# BCS: Origin of "ja"



## Diaspora

In standard BCS, da means yes, but what is the origin of "ja" used as yes. Is it a Germanism?


----------



## sokol

It might be a Germanism.
We had this discussion already for Slovene (I thought it wasn't a Germanism there - in modern Slovene "ja" already seems to be the preferred form - but I was wrong, see here); probably "ja" in BCS is of the same origin. However I don't have access to a good BCS dictionary so I can only guess here.


----------



## Mishe

I've only heard "ja" being used for "yes" in BCS in some Bosnian dialects. I also wondered about its origins. 

@sokol: "ja" in Slovenian is used instead of "da" in 95% of all situations. "da" however remains the official standard and is used in (extremely) official situations, for example in court. The only dialect in Slovenia that doesn't use "ja" at all and uses only "da" in all situations is the Bela Krajina dialect, but this is because of very strong BCS influence. "ja" in Bela Krajina means "I" (they don't use the standard Slovenian "jaz" or its variations).


----------



## Majalj

Mishe said:


> I've only heard "ja" being used for "yes" in BCS in some Bosnian dialects. I also wondered about its origins.


Correct me if I'm wrong, but Bosnian "jah" is an interjection, expressing agreement, understanding, sometimes even disapointment or hopelesness. Totally unrelated to German "ja".


----------



## BezierCurve

I think "jo" in Czech works both ways, also in Hungary "ja" is used in similar context, isn't it?  Looks like a popular one around. Maybe the meaning shifted a bit in BCS with time?


----------



## Duya

BezierCurve said:


> I think "jo" in Czech works both ways, also in Hungary "ja" is used in similar context, isn't it?  Looks like a popular one around. Maybe the meaning shifted a bit in BCS with time?



I'm not sure; I perceive "ja" as contraction of "jah", and associate them chiefly with Bosnian, especially Muslim use; thus, the German connection seems unlikely (but not impossible). We had a thread on expression "ma ja ba" recently, but didn't focus on the "ja" part.


----------



## Mishe

Majalj said:


> Correct me if I'm wrong, but Bosnian "jah" is an interjection, expressing agreement, understanding, sometimes even disapointment or hopelesness. Totally unrelated to German "ja".



I'm not sure what you are talking about. My relatives in Bosnia use "ja" to say "da", "yes".


----------



## Duya

Mishe said:


> I'm not sure what you are talking about. My relatives in Bosnia use "ja" to say "da", "yes".



Well... yes and no. "Ja(h)" is sort of more emphatic than "da". While they can be used interchangeably, perhaps more accurate translation of "jah" is "indeed". 

Maja probably had in mind the scene where two elderly men, drinking coffee from _fildžans_, in clouds of smoke, sit on the floor in utter silence. Only, from time to time, they utter a "jah" as a sigh from the bottom on their lungs, summarizing the melancholy of the universe: "such is life".


----------



## Mishe

I've never heard the h at the end.


----------



## Orion7

Diaspora said:


> In standard BCS, da means yes, but what is the origin of "ja" used as yes. Is it a Germanism?


The etymology of Slovenian _ja_ is the same as of Latvian _jā, ja'a_ and _jap_, meaning 'yes, yea, yepp' (in opposition to _nē, ne'e_ and _nep_, meaning 'no, nay, nope'). Latvian _jā_ is considered to be germanism, because in older times Latvians replied on a question in the same manner as ancient Latin people did, e.g., «Tu biji? - Bi(ju).» 'Were you? - Were.', i.e. with the verb or first syllable of verb. But if _jā_ is germanism, from where the Germans got it? According to this, German _jā_ is believed to be cognate to Latin _iam_, Latvian _jau < *jān_, Goth. _ju_ (Slavic _ju-že_) 'already'. So _jā_ could be derived from _*jān_, but then _jā_ must be very old form, borrowed from some Irano-Baltic language, like Scythian, Thracian, Dacian.
If _jā_ is recent formation, the origin of _jā_ could be from conversations like this: «Tu jāj? - Jā(ju).» 'Do you ride? - (Yes,) I ride.'. Latvian _jāt, jādīt_ 'to ride a horse' (Slavic _jehati, jezditi_), Sanskrit _yāti_ 'go, ride, move'.
There could also be parallels between _Yes_ and _if_, compare:
English - Spanish - Latvian
_Yes/if - Sí/si - Jā/ja_
Besides _jā_ Latvians also use _mjā_ (wistfully) 'yea, so it is'.


----------



## Sobakus

My Estonian friend says jaa/joo also means yes in Estonian/Finnish, and in Swedish it is ja/jo, so I guess at least in Baltic countries it is definitely a germanism, and a very old one.


----------

