aye1

[ahy] /aɪ/
adverb
1.
yes.
noun
2.
an affirmative vote or voter, especially in British Parliament, corresponding to yea in U.S. Congress.
Also, ay.
Origin
1570-80; earlier spelling I, of uncertain origin

aye2

[ey] /eɪ/
adverb
1.
ay1 .
Examples from the web for aye
  • aye, but arguments can become tedious, and sometimes rampant imagination may add levity to an otherwise heavy discussion.
  • aye, the subtleties in the trading floor can only be surmised for now.
  • It's aye the cheapest lawyer's fee to taste the barrel.
  • The aye-aye has long, crooked fingers with big claws.
  • The legislature there can vote aye or nay on the computer-drawn map but can't change it.
British Dictionary definitions for aye

ay2

/eɪ/
interjection
1.
(archaic, poetic) an expression of misery or surprise
Word Origin
C14 ey: from an involuntary cry of surprise

aye1

/aɪ/
sentence substitute
1.
yes: archaic or dialectal except in voting by voice
2.
aye aye
  1. an expression of compliance, esp used by seamen
  2. (Brit) an expression of amused surprise, esp at encountering something that confirms one's suspicions, expectations, etc
noun
3.
  1. a person who votes in the affirmative
  2. an affirmative vote
Compare nay
Word Origin
C16: probably from pronoun I, expressing assent

aye2

/əɪ/
adverb
1.
(Scot) always; still
Word Origin
Old Norse ei ever; Old English ā; compare Latin aevum an age, Greek aion aeon, aiei ever, always
Word Origin and History for aye
interj.

"assent," 1570s, of unknown origin, perhaps a variant of I, meaning "I assent;" or an alteration of Middle English yai "yes" (see yea), or from aye (adv.) "always, ever."

adv.

"always, ever," c.1200, from Old Norse ei "ever" (cognate with Old English a "always, ever"), from PIE *aiw- "vital force, life, long life, eternity" (cf. Greek aion "age, eternity," Latin aevum "space of time;" see eon).