First Nations Legacy - "OK"

Okay is one of the most commonly recognized phrases around the world – from Japan to Turkey – it is a simple confirmation that everything is alright, there is no trouble and people agree.

The Choctaw people use the phrase Yakoke to say thank you, and it is their word Okeh we use today. Choctaw was the common language of trade east of the Mississippi. And back in the days before written contracts, the word Okeh was a way to end a trade or exchange. It was your promise, too, that you would live up to your side of the deal.

Trading goods also meant trading languages and customs, and okay became a very common word by the early 1800s. Years later, President Woodrow Wilson signed all official papers with the word Okeh.

When you say OK, you give your word. It’s our heritage and a way of doing business we can all profit from.

Yakoke