Yeye
/ˈjeɪ.jeɪ/noun
A style of catchy pop music associated especially with 1960s France and Spain, from the repeated English expression “yeah, yeah.”
Did you know?The French yé-yé movement was heavily shaped by British and American rock, while its name imitated the repeated “yeah, yeah” heard in English-language records.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
Old English
gīse
“An affirmative expression meaning “certainly” or “yes”; traditionally understood as a phrase meaning “may it be so.””
Middle English
English
yis / yes
“Affirmative forms that developed into modern “yes.””
20th Century
English
yeah
“An informal affirmative form of “yes,” especially prominent in popular speech and music.”
1950s–1960s
French
yé-yé
“A French repetition of English “yeah, yeah,” used for a new style of youth-oriented pop music.”
Modern English
English
yé-yé / yeye
“A 1960s-associated pop-music style, especially the French yé-yé movement.”