AboutTed Nesbitt Expertise I have an interest in the meanings of words and phrases, as well as how and when they became part of the English language. I enjoy
researching idioms, colloquialisms, dialects, and obscurities of
all kinds. I prefer short questions on a particular subject, and
I will not accept lengthy research projects or term papers. NOTE: ALLEXPERTS CLAIMS THAT I TRANSLATE FROM ENGLISH TO LATIN AND FROM LATIN TO ENGLISH. I DO NOT. ALLEXPERTS REFUSES TO DELETE THE LATIN-TO-ENGLISH SERVICE -- ONE THAT I DO NOT PROVIDE.
TRUST ME ON THIS: ALLEXPERTS IS WRONG. I DO NOT TRANSLATE FROM ENGLISH TO LANGUAGE. LOOK FOR A LANGUAGE EXPERT INSTEAD. ETYMOLOGY AND TRANSLATING SERVICES ARE ENTIRELY DIFFERENT. ALLEXPERTS SHOULD KNOW THAT. ALLEXPERTS DOES NOT KNOW THAT. I HAVE TRIED FOR MANY YEARS TO GET THEM TO CHANGE. THEY WILL NOT. SORRY, BUT I DO NOT TRANSLATE FROM ENGLISH TO LATIN.
Experience I am the bibliographic instruction and reference librarian at a public
college. My master's thesis concerns William Faulkner's tragic novels. I formerly taught advanced placement English at two schools in the Philadelphia area.
I have been a member of the grammar and writing section of Allexperts
for more than a year.
Education/Credentials Masters degrees in English, philosophy, and library science.
Question What are the words used instead of yes in the 18th century?
Thank you
Answer Dear John:
I have spent some time searching various dictionaries and thesauri. "The Oxford English Dictionary" [OED] is the "bible" of the eymological field, so I am using its references [which are repeated in other dictionaries]. The OED is especially useful, because it gives dates when words changed, such as their various spellings.
In the 18th century, "yes" was used. Other words meaning "yes" were "aye" and "yea." If a person wanted to emphasize the "yes," he could use either "verily" or "truly."
Centuries prior to the 18th, other spellings were used, such as "yoi," "yoy," and "yee."
"Yeah" was the slang word for "yes," and it was used in the 18th century.
AYE and YEA are the most often cited.
By the way, I learned something from my research: I had NO idea that the fortune-telling board, "Ouija," was named for the French [oui] and the German [ja] words for "yes." "Ouija" essentially means "yes yes."
