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What's the etymology of this Maine synonym for "yes"? I've always wondered. OTOH, "finest kind" is pretty obvious.

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  • Livermore Falls is the source, probably. But no one knows the source of the Androscoggin River. ;-)
    – Drew
    Oct 26, 2014 at 2:49

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In the following source the suggested origin from nautical jargon is discussed and a new origin is put forward; a Scottish one.

Ajuh: (from www.dialectblog.com)

  • This word is the informal version of “yes” in Maine, and, unusually for semi-archaic dialect words, it has more of a standardized spelling than it does a pronunciation. I’ve usually heard it as eh-YUH (IPA eɪˈjʌ), but there’s also a pronunciation that puts more weight on the first syllable (EY-yuh), as well as EE-yuh or eye-yuh.

  • In Facts on File Dictionary of American Regionalisms by Robert Hendrickson. Quoth Mr. Hendrickson (emphasis his):

    • Chiefly heard in Maine,ayuh is found throughout New England … A touch stone of New England speech, *it possibly derives from the nautical aye (yes), which in turn probably comes from the early English yie (yes). Another theory has ayuh coming from the old Scots-American aye-yes meaning the same.
  • I might be willing to buy the Scottish explanation for a few reasons:
  • 1 - Maine was one of the areas where the Scots-Irish initially settled. In fact, you can see in this map that a large percentage of people of Scots-Irish descent is found in precisely the area where the “Down East” accent is heard.

  • 2 - In most varieties of ayuh the “ay” rhymes with “day.” This more closely resembles the modern Scottish pronunciation of Aye than in other areas where Aye is heard.

  • 3) The aye yes that Hendrickson mentions appear to be a feature of some Scottish English dialects to this day. Although be aware that I am deducing this from some very circumstancial evidence (such as this message board). So take this last bit with a huge grain of salt.

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  • I've only heard it pronounced "aye-uh" as in "aye-aye". But I think the nautical explanation makes the most sense, because of its prevalence along the coast.
    – JenSCDC
    Oct 25, 2014 at 16:32
  • I always thought that "aye" was a cognate of Old English "ā", meaning "forever".
    – Einheri
    Jan 28, 2016 at 13:51

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