aye

aye · adverb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ey-
2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂óyu
3. Proto-Germanic*aiwaz
4. Old Norseey
5. Middle Englishay
6. English todayaye

From Middle English ay, ai, aȝȝ, from Old Norse ei, ey, from Proto-Germanic *aiwa, *aiwą, and/or *aiwō (“ever, always”), from *aiwaz (“age; law”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eyu- (“long time”). Doublet of aeviternity and aevum. See also Old English āwo, āwa, ā, ō, Middle Dutch ie, German je; also Old English ǣ(w) (“law”), West Frisian ieu (“century”), Dutch eeuw (“century”); also Irish aois (“age, period”), Breton oad (“age, period”), Latin aevum (“eternity”), Ancient Greek αἰών (aiṓn).

aye · interjection, verb, noun²

1. Middle English · derived froma ye“oh yes”
2. English todayaye

"Appears suddenly about 1575, and is exceedingly common about 1600." Probably from use of aye (“ever, always”) as expression of agreement or affirmation, or from Middle English a ye (“oh yes”), or synthesis of both. Compare Faroese ája (“certainly, ah yes”). More at oh, yea. Online Etymology Dictionary also with these posits a possible descent from I (as if clipped from e.g. "I assent").

Aye · proper noun³

1. Burmese · borrowed fromအေး
2. English todayAye

Borrowed from Burmese အေး (e: /⁠eì⁠/).

Words from the same roots