aye

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See also ayé

Contents

English [edit]

Etymology 1 [edit]

From Middle English aye, ai, agg, from Old Norse ei, ey, from Proto-Germanic *ī́ui ‘ever, always’ (compare Old English ā, ō, Middle Dutch ie, German je), accusative of *aiwaz ‘age; law’ (compare Old English ǣ(w) ‘law’, West Frisian ieu ‘century’, Dutch eeuw ‘century’), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éi̯us ‘long time’ (compare Irish aois ‘age, period’, Latin ævum ‘eternity’, Ancient Greek  (aiṓn)).

Pronunciation [edit]

Adverb [edit]

aye (not comparable)

  1. (archaic) ever, always
Quotations [edit]
References [edit]
  1. ^ Oxford English Dictionary, Second Edition, 1989

Etymology 2 [edit]

Probably from use of aye as expression of agreement, or from Middle English a ye (oh yes). More at oh, yea.

Pronunciation [edit]

Alternative forms [edit]

Interjection [edit]

aye

  1. yes; yea; a word expressing assent, or an affirmative answer to a question.
Usage notes [edit]

It is much used in Scotland, the north and Midlands of England, the northern counties of Ireland, North Wales, viva voce voting in legislative bodies, etc., or in nautical contexts.

Synonyms [edit]
Antonyms [edit]
Translations [edit]
References [edit]
  • The New Geordie Dictionary, Frank Graham, 1987, ISBN 0946928118
  • Newcastle 1970s, Scott Dobson and Dick Irwin, [1]
  • A Dictionary of North East Dialect, Bill Griffiths, 2005, Northumbria University Press, ISBN 1904794165

Noun [edit]

aye (plural ayes)

  1. An affirmative vote; one who votes in the affirmative.
    "To call for the ayes and nays;" "The ayes have it."
Synonyms [edit]
Translations [edit]

Anagrams [edit]


Scots [edit]

Etymology [edit]

From Old Norse ei, ey, cognate with Old English ā. See the etymology for the English word above.

Pronunciation [edit]

Adverb [edit]

aye (not comparable)

  1. always, still
    A'll aye be wi ye an A'm nae carin whit thay say - I will always/ still be with you and I don't care what they say

Interjection [edit]

aye!

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