yacht < yeaghe
< norwegian jaght
/ dutch jaght < middle low german jacht, a shortening of jachtschip
(= fast pirate ship) < jacht
(= chase) (< jagen (= to chase, hunt) <
old high german jagon < proto-germanic
*yago-) + schip
(= ship) (< proto-germanic
*skipa-).
yahoo (= a brute in human form) < a race of brutish human creatures in
Swift’s “Gulliver’s Travels” [on internet
from 1994].
Yahweh < hebrew Yahwah
/ Yahweh
(= God) < hawah (= the one who
is, the existing) < hayah (= he was) [as transliteration of hebrew Tetragrammaton
YHWH
(the full name being too sacred for utterance), taken as the principal and personal
name of God].
yak < tibetan g-yag
(= male yak).
yak (= laugh) < yuck (= talk idly) < yack.
yakuza < japanese yakuza
< ya
- ku
- sa
(= eight - nine - three), the losing hand
in a traditional baccarat.
yam < igname
< portuguese inhame
/ spanish igname < african origin.
yammer < middle english yammer
(= to lament) < middle dutch
jammeren.
Yankee < (?) 1. dutch Janke
(= Little John), a diminutive of Jan
[1683, a nickname for English colonists by Dutch settlers
in New Amsterdam (later New York) in neighboring Connecticut] or 2. Jan
Kes
(= John Cornelius) or 3. Jan
Kees
< Jan
Kaas
(= John Cheese) [a nickname for Dutchmen
by Flemings].
yap < an acronym of Young Aspiring Professional [1984].
yard (= courtyard) < old english geard
(= fenced enclosure, garden, court) <
proto-germanic *gardan- {> old norse garðr,
dutch gaard, old high german garto, german Garten} < (?) I.E. *ghor-to-
< *gher-(1) (= to grasp, enclose).
yard (= measure of length)
< old english g(i)erd
(= rod, stick, measure of length) < west germanic *gazdijo < proto-germanic *gazdjo
(= stick, rod) {> old norse gaddr, dutch gard, german
gerte} < I.E. *ghazdh-o-
(= rod, pole).
yare < old
english gearo (= ready, prepared)
< gearwian (= to equip, prepare) < proto-germanic *garwjan
(= make, prepare, equip).
yarn < old english gearn
(= spun fiber, spun wool) < proto-germanic
*garnan
< I.E. *ghere-
(= intestine, gut).
yarrow < old english gearwe
(= yarrow) < proto-germanic
*garwo.
yaw < (?) old norse jaga
/ old danish jæge (= to drive, chase) < middle low german jagen
(= to chase, hunt) < old high
german jagon < proto-germanic *yago-.
yawl < middle low german jolle
/ dutch jol (= a Jutland boat).
yawn < middle english yenen
/ yonen < old english ginian
/ gionian
(= yawn, gape) < proto-germanic
*gin-.
yay (= this) < (?) yea
(= yes).
ye (= you) < old
english ge, plural of þu (= thou, you) < proto-germanic *juz-
/ *iwwiz
{> old norse yor, dutch u, old high german
iu, german euch} < I.E.
*yu
(= you) [plural].
yea < old english gea
/ ge
(= so, yes) < proto-germanic *ja- / *jai-
< I.E. *yam- < *i-.
yeah < american
english yeah < yes
< old english gese
/ gise
(= so be it!) < (?) ge / gea (= so) + si
(= be it!) < proto-germanic
*sijai- < I.E. *si-
< *es- (= to be).
yean < old english eanian
(= bring forth) < proto-germanic
*aunon
< I.E. *agwh-no-
(= lamb).
year < old english gear
/ ger
(= year) < proto-germanic *jēr (= year) {> old
norse ar, danish aar, dutch jaar, german
Jahr} < I.E. *yer-o- < *yer- (= year, season).
yearn < old english geornan
/ giernan
/ giorna
(= to strive, desire, seek for) < proto-germanic *gernjan.
yeast < old english gist
(= yeast, froth) < proto-germanic
*jest-
< I.E. *yes-
(= to boil, foam).
yell < old english g(i)ellan (= to yell, sound, shout) <
proto-germanic *gel- < I.E. *ghel-(1) (= to call, cry out).
yellow < old english geol(w)e (= yellow) < proto-germanic
*gelwaz
{> old norse gulr, swedish gul, dutch geel,
german gelb} < I.E.
*ghel-(2) (= to shine).
yelp < old english g(i)elpan (= boast, exult) < proto-germanic *gel-
< I.E. *ghel-(1) (= to call, cry out).
Yemen < arabic Yemen
(= the country of the south) < yaman (= right side [if facing
at east]).
yen < japanese
yen < chinese yuan
(= round, round object, circle).
yeoman < middle english yeoamn
(= attendant in a noble household)
< (?) 1. old english iunge man (= young man) or 2. old
english *geaman (= villager) <
old english -gea (= district, region, village) < proto-germanic *gaujan.
yep < american
english yep < yes / yeah [(?) by influence of
nope].
yes < old english gese
/ gise
(= so be it!) < (?) ge / gea (= so) + si
(= be it!) < proto-germanic
*sijai- < I.E. *si-
< *es- (= to be).
yet < old english get
/ gieta
(= till now, thus far, at last, also).
yeti < tibetan yeh-teh
(= small manlike animal).
yew < old english iw
/ eow
(= yew) < proto-germanic
*iwo-
< I.E. *ei-wo-
< (?) *ei-(2) (= reddish, yellow).
yiddish < yiddish yidish
< middle high german jüdisch (= Jewish [Deutsch] (= Jewish [German]) < jude (= Jew) < old high german judo < latin Judaeus
< ancient greek Ιουδαίος
| Ioudaeos < aramaic jehudhai
(= a Jew) < Y’hudah (= Judah).
yield < old english g(i)eldan (= pay for, reward, render, serve) < proto-germanic *geldan (= pay) < I.E.
*gheldh-
(= to pay).
yikes < (?) yoicks
[a call in fox-hunting].
yin-yang <
chinese (Mandarin) yin (= female, night, lunar, shade, moon) + yang (= male, daylight, solar, sun).
yippee < (?) hip.
yippie < an acronym of Youth
International Party [modeled (1968) on hippie
(q.v.)].
Y.M.C.A. < an acronym of Young Men's Christian Association [1868].
yo-yo < american-english yo-yo,
a toy [1915] < philippinean origin.
yob < british-english yob
< boy
[back-slang].
yodel < german jodeln
< jo
[an exclamation of joy].
yoga < hindi yoga < sanskrit yoga-s
(= union, yoking) [with the Supreme Spirit] < I.E. *yeug-
(= to join).
yog(h)urt
< turkish yogurt.
yoke < old english geoc
< geoht
(= pair of draft animals) < proto-germanic
*yukam
{> old norse ok, danish aag, dutch juk, german
joch} < I.E. *yeug-
(= to join).
Yom Kippur < hebrew yom kippur (= day of atonement) < yom (= day) + kippur (= atonement, expiation).
yore < old english geara
(= of years, formerly), genitive plural of gear (= year) < proto-germanic
*jēr
(= year) {> old norse ar, danish aar, dutch
jaar, german Jahr} < I.E.
*yer-o- < *yer- (= year, season).
York < old
english Eoforwic < Eborakon, related to Ebores,
a tribe < celtic source.
you < old
english eow, dative and accusative plural of þu (= thou), objective case
of ge
(= ye) < proto-germanic *juz- / *iwwiz
{> old norse yor, dutch u, old high german
iu, german euch} < I.E.
*yu
(= you) [plural].
young < old english geong
(= youthful, young, recent) < proto-germanic
*junga-
{> old norse ungr, dutch jong, german jung} < I.E. *yuwn-ko-
< *yeu- (= vital force) {> sanskrit yuvan-, avestan
yuuanem, latin juvenis / junior, welsh ieuanc, lithuanian jaunas, old church
slavonic junu, russian junyj}.
younker (= young nobleman) < middle dutch jonckher < jonc (= young) + here (= lord, master).
your < old
english eower, genitive of ge (= ye) < proto-germanic *juz- / *iwwiz
{> old norse yor, dutch u, old high german
iu, german euch} < I.E.
*yu
(= you) [plural].
youth < old english geoguð
(= youth, young people, young of cattle) <
proto-germanic *jugunthi- {> dutch jeugd,
gothic junda, old high german jugund, german Jugend} < I.E. *yeu-
(= vital force) + proto-germanic [suffix] *-itho.
yowl < middle english yuhelen
< (?) imitative origin.
yuan < chinese yuan
(= round, round object, circle).
yucca < spanish juca
/ yuca
(= cassava plant) < (?) taino (of Haiti)
origin.
yuck < (?) echoic origin.
Yugoslav < serbo-croatian jugo-
(= south) (< jug (= south, south wind)
< old church slavonic jugu (= south, south wind, noon)) + Slav
(< old church slavonic Sloveninu
(= a Slav)).
yule < old english geol(a)
(= Christmas Day) [cognate with old norse jol [plural], a heathen feast].
yummy < yum
[exclamation of pleasure].
yumpie < an acronym of Young Upward-Mobile Professional [modeled (1984) on hippie (q.v.)].
yuppie < an acronym of Young Urban Professional [modeled (1982) on hippie (q.v.)].
yurt < russian yurta < turkic origin.
Y.W.C.A. < an acronym of Young Women's Christian Association [1874].
