# Παρετυμολογίες: Όλα καλά;



## Ambrose (Jul 17, 2008)

Θυμάμαι που μου είχε πει κάποιος κάποτε ότι το ΟΚ είναι Ελληνικό από το "όλα καλά". Βέβαια, νοηματικά ταυτίζονται απόλυτα. Σύμφωνα με το Free Dictionary, όμως, καμία σχέση:

Word History: OK is a quintessentially American term that has spread from English to many other languages. Its origin was the subject of scholarly debate for many years until Allen Walker Read showed that OK is based on a joke of sorts. OK is first recorded in 1839 but was probably in circulation before that date. During the 1830s there was a humoristic fashion in Boston newspapers to reduce a phrase to initials and supply an explanation in parentheses. Sometimes the abbreviations were misspelled to add to the humor. OK was used in March 1839 as an abbreviation for all correct, the joke being that neither the O nor the K was correct. Originally spelled with periods, this term outlived most similar abbreviations owing to its use in President Martin Van Buren's 1840 campaign for reelection. Because he was born in Kinderhook, New York, Van Buren was nicknamed Old Kinderhook, and the abbreviation proved eminently suitable for political slogans. That same year, an editorial referring to the receipt of a pin with the slogan O.K. had this comment: "frightful letters ... significant of the birth-place of Martin Van Buren, old Kinderhook, as also the rallying word of the Democracy of the late election, 'all correct' .... Those who wear them should bear in mind that it will require their most strenuous exertions ... to make all things O.K."

Βλέπω πάντως στην Wikipedia ότι το αναφέρει, αλλά το απορρίπτει:

"In Greek, O.K. is a correctly-spelled abbreviation for the expression, Ola Kala (Ὅλα Καλά, ΟΚ), "everything is fine", which has the same meaning as the American English "okay". It is possible that Greek sailors used Ola Kala in American ports. It is also said that "O.K." was written on the ships or other places to show that the ships are ready."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okay


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## nickel (Jul 17, 2008)

Προς επίρρωσιν (σε σχέση με τον Van Buren), από έναν άνθρωπο που εμπιστεύομαι:

http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-oka1.htm


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## Ambrose (Jul 17, 2008)

Έκανα μόλις μια προσθήκη στο αρχικό μου ποστ. Η Wikipedia έχει εκτενή λίστα με πιθανές ετυμολογίες, αλλά απ' ότι φαίνεται κανείς δεν ξέρει με βεβαιότητα.


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