Re: yeah (was Re: Moraic codas)

From: "Justin Mansfield" <jdm314@...>
> > BTW, isn't "yes!" used as an exclamation
> > much like "yay!"? The Swedish word
> > for "yes", namely "ja", is frequently used
> > as a such exclamation, so you can see were
> > I got the idea that "yay" and "yea" are
> > the same - they sound the same and they
> > translate as the same word!
>
[snip]
>     "Yes!" can indeed be used as an exclamation, but I don't know that
> it has the same meaning. Exactly what the difference is is a little
> difficult to finger, though. "Yay!" seems to be synonymous with
> hurrah/hurray, and yes... is... um... not?
I think it has to do with symmetry: "yea" and "yes" and "yeah" have a
broader meaning (affirmation, etc) than "yay" (jubilation).   "yes" can be
used instead of "yay" basically anywhere, but "yay" can't be used for "yes"
the same way:

     "He's getting a raise."  "Yes!"
     "He's getting a raise."  "Yay!"

     "I heard John got hit by a Fun Truck."  "Yes."
   * "I heard John got hit by a Fun Truck."  "Yay!"
   ? "I heard John got hit by a Fun Truck."  "Yay."

Hmm, "yay!" without exclamatory tone has an entirely different meaning than
"yes!" without exclamatory tone.

    *Muke!