O is for OK, Okay? Healing with words. Day 15. #atozchallenge

OK (also okay |ˈōˈkā|) informal

exclamationused to express assent, agreement, or acceptance• used to introduce an utteranceadjectivesatisfactory but not exceptionally or especially good.• (of a person) in a satisfactory physical or mental state.• permissible; allowableadverbin a satisfactory manner or to a satisfactory extent.noun an authorization or approval.verb ( OK's, OK'd, OK'ing)sanction or give approval to.

O is another letter that is not represented in my deck of cards, and that is perfectly OK with me.

Okidoke, a google search of OK led me to this site, it has my three favourite explanations. Ok's origins and how it became popular are unknown and many. 

OK or Okay has it's own hand gesture, and it varies from nation to nation. There aren't too many words that can claim that victory.  I can think of one other word that's also an adverb, adjective, verb, noun, informal exclamation and a question. It's just as widely used and recognised, on a global scale, as OK - but I'm pretty sure it will potentially land you in more trouble than the two simple letters OK ever will, sometimes it's just the perfect word, other times it the human version of growling.

My three favourite origins and or reasons OK became so popular are: 

1. Au quai:  Translates to: At Quay (otherwise known as,  a dock or harbour). Pronounced O K and after months of orienteering on open oceans the dock was an OK place for sailors to be.  They were the world's first global travellers (I think), so it makes sense (to me) that they spread it from quay to quay.
2. During the 1st world war, the daily death tally was written on a board. Zero killed was 0-Killed, abbreviated to OK, which was obviously an OK day 
3. The Greek word Ola Kala which translates to 'all right'. Greeks are responsible for the origin of many words, and rumour has it that Ola Kala was shortened to OK in Australia, (Melbourne has the third largest Greek population in the world) and in Australia, if a word can be shortened, it will be.

Now there's an idea, I could do Aussie Slang for next years challenge, OK?

I do wonder if OK was just another onomatopoeia, two simple letters used to describe a popular sound, from one time or another.  In language there are always so many changes.  The most recent in texting vernacular has shortened OK to just k and OK is fast becoming Only Kidding.

Can you think of any more O onomatopoeia words?

Oh
Oh-oh

Oink 

Ouch

Ooze

Ow

It's far from from divine, but OK is just fine.

 Thanks marcandangel.com 

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Find out how I chose my theme by reading my intro blog A-Z challenge list. Words of change.  You can add more words to the list by leaving a comment - and I'll add a link to your blog to return the favour.