Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Ay
Ay
,int
erj.
Ah! alas!
“Ay me! I fondly dream ‘Had ye been there.’” Milton.
Ay
,adv.
Same as
Aye
. {
, Aye
,Ay
}adv.
[Perh. a modification of
yea
, or from the interjection of admiration or astonishment, OE. ei
, ey
, why, hey, ay, well, ah, ha. Cf. MHG. & G. ei
, Dan. ej
. Or perh. akin to aye
ever.] Yes; yea; – a word expressing assent, or an affirmative answer to a question. It is much used in viva voce voting in legislative bodies, etc.
☞ This word is written I in the early editions of Shakespeare and other old writers.
{
, Aye
,Ay
}adv.
[Icel. , ,
ei
, ey
; akin to AS. ā
, āwa
, always, Goth. aiws
an age, Icel. æfi
, OHG, [GREEK]wa
, L. aevum
, Gr. [GREEK] an age, [GREEK], [GREEK], ever, always, G. je
, Skr. [GREEK]va
course. [GREEK], [GREEK]. Cf. Age
, Verb.
Either
, Adj.
Or
, conj
.] Always; ever; continually; for an indefinite time.
For his mercies
aye
endure. Milton.
For aye
, always
; forever; eternally.