In this chat on github I found:
A. I made some changes. Please review.
B. Awesome, thanks!
A. Why yes, of course
What A means in his last sentence?
In general, is "why yes" a stronger "yes"?
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Note that for this use of why as an interjection there would normally be a comma directly after why (as in deadrat's examples below).– nnnnnnSep 22, 2021 at 16:55
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3 Answers
Why here is an interjection, placed at the beginning of a sentence to express surprise:
Is it nine o'clock already? Why, I must have fallen asleep!
or opposition:
Are you suggesting he stole the money? Why, I think that's impossible.
or in you example, emphasis:
B. Awesome, thanks!
A. Why [would you think it would be any less than awesome?], yes of course.
or perhaps
A. Why [would I even need to be thanked for something I'm happy to do], yes, of course.
Don't take the bracketed words as a literal ellipsis. The why is there to express a general emphatic tone.
The OED finds the interjectory use of why going back five hundred years.
I speak Persian. And in Persian, we use the word why by itself as a synonym for yes in some situations, usually for emphasis. As the answer above suggested, it probably is the shortened form of "why not?" in both languages.
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Welcome to ELU. It's interesting to learn that this form exists in Persian. This would be a more interesting and useful post for this site, however, if you could provide etymological source material to back up your theory about "why yes" might be a shortened form of "why not" in English. We try to provide information about English usage, rather than opinion. (I'd actually disagree that "why yes" is a shortened form of "why not" in English. It could, in a pinch, be a variant). Your observation about Persian is different and interesting, because you are, as a speaker, a source yourself. May 31, 2020 at 13:45
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You are correct that it was just an observation. But I was not trying to suggest "why not?" was a replacement for "why, yes", rather that it was a replacement for why alone- as in "why not? Yes, of course". However, you are absolutely right about providing a source. But I think the phrasing of the comment above mine basically suggests the same idea as "why not?"– PiruzMay 31, 2020 at 17:40
The statement above, "Why yes, of course," seems practically redundant. "Why yes" seems to me (yes, I know, no sources) to mean "why would I have it any other way" or "why would I want to do otherwise." And that seems very close to the meaning of "of course" in the sentence -- the etymology of which I do not know but would suspect to mean "of the course I would expect" or "of the natural or defined or common course." So the meanings of the two phrases seem very close.
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This does not provide an answer to the question. Once you have sufficient reputation you will be able to comment on any post; instead, provide answers that don't require clarification from the asker. - From Review– jimm101Sep 22, 2021 at 16:40