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Aye - 10 dictionary results

aye

1  [ahy]
Use Aye in a Sentence
–adverb
1. yes.
–noun
2. an affirmative vote or voter, esp. in British Parliament, corresponding to yea in U.S. Congress.
Also, ay.

Origin:
1570–80; earlier sp. I, of uncert. orig.

aye

2  [ey]
–adverb
ay 1 .

ay

1  [ey]
–adverb Archaic.
ever; always.
Also, aye.

Origin:
1150–1200; ME ei, ai < Scand; cf. ON ei, c. OE ā ever
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To Aye
aye 1 also ay   (ī)   
n.  An affirmative vote or voter: The ayes outnumber the nays on this issue.
adv.  Yes; yea: voted aye on the appropriations bill.

[Perhaps from Middle English *ayye : ay, always; see aye2 + ye, yes; see yea.]
aye 2 also ay   (ā)   
adv.  Always; ever: pledged their love for aye.

[Middle English ai, from Old Norse ei; see aiw- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Aye

Aye\, Ay \Ay\, adv. [Perh. a modification of yea, or from the interjection of admiration or astonishment, OE. ei, ey, why, hey, ay, well, ah, ha. Cf. MHG. & G. ei, Dan. ej. Or perh. akin to aye ever.] Yes; yea; -- a word expressing assent, or an affirmative answer to a question. It is much used in viva voce voting in legislative bodies, etc.

Note: This word is written I in the early editions of Shakespeare and other old writers.

Aye

Aye\, n. An affirmative vote; one who votes in the affirmative; as, "To call for the ayes and noes;" "The ayes have it."

Aye

Aye\, Ay \Ay\, adv. [Icel. ei, ey; akin to AS. [=a], [=a]wa, always, Goth. aiws an age, Icel. [ae]fi, OHG, ?wa, L. aevum, Gr. ? an age, ?, ?, ever, always, G. je, Skr. ?va course. ?,?. Cf. Age, v., Either, a., Or, conj.] Always; ever; continually; for an indefinite time.

For his mercies aye endure. --Milton.

For aye, always; forever; eternally.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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aye  (1)
"assent," 1576, perhaps a variant of I, meaning "I assent," or an alt. of M.E. yai "yes."

aye  (2)
"always, ever," c.1200, from O.N. ei "ever" (cognate with O.E. a "always, ever"), from PIE *aiw- "vital force, life, long life, eternity" (cf. Gk. aion "age, eternity," L. aevum "space of time;" see eon).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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