Chapter Yern to Yodel of Y by Webster's Dictionary (1913 Edition)

Yern to Yodel

Yern
(Yern) v. i. See 3d Yearn. [Obs.]

Yern
(Yern), a. [OE. &yoghern, &yogheorne, AS. georn desirous, eager. See Yearn to long.] Eager; brisk; quick; active. [Obs.] "Her song . . . loud and yern." Chaucer.

Yerne
(Yerne) adv. [OE. &yogheorne. See Yern, a.] Eagerly; briskly; quickly. [Obs.] Piers Plowman.

My hands and my tongue go so yerne.

Chaucer.

Yernut
(Yer"nut`) n. [Cf. Dan. jordnöd, Sw. jordnöt, earthnut. Cf. Jarnut.] An earthnut, or groundnut. See Groundnut (d). [Written also yarnut.]

Yerst
(Yerst) adv. See Erst. [Obs.] Sylvester.

Yes
(Yes) adv. [OE. yis, &yoghis, &yoghes, &yoghise, AS. gese, gise; probably fr. geá yea + swa so. &radic188. See Yea, and So.] Ay; yea; — a word which expresses affirmation or consent; — opposed to no.

Yes is used, like yea, to enforce, by repetition or addition, something which precedes; as, you have done all this — yes, you have done more. "Yes, you despise the man books confined." Pope.

"The fine distinction between &lsquoyea' and &lsquoyes,' &lsquonay' and &lsquono,' that once existed in English, has quite disappeared. &lsquoYea' and &lsquonay' in Wyclif's time, and a good deal later, were the answers to questions framed in the affirmative. &lsquoWill he come?' To this it would have been replied, &lsquoYea' or &lsquoNay', as the case might be. But, &lsquoWill he not come?' To this the answer would have been &lsquoYes' or &lsquoNo.' Sir Thomas More finds fault with Tyndale, that in his translation of the Bible he had not observed this distinction, which was evidently therefore going out even then, that is, in the reign of Henry VIII.; and shortly after it was quite forgotten." Trench.

Yest
(Yest) n. See Yeast. Shak.

Yester
(Yes"ter) a. [See Yesterday.] Last; last past; next before; of or pertaining to yesterday.

[An enemy] whom yester sun beheld
Mustering her charms.

Dryden.

This word is now seldom used except in a few compounds; as, yesterday, yesternight, etc.

Yesterday
(Yes"ter*day) n. [OE. &yoghisterdai, AS. geostran dæg, from geostran, geostra, giestran, gistran, gystran, yesterday (akin to D. gisteren, G. gestern, OHG. gestaron, Icel. gær yesterday, to- morrow, Goth. gistradagis to-morrow, L. heri yesterday, Gr. Skr. hyas) + dæg day. Cf. Hestern. .]

1. The day last past; the day next before the present.

All our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death.

Shak.

We are but of yesterday, and know nothing.

Job viii. 9.

2. Fig.: A recent time; time not long past.

The proudest royal houses are but of yesterday, when compared with the line of supreme pontiffs.

Macaulay.

Yesterday
(Yes"ter*day), adv. On the day last past; on the day preceding to-day; as, the affair took place yesterday.

Yestereve
(Yes"ter*eve` Yes"ter-e`ven*ing) n. The evening of yesterday; the evening last past.

Yestermorn
(Yes"ter*morn` Yes"ter-morn`ing), n. The morning of yesterday. Coleridge.