Etymologically
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yeah

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 15 October 2026 at 13:01. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA: UK /jeə/, US /jeə/, /jæə/[1]

Etymology

It represents a casual pronunciation of yes,[2][3][4] and began as colloquial American English.[2][4] The American Heritage Dictionary calls it a variant of yea.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Yes: by 1863, in American English.[2][6][7]

Semantic evolution

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate gave 1902,[8] the OED 1905[3] and the Shorter Oxford the early 20th century[4] before the earlier evidence was found.[6][7] The lighter form yeh is recorded by 1920.[2]

Timeline

Modern meaning

Adverb

  1. (informal) Yes.

Usage notes

The Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary notes that American English has many pronunciations besides /jeə/ and /jæə/, among them /jɑː/.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b Jones, Daniel (2011), Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary, 18th ed., ed. Peter Roach, Jane Setter and John Esling, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
  2. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ a b c Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (2000), 4th ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  6. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  7. ^ a b Kay, Christian; Roberts, Jane; Samuels, Michael; Wotherspoon, Irené, eds. (2009), Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford: Oxford University Press; online edition (2024)
  8. ^ Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster