The Origin of OK

Friday 11 November 2011

We say “ok” everyday, it has lots of different meanings. We use it when someone asks for something:

 “Take your shoes from the floor!”

And we say: “Ok! I’m going to do it.”

And we all know that sometimes, that’s a lie… We also use it to express sarcam:

 “My dad is king of Portugal! So I’m a princess…”

 “Ok, of course you are!”

 The point is that we often use this word, with one thousand of different meanings but we don't really know it’s origin.

Well, the oldest written record of the word “ok” dates from 1815, in the diary of  William Richardson, who was travelling from Boston to New York.

"Arrived at Princeton, a handsome little village, 15 miles from N Brunswick, ok & at Trenton, where we dined at 1 P.M."

There’s no consent about the origin of this word. Some say it comes from the greek: olla plus kalla, that meant “good”. Others defend other origins like finnish (okeia), scottish (och aye) or even from french (au quai). There’s also a connection with wars. It may be an abbreviation of Orrin Kendall biscuits, which soldiers ate during the American Civil War. There’s also the expression “0 killed”, which was used in the night’s death toll during the First World War.

In spite of  its origin, “ok” is used not only by speakers ofEenglish, it has spread all over the world and used by many other people, including Portuguese, that use “ok” everyday, in their one language.

Inês Ribas