yate, gate. Spenser, Shep. Kal., May, 224. In prov. use in the north and in the north Midlands, see EDD. (s.v. Gate, sb.1 1 (9)). ME. ȝate, a gate (Wyclif, Ps. cxvii. 20). OE. geat.
yaw (of a ship), to move unsteadily; used fig. Hamlet, v. 2. 120; a devious course, Massinger, A Very Woman, iii. 5 (Antonio). Icel. jaga, to move to and fro (as a door on its hinges).
yaw, to cut down; yawde, for yawed, pp., Skelton, Colyn Cloute, 1206. (In the next line we have sawde for sawn, pp.) In Hants. and Devon ‘yaw’ is the prov. pronunc. of ‘hew’, and is used in the sense of mowing or cutting wheat with one hand and with a reaping-hook, see EDD. (s.v. Hew, vb.1 4).
yawd, a nag, a ‘jade’. Brome, Jovial Crew, iv. 1 (Randal). In prov. use in the north, see EDD, (s.v. Yad). The same word as ‘jade’. Yawd is derived directly from Icel. jalda, a mare, whereas jade comes to us through northern French: jalda < *jaude < jade.
yawfrow, a young lady, a mistress. Davenant, The Wits, ii. 1. Du. joffrouw, a gentlewoman, mistress, miss; jonkvrouw, a young lady; Jonkvrouw A., Miss A. (Sewel).
yawl, to howl, bawl; to scream like an infant; spelt yall, Death of E. of Huntington, i. 3 (Doncaster), in Hazlitt’s Dodsley, viii. 242; Udall, tr. of Apoph., Philip, § 22; yawling, a bawling, Dekker, Shoemakers’ Holiday, ii. 3 (Margery). In prov. use in various parts of England, see EDD. (s.v. Yawl, vb.1 1).
yblent, obscured; ‘The faithfull light of that faire lampe yblent’, Spenser, F. Q. ii. 7. 1; blinded, ‘With love yblent’, id., Shep. Kal., April, 155. See [blend].
ybowne, ready to depart. Gascoigne, Fruites of Warre, st. 140. ME. boun, ready to go (Chaucer, C. T. F. 1503). See Dict. (s.v. Bound, 3).
y-clept, y-clep’d, called, named. Milton, L’Allegro, 12. Spelt y-clipped; Ram-Alley, iii. 1 (Puff). See [clepe].
y-cond, taught. Drayton, Pastorals, Ecl. 4; Ballad of Dowsabel, l. 11. (Misused; to con is to learn.) See [cond].