Late Latin contropare "to compare" (via a figure of speech), from an assimilated form
    nylon
    1938, coined, according to DuPont, from a random generic syllable nyl- + -on, a common ending in fiber names (compare rayon and later Dacron), said to be ultimately from cotton. "Consumer Reports" in 1939 called it "duPont's much-publicised new miracle yarn, which is scheduled to
    lord
    mid-13c., laverd, loverd, from Old English hlaford "master of a household, ruler, feudal lord, superior; husband," also "God," translating Latin dominus, Greek kyrios in the New Testament, Hebrew yahweh in the Old (though Old English dryhten was more frequent). Old English hlafor
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    "a choice or select body, the best part," 1823, from French élite "selection, choice," from Old French eslite (12c.), fem. past participle of elire, elisre "pick out, choose," from Latin eligere "choose" (see election). Borrowed in Middle English as "chosen person" (late 14c.), e
    humor
    mid-14c., "fluid or juice of an animal or plant," from Old North French humour "liquid, dampness; (medical) humor" (Old French humor, umor; Modern French humeur), from Latin umor "body fluid" (also humor, by false association with humus "earth"); related to umere "be wet, moist,"

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