CategoryArchaic Word / Affirmation and Denial Term
Modern Equivalentyes / no.
KJV Word TypeAdverbs / response words
Definition“Yea” means yes or indeed; “nay” means no. In the KJV, these words often mark affirmation, denial, or emphatic contrast.
Key Verses"But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay." (Matthew 5:37); "For the Son of God, Jesus Christ... was not yea and nay, but in him was yea." (2 Corinthians 1:19)
KJV Usage NoteThese words express affirmation and denial, sometimes with emphasis or contrast.
Common Misunderstanding“Yea” does not mean excitement only; it means yes, indeed, or truly. “Nay” means no.
EtymologyFrom Old English gēa (“yes”) and Old Norse / Middle English forms of nay, meaning no.