"Okay"
The word is
known and used by millions of people all over the word.still,language
experts do not agree on where it came from.Some say it came to the
Americas they heard hundreds of different Indian languages.Many were
well developed.One tribe especially had well developed language.This
was the Chocktaw tribe.They were farmers and fishemen who lived in the
rich Mississippi valley in what is now the state of Alabama .When
problems arose.Chocktaw leaders discussed them with the tribal
chief.They sat in a circle and listened to the wisdrom of the cheif.He
heard the different proposals often raising and lowering his head in
agreement,and saying "Okeh", meaning "It is so."
The indian languages have given many words to English.24 of the
American states-almost half-have Indian names-Oklahoma,the
Dakotas,Idaho,Wisconsin.Ohio and Tennessee,to name a few.And the names
of many rivers,streams,mountains,cities and towns are
Indian.Nevertheless,there are many who dispute the idea that "okay""
came from the IThe word ''okay'' is known and used by millions of
people all over the word.still,language experts do not agree on where
it came from.Some say it came to the Americas they heard hundreds of
different Indian languages.Many were well developed.
One tribe especially had well developed language.This was the Chocktaw
tribe.They were farmers and fishemen who lived in the rich Mississippi
valley in what is now the state of Alabama .When problems
arose.Chocktaw leaders discussed them with the tribal chief.They sat in
a circle and listened to the wisdrom of the cheif.He heard the
different proposals often raising and lowering his head in
agreement,and saying "Okeh", meaning "It is so".The indian languages
have given many words to English.24 of the American states-almost
half-have Indian names-Oklahoma,the Dakotas,Idaho,Wisconsin.Ohio and
Tennessee,to name a few.And the names of many
rivers,streams,mountains,cities and towns are Indian.Nevertheless,there
are many who dispute the idea that "okay"" came from the IThe word
''okay'' is known and used by millions of people all over the
word.still,language experts do not agree on where it came from.Some say
it came to the Americas they heard hundreds of different Indian
languages.Many were well developed.
One tribe especially had well developed language.This was the Chocktaw
tribe.They were farmers and fishemen who lived in the rich Mississippi
valley in what is now the state of Alabama .When problems
arose.Chocktaw leaders discussed them with the tribal chief.They sat in
a circle and listened to the wisdrom of the cheif.He heard the
different proposals often raising and lowering his head in
agreement,and saying "Okeh", meaning "It is so.The indian languages
have given many words to English.24 of the American states-almost
half-have Indian names-Oklahoma,the Dakotas,Idaho,Wisconsin.Ohio and
Tennessee,to name a few.And the names of many
rivers,streams,mountains,cities and towns are Indian.Nevertheless,there
are many who dispute the idea that "okay"" came from the Indians.Some
say that President Andrew Jackson fisrt used the word "okay".Others
claim the word was invebted by John Jacob Astor,a fur trader of the
late 1700's who became one of the word's richest men.Still others say a
poor railroad clerk made up this woed.His name was Obadiah Kelly and he
put his initials,,on
each package people gave him to ship by train. So it goes ;each story
sounds reasonable and official. But perhaps the most believable
explanation is that the word "okay" was invented by a political
organization in the 1800's .
Martin Van Buren was running for President.A group of people organized
a club to support him.They called their political organization the
"Okay Club".The letters "O" and "K"were taken from the name of Old
Kinderhook,New York.
There is one thing about "okay" that the experts do agree on :that the
word is pure American and that it has spread to almost every country on
earth.There is something about the word that appeals to peoples of
every language.Yet,here in America it is used mostly in speech,not in
serious writing.Serious writers would rather use
"agree","assent","approve","confirm" and so on.
In recent times,"okay" has been given an official place in the English
language. But it will be a long time before Americans will officially
accept two expressions that come from "okay" ;These are "oke" and
"okeydoke".