[Ads-l] Fw: Antedating of "Yay" (Interjection)

[Ben Zimmer]

Nice find, Fred! When I looked into this a few years ago, I found "yay"
going back to 1922 in comic strips, with a 1918 example not clearly used in
a celebratory fashion.

https://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/ads-l/2021-September/160382.html


On Mon, Apr 7, 2025 at 8:22 AM Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at yale.edu> wrote:

> The date of the citation below is 23 Jan. 1921.
>
> ________________________________
> From: Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at yale.edu>
> Sent: Monday, April 7, 2025 8:18 AM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Subject: Antedating of "Yay" (Interjection)
>
> yay (OED 1963)
>
> 1921 Evansville (Indiana) Courier, Junior section, page 7, column 2
> (Newspapers.com)
>
> When the home team comes out upon the floor the rooters yell:  Yay team !
> Yay team ! Yay, yay, yay.
>
>
>

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