aye

Meanings

Adverb

• ever, always

Interjection

• yes; yea; a word expressing assent, or an affirmative answer to a question.

Noun

• An affirmative vote; one who votes in the affirmative.

Related

Similar words

• yes
• yea

Opposite words

• nay
• no

Origin

• From Middle English aye, ai, aȝȝ, from Old Norse ei, ey, from Proto-Germanic *aiwa, *aiwō (compare Old English āwo, āwa, ā, ō, Middle Dutch ie, German je), from *aiwaz (compare Old English ǣ ("law"), West Frisian ieu ("century"), Dutch eeuw ("century")), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eyu- ("long time") (compare Irish aois ("age, period"), Breton oad ("age, period"), Latin aevum ("eternity"), Ancient Greek αἰών). aevum.
• "Appears suddenly about 1575, and is exceedingly common about 1600." Probably from use of aye as expression of agreement or affirmation, or from Middle English a ye ("oh yes"), or synthesis of both. More at oh, yea.
• Probably of multiple motivations, the sounds having been chosen for functional reasons.