The word 'OK' is recognized globally, transcending languages and cultures. Originating in a misspelled form of 'all correct' as 'oll korrect', it was popularized in the U.S. during a presidential campaign in the early 19th century. Although many theories regarding its origins exist, most linguistic scholars support the connection to this playful misspelling. It first appeared in print in the Boston Morning Post on March 23, 1839, and has since evolved into a multifaceted term used as a noun, verb, adjective, and interjection.
The origin of 'OK' remained a mystery for much of its existence and even today, some still dispute the most accepted explanation.
Most scholars now fall in line behind the conclusions of Allen Walker Read, a Columbia University English professor who set out in the 1960s to settle the mystery of OK's origin.
He followed its trail back to a playful misspelling of 'all correct' as 'oll korrect.' The term first appeared in the Boston Morning Post on March 23, 1839.
Over the years, theories have abounded: Some traced it to French or Scottish roots. In the 1960s, folk singer Pete Seeger popularized another idea, singing that 'Choctaw gave us the word OK'.
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