ok

Forms

ok (invariable; also written OK, o.k. and O.K.)^[2][3] The full form okay is also used.^[4][2]

Etymology

It is borrowed from English OK, the American English word, recorded in Italian from 1931.^[5][3][1] Nocentini gives the usual account of the English word: it began as a jocular abbreviation of “all correct” (everything in order), appeared first in a Boston daily paper in 1839 and was soon taken up by other papers.^[5] Its spread came with the American election campaign of 1840 and the founding of the “Old Kinderhook Club”, known by its initials, named after Kinderhook in the state of New York, the birthplace of the outgoing president Martin Van Buren.^[5] GRADIT gives only the second explanation, and only as a possibility: the letters would stand for “Old Kinderhook”, Van Buren's nickname, the name of a committee formed in New York in 1840 for his re-election.^[3] Devoto–Oli also connects it with the Old Kinderhook Club.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Nocentini and GRADIT date the word to 1931, as an adverb of assent meaning “all right, agreed”.^[5][3] Zingarelli's date is 1945.^[4]

Semantic evolution

Devoto–Oli notes that OK was recognized as an international signal of assent by the International Telecommunication Conference held in Madrid in 1932.^[6] In Italian the adverb of assent is also used as an interjection that closes or changes a topic, and it became a masculine noun meaning “approval, go-ahead”, as in dare l’ok and ricevere l’ok.^[3][4] A technical sense is the mark on an airline ticket confirming that the seat is booked.^[3] In the language of young people it is also an adjective, “right, fine, just as it should be”, and essere ok means to be suitable or to be all right.^[3]

Timeline

• 1839 – The abbreviation appears in a Boston daily paper.^[5]
• 1840 – The Old Kinderhook Club is founded during the American election campaign.^[5][3]
• 1931 – First record in Italian.^[5][3]
• 1932 – The Madrid telecommunication conference adopts OK as an international signal.^[6]
• 1945 – Zingarelli's date for the word.^[4]

Meanings

Adverb

1. All right, agreed, used to accept or confirm: «Passo a prenderti alle otto?» «Ok.»^[3][4][1]
2. (interjection) Used to close a topic or to move on: ok, adesso torniamo al lavoro.^[3][2]

Noun

1. approval, go-ahead, in dare, avere or ricevere l’ok: il comune ha dato l’ok ai lavori.^[3][4][2]
2. The mark on an airline ticket that confirms the seat booking.^[3]

Adjective

1. (colloquial, youth language) Right, fine, suitable: una maglietta ok per la festa.^[3][1]

Related words

• okay
• English OK

Usage notes

The usual Italian pronunciation is /oˈkɛi/, beside the English /əʊˈkeɪ/.^[4][2] Tutto ok means “everything is fine, the situation is under control”.^[3]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
4. ^ a b c d e f g Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
5. ^ a b c d e f g Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
6. ^ a b c Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier