What language does the word yes come from?

The word "yes" has a fascinating history and origins, but it doesn't directly come from a single language. It's a complex story of evolution:

* Proto-Indo-European: The root of "yes" can be traced back to the Proto-Indo-European word "h₂éḱwos," meaning "one."

* Old English: From Proto-Indo-European, it passed into Old English as "gīswas," later becoming "gēs."

* Middle English: In Middle English, "gēs" shifted to "yes."

So, while "yes" doesn't come from a single language, its origin lies in the Proto-Indo-European language, which is the ancestor of many languages, including English.

It's worth noting that many languages have similar words for "yes" with roots in Proto-Indo-European, like:

* German: "ja"

* Dutch: "ja"

* French: "oui"

* Spanish: "sí"

These similarities demonstrate the shared linguistic ancestry of many European languages.