Yo (greeting)

For other uses, see Yo (greeting) (disambiguation).

Yo is an American English slang interjection that is believed to have its origins in 14th century England. However, it was highly popularized after being commonly used among Italian American and African American Philadelphians.

Origin

One of the first documented uses in a modern context was by Goober Pyle, who was known to use the phrase in the (late 1960s) American TV sitcom The Andy Griffith Show and its later spin-off series Mayberry RFD. It is used in various ways in English, as when answering a roll call, as a greeting or exclamation.

Usage

"Yo" is also often interchangeable with the word "hey," as in "Yo, what's up?" or, "Yo! Wait for me!" or, "Yo dawg, it's me! Calluym Mayer!" While it can stand alone as a greeting, like the word "hey", it has a wide range of other meanings that depend on the tone, context, and situation. For example:

• If someone is bothering another person, "Yo!" becomes the equivalent of saying,"Hey! Stop it," or "Knock it off!"
• If someone accidentally bumps into another person, the expression "Yo!" could be interpreted as "Watch it" or "What in the world!"
• Another way of saying hi or hello. Such as "Yo!"
• If someone does something that amazes or shocks another person, the word "yo" (usually "yo, yo, yo!") is like laughing or an expression of amazement.
• If someone says something that's the wrong thing to say, someone might say "yo" meaning "not cool," or "you're out of line."
• "Yo" usually refers to another person/thing, mainly to get the attention of that being.
• "Yo" can also be used as a substitute for the word "you" e.g "hey you" becomes "hey yo". In the traditional Midlands English dialects of England, 'Yo' is used almost exclusively in place of the standard English 'You'. However, the use of Yo, and other aspects of Dialect in the Midlands is becoming increasingly scarce.
• "Yo" has also come to be used as an exclamation at the end of a sentence, either to direct focus onto a particular individual or group ("What's up, yo?"), or to strengthen meaning to a particular point, as the particle ("yo") is used in Japanese as an intensifier. e.g.: "This music is GREAT, yo!"
• The term, "yo" can also be used in phrases such as "word yo." This term is a slang way of saying yes

      (e.g. "Are you 20 years old?"    
      -"Word yo!")

"Yo, son!" has also become a widely used phrase, primarily around the New York City area. This can be used in place of "Hello, friend!" or "Hello, neighbor!

"yo" is often used as a short-hand or slang term for 'Your', and is used commonly in "yo' momma" jokes, e.g.: 'Yo mama's so fat she sat on a piece of coal and it turned into a diamond!'

Popular culture

During the late 1990s and early 2000s, the word became very common in rap songs, often chanted in the background between lines, tying in with the hip-hop and gangsta theme. A parody of such usage forms the basis for a comic exchange between the animated characters played by Robert DeNiro and Martin Scorsese in Shark Tale (2004), which, along with other demonstrations of its use, can be viewed here. Though its origination cannot be pinpointed, the word's origin clearly predates these recent uses, as is proven by the words of Rocky Balboa (played by Sylvester Stallone).

"Yo, Adrian, it's me, Rocky."

"Yo, Adrian. We did it!"

"Yo" has even become part of the vernacular of world leaders. On July 17, 2006, President George W. Bush addressed UK Prime Minister Tony Blair with the words, "Yo, Blair. How are you doing?", during a conversation overheard in the margins of the summit of the Group of Eight industrialised nations ("G8") in St Petersburg, Russia.