ugye

Forms

ugye^[1]

Etymology

It is from Hungarian úgy (“so; indeed”) + -e (“interrogative particle”), a compound that grew together in speech from the first part in its modal sense “yes, indeed”, used to agree or affirm, and the question particle.^{[2][3][4][5][1]} It arose in questions that press for the confirmation of a statement or for consent, and was at first an interrogative adverb.^[2][3][4] As the stress and rising tone of the question weakened, it became an emphatic modal word and finally a filler without meaning.^[2][3][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is in Calepinus's dictionary of 1585, where Vgye translates Latin siccine “is it so?”.^[2][3] The sense there is the tag question “isn't it so?, really?”.^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

Szenczi Molnár's dictionary of 1604 has the word as an exclamation, “surely, indeed”.^[2][3] Csokonai wrote it as two words or with an accent: úgy é, ugy é and úgyé beside ugye.^[6] The ÉrtSz marks the spelling úgy-e as old-fashioned.^[7]

Its use as a filler is recorded from about 1923.^[2][3] A Transylvanian deposition of 1820 shows ugye opening a question in reported speech.^[8]

Timeline

• 1585 – Vgye “is it so?” in Calepinus's dictionary.^[2][3]
• 1604 – “surely, indeed” in Szenczi Molnár's dictionary.^[2][3]
• 1807 – the spelling Úgye.^[3][4]
• 1820 – a tag question in a Transylvanian deposition.^[8]
• about 1923 – first recorded as a filler word.^[2][3]

Meanings

Adverb

1. At the end of a question or statement, asking for a yes or for agreement: right?, isn't it?, didn't you?: Holnap jössz, ugye?^[7][1]
2. At the start of a question that expects the answer yes, often with joy, reproach or gloating: Ugye megmondtam?^[7]
3. In a question the speaker answers himself, or before a statement offered as known.^[7]
4. (colloquial) A filler word without meaning: “well, you know”.^[1][2]

Word family

• ugyebár

Usage notes

The form ugyebár is a fuller, somewhat formal variant.^[1] Ugye bizony is an emphatic “surely, yes indeed”.^[7]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Benkő, Loránd (ed.) (1967–1976), A magyar nyelv történeti-etimológiai szótára, 3 vols., Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, p. 3, 1027
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Gerstner, Károly (ed.) (2006–), Új magyar etimológiai szótár, Budapest: Nyelvtudományi Kutatóközpont; online at uesz.nytud.hu
4. ^ a b c Benkő, Loránd (ed.) (1993–1997), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Ungarischen, 3 vols., Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, p. 1616
5. ^ a b Zaicz, Gábor (ed.) (2006), Etimológiai szótár: magyar szavak és toldalékok eredete, Budapest: Tinta Könyvkiadó
6. ^ Jakab, László et al. (1993–2019), Csokonai-szókincstár I–IV, Debrecen: Debreceni Egyetem (Számítógépes Nyelvtörténeti Adattár)
7. ^ a b c d e Bárczi, Géza; Országh, László (eds.) (1959–1962), A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára, 7 vols., Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó; online at ertelmezo.oszk.hu
8. ^ a b Szabó T., Attila (ed.) (1975–2014), Erdélyi magyar szótörténeti tár, 14 vols., Bukarest: Kriterion / Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó / Kolozsvár: Erdélyi Múzeum-Egyesület, p. 13, 729