History of OK in Timeline

OK, spelled in various ways, is an English word expressing approval, agreement, or indifference. It is widely used and considered one of the most spoken or written words globally, frequently adopted as a loanword in other languages.

1961: OK of Choctaw origin

In 1961, dictionaries still agreed with Pete Seeger that OK was of Choctaw origin. Three major American reference works cited this etymology as the probable origin.

1963: Allen Walker Read's series in American Speech

In 1963, Allen Walker Read published a series of articles in the journal American Speech, tracking the spread and evolution of the word "OK" in American newspapers and written documents.

1963: Read's landmark papers

In 1963, Allen Walker Read's landmark papers silenced most of the skepticism around his etymology of OK, which gained immediate acceptance.

1964: Allen Walker Read's series in American Speech

In 1964, Allen Walker Read continued his series of articles in the journal American Speech, tracking the spread and evolution of the word "OK" in American newspapers and written documents, and documented controversy surrounding OK.

1964: Read's landmark papers

In 1964, Allen Walker Read's papers silenced most of the skepticism around his etymology of OK, which gained immediate acceptance.

1969: Dalby claims African origins

In 1969, David Dalby claimed that the particle OK could have African origins in the Hans Wolff Memorial Lecture.

1993: The African Heritage of American English

In 1993, Joseph Holloway argued in the book "The African Heritage of American English" that various West African languages have near-homophone discourse markers with meanings such as "yes indeed".