What do the o and k mean in the word OK?

Answer 1

OK is probably short for okeh, originally a slave word. There are other putative derivations, each more fanciful and absurd than the other, that stretch credulity attempting to prove that such an important element of America's speech - and hence the world's - does not have African roots. One is that OK abbreviates the nickname of President Martin Van Buren, briefly known as Old Kinderhook and now not known for much of anything. Silly enough, but even more peculiar is the notion that OK derives from the pseudo-comical Orl Korrect, as if that un-funny labored concoction that no one ever heard of had once enjoyed the kind of universal usage it takes to become a part of everyday speech.

Answer 2

The origin of the term "OK" is uncertain, but it is believed to have originated in the 19th century as an abbreviation for "oll korrect," a humorous misspelling of "all correct."