The Northern Star Magazine Online

Mind Blowing Stuff To Read
Menu
  • Home
  • Humor
  • WTF
  • Animals
  • Ron’s Rambles
  • Games/Sports
  • Will’s Thoughts
  • Beauty
  • Inspirational
  • Misc
  • Entertainment
  • Val’s Life Views
  • True or False
  • Lifestyles
  • Tech
  • Health
Home
General
Okay Is The Word That Conquered The World

Okay Is The Word That Conquered The World

“Okay” (OK) is one of the most recognized and frequently used words in the world. It is also one of the oddest expressions ever invented. But its oddity may account for its popularity.

It’s odd-looking. It’s a word that looks and sounds like an abbreviation, an acronym. We generally spell it OK – the spelling okay is relatively recent, and still relatively rare – but we don’t pronounce it “ock”, but by sounding the names of each the letters O and K. So both in speech and in writing, Okay stands out clearly, easily distinguished from other words and yet it uses simple sounds that are familiar to a multitude of languages.

In Native American Choctaw: Okeh (it is so), in Scottish: Och aye (oh yes), Greek: Ola kala (all is right), German: ohne Korrektur (without needing correction), Finnish: Oikea (correct) and Mandinka: O ke (that’s it). On March 23rd, 1839, okay was introduced to the world on the second page of the Boston Morning Post, in the midst of a long paragraph, as “o.k. (all correct)”.

Clever coinages are laughed at and enjoyed, but are hardly ever adopted. However, within a decade people began actually marking okay on documents, and using okay on the telegraph to signal that all was well. So okay had found its niche, being easy to say, write and distinctive enough to be clear. But the use of okay was restricted.

The misspelled abbreviation may have implied illiteracy to some, but kay was generally avoided in anything except business contexts or in fictional dialogue, by characters deemed to be rustic or illiterate. By the 20th Century, okay had moved from margin to mainstream, becoming a staple of nearly everyone’s conversation. No longer looked on as illiterate or slang, its true origin was gradually forgotten.

Okay is also one of the few words that actually originated in North America.

ok

Prev Article
Next Article

Related Articles

George Orwell 1984 Book Review Part 2
It was written in 1984 that 'who controls the past …
Cathie

1984 by George Orwell Part 2 By Ron Murdock

heineken beer
Here’s some beer trivia to expand your mind as beer …
Cathie

Beer Trivia For Enquiring Minds

About The Author

Cathie

Stand Beside or Stand Aside T-Shirt

Dang Woman!

DANG WOMAN! a hilarious guide to unsuccessfully outwitting a woman :-)small dang woman ad Available in paperback and E-book

Check Out These Great Stories Too!

  • Will’s Thoughts | Society Pays For LeechesWill’s Thoughts | Society Pays For Leeches
  • The Handmaid’s Tale Part 3 | By Ron MurdockThe Handmaid’s Tale Part 3 | By Ron Murdock
  • Curse Of Glastenbury MountainCurse Of Glastenbury Mountain
  • Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Oreo Cupcakes RecipeReese’s Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Oreo Cupcakes Recipe
  • Do Unto Others | A Modern FableDo Unto Others | A Modern Fable
  • Random Thoughts 22 | By Ron MurdockRandom Thoughts 22 | By Ron Murdock
  • Artificial Legs Allow Oscar The Cat To Bounce BackArtificial Legs Allow Oscar The Cat To Bounce Back
  • X-Men: Days of Future Past Movie Review | Clifford T. HofferdX-Men: Days of Future Past Movie Review | Clifford T. Hofferd
  • Clean Dryer Lint System To Reduce Fire RiskClean Dryer Lint System To Reduce Fire Risk
  • To Think Or Not To ThinkTo Think Or Not To Think

You Might Also Like

  • English Is A Hard Language To Learn Part 2
  • Random Jokes | Questions | Quotes | Part 4
  • The Un-Knitting Machine | Cycling to Undo What Was Done
  • What Ever Happened To Good Old Fashion Beer Joints | By Steve Wilson
  • Mental Wanderings And Random Thoughts Part 15 | By Ron Murdock

The Northern Star Magazine Online

Mind Blowing Stuff To Read
Copyright © 2025 The Northern Star Magazine Online
Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy