oké

Forms

oké (used only predicatively, comparative meer oké, superlative meest oké)^[1] Also written oke, okay and o.k..^[1][2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from English OK.^[1][2][4] The origin of the English word is not entirely certain.^[3] The Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal follows Allen Walker Read, who showed in 1963–1964 that ⟨o.k.⟩ first appeared in 1839 as a playful abbreviation of “all correct”, spelled ⟨oll korrect⟩, and that in 1840 it served as a slogan in the American presidential campaign, from the initials of “Old Kinderhook”, the nickname of Martin Van Buren, born in Kinderhook, New York.^[3] The Dutch Wiktionary presents the word as an eponym from that nickname.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Van der Sijs dates the interjection “good, all right” to 1899.^[4] The Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal's first quotation, from 1924, uses it as a predicative adjective in quotation marks: a captain's papers will be “O.K.”, in order.^[3]

Semantic evolution

The word was first used as an interjection of agreement and in the predicative het is oké, “it is all right”.^[3] Modern dictionaries add its use to show that one has understood what was said, and to concede a point.^[6][5] It never stands before a noun.^[1]

From Dutch or English the word reached Indonesian and Jakarta Malay as oké, “good, agreed”, and Papiamentu as oké.^[7]

Timeline

• 1839 – English o.k. first appears in the United States.^[3]
• 1899 – Dutch oké “good” is first recorded.^[4]
• 1924 – O.K. is used as a predicative adjective.^[3]
• 1936 – The interjection of agreement is quoted in the Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal.^[3]

Meanings

Interjection

1. Okay, all right, expressing agreement: Oké, ik kom om acht uur.^[6][3][1]
2. Shows that one has understood: Oké, nu snap ik het.^[6]
3. Concedes a point: Oké, je hebt gelijk.^[5]

Adjective

1. (predicative) All right, in order, acceptable: Het eten was best oké.^[6][1]
2. (predicative) Good, decent: Die nieuwe collega is wel oké.^[1]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2005), Groot leenwoordenboek, Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Vries, Matthias de; Winkel, L. A. te, et al. (1882–1998), Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal, 29 vols., 's-Gravenhage / Leiden: Nijhoff / Sijthoff / SDU; supplement 2001; gtb.ivdnt.org
4. ^ a b c Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
5. ^ a b c WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org
6. ^ a b c d Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
7. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)