Yeh

Part of speech: interjection, pronoun

Definitions

1. An informal, casual way of writing or saying yes, often used in speech or dialect to express agreement
2. A colloquial spelling of the affirmative word yes, typically used in relaxed conversation to signal assent
3. A nonstandard form of yes, commonly seen in informal speech, messages and dialogue to show agreement

Etymology: "Yeh" is an informal spelling of "yes," and its history is simply that of the word it reproduces. "Yes" comes from Old English "gese" and "giese," and the modern spelling represents a casual, clipped pronunciation in which the final "s" is dropped and the vowel is shortened. Writers have used "yeh" to suggest speech, especially relaxed, colloquial or regional talk, rather than to show any different meaning. The ending "h" is a spelling device rather than a separate element. Once "yes" had been reduced in speech to something closer to "yeh," writers added the "h" to mark the sound clearly on the page, a pattern seen in other informal spellings of short, weakly stressed words.

Synonyms: yeah, yes