English word origin

Etymology of yeah

Colloquial form of yea or yes. Compare nah. Analyzable as yes + -h.

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 ↗

particle

Yes. · Used to express acknowledgment of what was previously said. · Used to ascertain the continued attention of the listener.

intj

Expressing joy, celebration, glee, etc.

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

Colloquial form of yea or yes. Compare nah. Analyzable as yes + -h.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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    {
      "name": "wp",
      "args": {
        "1": "yes and no"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "suffix",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "yes",
        "3": "h"
      },
      "expansion": "yes + -h"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "yea",
      "yea#English"
    ],
    [
      "yes",
      "yes#English"
    ],
    [
      "nah",
      "nah#English"
    ],
    [
      "yes",
      "yes#English"
    ],
    [
      "-h",
      "-h#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "particle",
      "glosses": [
        "Yes.",
        "Used to express acknowledgment of what was previously said.",
        "Used to ascertain the continued attention of the listener."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "colloquial"
      ],
      "recordId": "7e93262e7b67aef04d34a829cda06a4fb40f841b4783b8f1967137f8965ba392",
      "rawRecordSha256": "5773f183be5dceb20275976bcb76a37c3e5c1f983b252518b6070c4c9d71e847",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 16995
    },
    {
      "pos": "intj",
      "glosses": [
        "Expressing joy, celebration, glee, etc."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "colloquial"
      ],
      "recordId": "9c0efa4ee333705e659006a9d947eb8e4336feaa6c7df8343b0e3a318134ce1b",
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      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 16996
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  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

Pronunciation spelling of year.

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

See year.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [],
  "links": [
    [
      "year",
      "year"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Pronunciation spelling of year."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "colloquial",
        "pronunciation-spelling"
      ],
      "recordId": "bc5eecd92941df3e284583c8ebc509291f9a5ae61af70dcca19f1e42ac36fb29",
      "rawRecordSha256": "a8fdfe09529e367d72419f4fa41986462da7e12bc30ce6af3464438f6111e573",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 16997
    }
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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 yeah →

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-eWVhaA