*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of ayo

Combination of hey and yo.

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
intj

A greeting. · Used to indicate shock towards sth esp. of a disapproving manner. · Used to imply that what was said is inappropriate, perhaps sexually so.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Combination of hey and yo.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [],
  "links": [
    [
      "hey",
      "hey#English"
    ],
    [
      "yo",
      "yo#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "intj",
      "glosses": [
        "A greeting.",
        "Used to indicate shock towards sth esp. of a disapproving manner.",
        "Used to imply that what was said is inappropriate, perhaps sexually so."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "error-unknown-tag",
        "slang"
      ],
      "recordId": "b0e1a105e7e3ea0f79e99f1171e2ec0466da6c37e9a05b95cc18d3f706da6448",
      "rawRecordSha256": "ef42e436d540654a1cfaf1b92bb658d097ea721787b87f9310f078fe32cf2edd",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 180175
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

A type of mancala strategy game played by the Yoruba.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Yoruba ayò, an abridged form of ayò ọlọ́pọ́n.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Derivation mentionayòyo
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "yo",
        "3": "ayò"
      },
      "expansion": "Yoruba ayò"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "ayò",
      "ayo#Yoruba"
    ],
    [
      "ayò ọlọ́pọ́n",
      "ayo ọlọpọn#Yoruba"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A type of mancala strategy game played by the Yoruba."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Africa",
        "West",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "recordId": "35928d4ddf9417377d428a7fd5092b8aa35983b010c042448c447dbd2b910e4d",
      "rawRecordSha256": "f84d864d3349e73c8ebe50e2e68dd37f205df60c03ae744cd41080c58c4ee5c1",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 180176
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for ayo →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-YXlv