{ Aye , Ay } (&?;),
adv. [Icel. ei, ey; akin to AS.
ā, āwa, always, Goth. aiws an age, Icel. æfi, OHG,
&?;wa, L. aevum, Gr. &?; an age, &?;, &?;, ever, always, G. je, Skr. &?;va course. &?;, &?;. Cf. Age,
v., Either, a.,
Or, conj.]
Always; ever; continually; for an indefinite time.
For
his mercies aye endure.
Milton.
For aye, always; forever; eternally.
Aye (&?;), n. An affirmative vote; one who
votes in the affirmative; as, "To call for the ayes and noes;" "The ayes have it."
{ 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.
&fist; This
word is written I in the early
editions of Shakespeare and other old writers.
Hear it pronounced