![]() ![]() Read proposed an etymology of OK in "Old Kinderhook" in 1941. The country-wide publicity surrounding the election appears to have been a critical event in OK 's history, widely and suddenly popularizing it across the United States. In response, Whig opponents attributed OK, in the sense of "Oll Korrect", to the bad spelling of Andrew Jackson, Van Buren's predecessor. "Vote for OK" was snappier than using his Dutch name. The term appears to have achieved national prominence in 1840, when supporters of the Democratic political party claimed during the 1840 United States presidential election that it stood for "Old Kinderhook", a nickname for the Democratic president and candidate for reelection, Martin Van Buren, a native of Kinderhook, New York. OK 's original presentation as "all correct" was later varied with spellings such as "Oll Korrect" or even "Ole Kurreck". English for a decade or more before its appearance in newspapers. The general fad is speculated to have existed in spoken or informal written U.S. One predecessor of OK was OW, "oll wright." and used expressions like OFM, "our first men," NG, "no go," GT, "gone to Texas," and SP, "small potatoes." Many of the abbreviated expressions were exaggerated misspellings, a stock in trade of the humorists of the day. The abbreviation fad began in Boston in the summer of 1838. ![]() Read argues that, at the time of the expression's first appearance in print, a broader fad existed in the United States of "comical misspellings" and of forming and employing acronyms, themselves based on colloquial speech patterns: He also documented controversy surrounding OK and the history of its folk etymologies, both of which are intertwined with the history of the word itself. He tracked the spread and evolution of the word in American newspapers and other written documents, and later throughout the rest of the world. The etymology that most reference works provide today is based on a survey of the word's early history in print: a series of six articles by Allen Walker Read in the journal American Speech in 19. The following proposals have found mainstream recognition. Many explanations for the origin of the expression have been suggested, but few have been discussed seriously by linguists. See also: List of proposed etymologies of OK Some of this variation in use and shape of the word is also found in other languages. As a versatile discourse marker or continuer, it can also be used with appropriate intonation to show doubt or to seek confirmation ("OK?", "Is that OK?"). OK, as an adjective, can express acknowledgement without approval. It can mean "assent" when it is used as a noun ("the boss gave her the OK to the purchase") or, more colloquially, as a verb ("the boss OKed the purchase"). As an interjection, it can denote compliance ("OK, I will do that"), or agreement ("OK, that is fine"). It fulfills a similar role as an adverb ("Wow, you did OK for your first time skiing!"). This origin was first described by linguist Allen Walker Read in the 1960s.Īs an adjective, OK principally means "adequate" or "acceptable" as a contrast to "bad" ("The boss approved this, so it is OK to send out") it can also mean "mediocre" when used in contrast with "good" ("The french fries were great, but the burger was just OK"). OK's origins are disputed however, most modern reference works hold that it originated around Boston as part of a fad for misspelling in the late 1830s, and originally stood for "oll korrect" ("all correct"). It has been described as the most frequently spoken or written word on the planet. OK is frequently used as a loanword in other languages. OK ( / ˌ oʊ ˈ k eɪ/ ⓘ spelling variations include okay, O.K., ok and Ok) is an English word (originating in American English) denoting approval, acceptance, agreement, assent, acknowledgment, or a sign of indifference. For other uses, see OK (disambiguation) and Okay (disambiguation). Other Clara variations you might want to consider include Clarissa and Clarina, though Clarabelle seems still fit mainly for cows.Several terms redirect here. Actor Ewan McGregor was an early celebrity adopter of the name for one of his daughters. Now, though the vintage chic Clara is still less popular, it's arguably the more stylish of the two names.Ĭlara was a Top 10 name in the 1880's, at one time associated with the silent screen 'It Girl,' Clara Bow, and before that with German musician and composer Clara Schumann and Red Cross founder Clara Barton, who was born Clarissa.Ĭlara is beloved for her leading role in The Nutcracker ballet and as Heidi's invalid friend. Long relegated to an Olde World backwater, the European-flavored Clara was long less fashionable than sleeker sister Claire. Now holding steady around Number 100, Clara is a modern classic, neither too popular nor too unusual. ![]() Clara is a strong, lovely girls' name that's always ranked among the US Top 1000 girl names but has been climbing since the turn of this century. ![]()
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