The use of "OK" in RP

[Shevron]

It's 2:20am, and I'm bored .. so I'll say something that has been bothering my RP mind for a number of years.

The use of "OK" is widely used even among proper RP'ers .. with 'kay or kay also being used.

Following is a quote from Wikipedia about its origins:

Allen Walker Read established that the earliest verified use of okey in print was 1839, in the March 23 edition of the Boston Morning Post (an American newspaper). The announcement of a trip by the Anti-Bell-Ringing Society (a "frolicsome group" according to Read) received attention from the Boston papers. Charles Gordon Greene wrote about the event using the line that is widely regarded as the first instance of this strain of okey, complete with gloss:

The above is from the Providence Journal, the editor of which is a little too quick on the trigger, on this occasion. We said not a word about our deputation passing "through the city" of Providence.—We said our brethren were going to New York in the Richmond, and they did go, as per Post of Thursday. The "Chairman of the Committee on Charity Lecture Bells", is one of the deputation, and perhaps if he should return to Boston, via Providence, he of the Journal, and his train-band, would have his "contribution box," et ceteras, o.k.—all correct—and cause the corks to fly, like sparks, upward.

Read gives a number of subsequent appearances in print: seven were accompanied ("glossed") with variations on "all correct" such as "oll korrect" or "ole kurreck"; five appeared with no accompanying explanation, suggesting that the word was expected to be well-known to readers and possibly in common colloquial use at the time.

A year later, supporters of the American Democratic political party claimed during the 1840 United States presidential election that it stood for "Old Kinderhook". "Kinderhook" was a nickname for a Democratic presidential candidate, Martin Van Buren, a native of Kinderhook, NY. "'Vote for OK' was snappier than using his Dutch name."[4] In response, Whig opponents attributed OK, in the sense of "Oll Korrect", to Andrew Jackson's bad spelling.

The country-wide publicity surrounding the election appears to have been a critical event in okay's history, widely and suddenly popularizing it across America.

However, and importantly for one candidate etymology, earlier documented examples exist of African slaves in America using phonetically identical or strikingly similar words in a similar sense to okay.

So my question is, given the origins of OK (being an Americanised misuse of spelling for a change), and given that it's something related to the end of the 20th century, should "OK" and its derivatives be used in RP?

I'm uncomfortable using it myself, often resorting to "right", "indeed" and as Nariac suggested, "Very well", and similar more fuller words.

Any thoughts about it?

Mind you, I'm not being an RP elitist or something, but its use always bothered me.

Would love to hear what you peeps think.

[Dunnykin]

The whole being related to 20th century thing is no argument for it, because although the majority of warcraft and most fantasy worlds take their influence from medievil european time, warcraft lore has so many things from outside that time that if we were to say it was purely medievil times then half the world would be out of context. Eek, I hope you know what I mean by that, I know what I mean to say but I've just re-read what I've written and kinda confused myself with it. Sorry.

Also, the fact that Common in Azeroth is just English then when you go back and find out the origins of many words then perhaps they wouldn't fit in with warcraft.

But, as for using OK in /say, it's back to the old argument of using SW to say Stormwind, etc. in my mind OK is just an abbreviation of okay, and therefore boils down to each person's own toleration for abbreviations and shorthand text in /s.

On a sidenote, why is the word abbreviation such a long word? :P

Eek, it's late, and I know what I'm trying to say, but my brain doesn't seem to be working right. Well, even less right than the usual, hehe.

[Erethas]

Yeah, I don't feel like the paragon of role playing when I use it or when I see others use it, but that word is so common in the English language that it's statistically possible that you will use it eventually.

But anyway, "right" "indeed" and "very well" sound some very good alternatives.

[Shevron]

It's not the abbreviation part I mean about. It's the Okay word itself.

[Shevron]

aye .. that's why I asked for opinions.

Wanted to see if I'm just being paranoid

[Pepple]

Tis fine in my eyes.

Most if not all of the words we use in the english language are very modern. What you should see it as, is that we speak english, our character speaks common/orcish/troll whatever.

It needs to be understandable. Part of Peps' vocabulary is saying "'kay", mainly says it because it's very informal and quick. Not sure I could use any other way to make it come across like that.

[Serendipity]

I don't use it... I just say "Yeppo" or something.

[Dunnykin]

Most if not all of the words we use in the english language are very modern. What you should see it as, is that we speak english, our character speaks common/orcish/troll whatever.

After some thought, I'm going to steal Pepple's idea, and say that is what I meant. The word okay isn't what they are saying in their language, but because we are speaking english then that is just the translation of whatever word they'd use in Common.

[Seisence]

I also use /nod or Indeed. I dont think i use, ok in /say

[Tiermaya]

I go back to the point of view that it being a modern world is irrelivant in WoW. If you really were to push that we'd need to speak a very different version of english. And as to myself using it, it's based on character.

Tiermaya (whose "snooty as Pepp says) and Imaria (whose still picking up the language and isn't entirely comfortable with it) wouldn't use it. They both should in fact speak in a semi-formal manner. When I don't it's because I forget myself and people can call me on it ooc if they wish.

Other characters will at times use it as the rest of my characters usually have a relaxed approach to speaking. It's personal choice really.

EDIT: "OK" however is an abbreviation imo and as such is a no-no.