I was always under the impression that the correct way to say it was “yay.” The phrase appears in 41 of my posts on this very blog. But during a recent trip to Florida, my grandfather – who surpasses everyone I know with approximately 3.2 ypm (yays-per-minute) – said that the correct way to say it was “yeay.”
But, a quick Google search tells me otherwise. There are 42 million instances of “yay” on Google, but only 544 thousand instances of “yeay.” Another quick (mathematical) search on Google tells me that this means “yay” is mentioned over 77 times more often than “yeay.” I think that this matter has now been resolved. The majority of the population uses “yay.”
Yay.
I always thought it was “Yay”.
I imagine ‘yeay’ being pronounced similar to ‘yeah’. As in ‘Yeah, yeah ..’ instead of ‘yes’. And ‘yay’ pronounced as an exclamation of excitement. ‘Oh my gawd yay! That was awesome!’
yea!
I think you struck a nerve–four responses in less than (fewer than?) twelve hours!
I opt for “yea.” As in “Yea, verily.” Never heard of “yeay.” Its proximate, “yeah,” is not a “hooray” word — it is another form of “yes.” As in “yeah, I know.” Grandma Max
O.K.it’s “yea!” But always with an exclamation point!
Grandpa
Well, the Times weighed in (yay’ed in?) this morning on the front page of the Arts section with “Yay” (http://theater2.nytimes.com/2009/07/17/theater/reviews/17vanities.html?ref=theater).
I still say yea to “yea.”
what is a word ‘yay’ mean?
please answer