yessumadv.
/ˈjɛs(ə)m/, U.S. /ˈjɛs(ə)m/ U.S. colloquial.
Used to express assent or agreement when replying to a woman: ‘yes, ma'am’. Cf. yassuh adv.Formerly frequently in representations of African-American speech and now sometimes used to highlight offensive expectations or stereotypes of black servility (see, e.g., quots. 1999 and 2001).
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1830 Providence (Rhode Island) Patriot 13 Feb. Sol. Mother, it rains! Mo. Does it, my son? Sol. Yessum.
1873 Ottumwa (Iowa) Democrat 17 Apr. ‘Habn't I taught yun to walk in de broad and narrow path, an' to shun God?’ ‘Yessum.’
1929 W. Faulkner Sound & Fury 6 ‘Take his overcoat and overshoes off.’.. ‘Yessum.’ Versh said.
1938 M. K. Rawlings Yearling x. 88 ‘You feel all right?’ she asked. ‘Yessum. Sort o' weakified.’
1999 J. Poller Reach xxiv. 72 ‘Mine's a coffee, thanks, Steve.’ ‘Yessum, missus P,’ parodying a plantation slave.
2001 Independent (Nexis) 6 Apr. (Features section) 10 A closing montage of blackface images from the 20th century, a shaming parade that stretches from Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney blacked up to pop-eyed maids and butlers saying ‘yessum’.
2009 Kerrville (Texas) Daily Times 13 June Grandma Murray would say, ‘do you want some sorghum?’ and I would say ‘Yessum, Grandma.’
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2019; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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adv.1830