yea
yea — adverb
1. used to express agreement or acceptance, especially in a formal voting situation
used to express agreement or acceptance, especially in a formal voting situation or as a response that confirms something is true.
When the chair called for votes, Elena answered with a firm yea.
formal voting: answer + yea
Naoko wrote yea on every ballot measure she supported that day.
The board members who said yea were asked to explain their reasoning.
Asher whispered yea to the proposal while the others sat in silence.
If you support the new policy, simply say yea when your name is called.
- nay
formal negative response, used in voting contexts
用法筆記
Yea is considered old-fashioned or very formal in most contexts. In modern everyday English, 'yes' is the standard affirmative. 'Yea' survives mainly in formal voting procedures, often paired with 'nay'.
常見錯誤
2. used before a further remark that strengthens or makes more precise what has jus
used before a further remark that strengthens or makes more precise what has just been stated, often meaning 'and even' or 'in fact'.
The storm destroyed the crops, yea, it washed away the topsoil completely.
pattern: [statement], yea, [stronger statement]
Nikos was a talented musician, yea, a true virtuoso on the piano.
The village needed clean water; yea, it was a matter of life and death.
Maeve believed the plan could work, yea, that it would transform the entire neighborhood.
The drought brought hunger to the region, yea, famine threatened thousands of people.
用法筆記
This sense is primarily used in formal writing or literary texts and is rarely heard in spoken English today. It adds rhetorical weight to the following statement.
yea — noun
- yeasingular
- yeasplural
1. a vote expressing support for a proposal, candidate, or law; the term can also r
a vote expressing support for a proposal, candidate, or law; the term can also refer to an individual casting such a vote.
The final count showed fifteen yeas and only three nays.
paired with nays: yeas and nays
Arjun was one of the yeas in the council vote on the new park.
The law passed with a majority of yeas from both parties.
Gabriela counted the yeas and announced the outcome to the room.
Every yea on the board brought the proposal closer to approval.
- affirmative vote
more formal and explicit than 'yea'
- yes vote
more common in everyday English
- aye
British parliamentary alternative
用法筆記
Commonly paired with 'nay' (a negative vote). Often used in parliamentary procedure, legislative votes, and formal meetings. The plural form is 'yeas'.