Okay

Okay, well OK, O.K. (English [ ˌ əʊkeɪ ] or German [ ˌ oke ː ] ) is a colloquial term, probably from the American English, which means something like (all) ok (abbr. in order).

The term is considered the most well-known word in the world and in different languages ​​- used colloquially - also in German. The origin of this word is not clear. However, there is a large number of more or less plausible theories.

A finger sign of ok is one of the thumb and forefinger cycle formed. This sign is not internationally and is interpreted differently in many parts of the world.

Conceptual history of the abbreviation OK

The earliest use of okay found himself in a court record from 1790 from Sumner County, Tennessee, which was discovered in 1859 by the historian Tennessee'er Albigence Waldo Putnam, in which Andrew Jackson apparently said:

Allen Walker Read identified the first use of ok in the Boston Morning Post of 23 March 1839 set:

"Hey ... would have the ' contribution box ,' et ceteras, ok - All correct - and cause the corks to fly, like sparks, upward. "

That all was not correct abbreviated AC, but OK, coming from a fashion of those years, deliberately abbreviations incorrect spellings ( " oll korrect " ) to use, as well as KY for "know yuse " (no use, pointless '), KG for "know go" ( no go, do not go ') or NS for " nuff said " ( enough said, enough said ').

Theories about the origin

The origin of the abbreviation is not finally resolved until today. All interpretations must take into account the first evidence of 1839; Explanations emanating from events and realities that have emerged only later, must therefore be rejected as unfounded.

The following attempts at interpretation can not be excluded entirely (the order does not say anything about the probability ):

• According to Merriam - Webster and Allen Walker Read the origin is also given as " oll korrect ".
• From the United States Army comes from the thesis, ok stood as an abbreviation for Order Known, the routine confirmation of a given instruction.
• Another theory also comes from the military, with the abbreviation for Zero Killed (paraphrased as: No own losses ), ie 0K.
• Also from the military sector comes the thesis of this so typical US-American appearing term had been coined by the German General Wilhelm von Steuben middle of the 18th century in the U.S., as he made a name as a military leader. This confirmed correspondence first with oll correct ( " all right " ), he simply wrote the all correct, as he understood it phonetically. Soon it was this " oll correct," known throughout the military and used it only the abbreviation ok However, writing "correctly" in the German of the 18th century still " correct".
• Also on lack of spelling knowledge invoked by the story from the time of the immigrants. These were searched at customs and when the luggage was fine, the abbreviation for oll was separated from the highly trained workers klear, ok, appears on the ticket, correct all clear.
• Old Kinderhook was the nickname of U.S. President Martin Van Buren (1837-1841), which was abbreviated to OK.
• Another answer to the question of the origin is located in West Africa. Slaves thus brought the term with them to America. This assumption goes back to a determination of the African linguist David Dalby, the word woukay found in the West African language Wolof, the "in order" means something like.
• Another explanation is the fact that all clear / correct hardly with AC could be shortened because both A and C are phonetically ambiguous. O.K. is the pronounced all clear the next.
• Another possibility would be OK as an abbreviation for by Order of the King, at the king's command '.
• Another theory sees the Choctaw word ( = Choctaw Indian tribe ) Okeh as a source of "OK". A first evidence of this is found in 1825, and Choctaw was well into the 20th century given in dictionaries as origin ( to Allen Read the origin of "all correct" and spread by Martin van Buren represented ).
• A common explanation leads O.K. the initials of a control employee in a company back, is said to have his signature attests to the quality of products or the like. It, however, there is no detailed information.