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Origin and history of yoke

yoke(n.)

"collar or harness for fastening a pair of draft animals" (especially oxen) to form a connection to a wagon or plow, a contrivance of great antiquity; Middle English, from Old English geoc, earlier geoht "pair of draft animals" (especially oxen), from Proto-Germanic *yukam (reconstructed to be from PIE root *yeug- "to join").

The figurative sense of "heavy burden, oppression; servitude, subjugation, thralldom" was in Old English. Also in Old English as "a pair of animals yoked together." Also of persons united by some link or tie (labor, marriage), often contemptuous (late 14c.).

Also in Old English "as much land as may be plowed by a pair of oxen in one day." Hence, later, generally and colloquially, "as much work generally as is done at a stretch; a part of the working day."

Germanic cognates include Old Saxon juk, Old Norse ok, Danish aag, Middle Dutch joc, Dutch juk, Old High German joh, German joch, Gothic juk "yoke."

yoke(v.)

"put a harness on" a draft animal, "couple (one animal to another) by means of a yoke;" Middle English yoken, from Old English geocian "to couple with a yoke, join together," from the source of yoke (n.). Figuratively, "confine, repress, enslave," by early 15c. Related: Yoked; yoking.

Entries linking to yoke

yogh(n.)

letter name for Middle English Ȝ, now lost from the alphabet, c. 1300; see Y. OED (1989) says the name probably is identical to yoke (Middle English yogh) and the character so called because yoke began with a sound given to yogh. It cites use of Latin jugum "yoke" to designate this letter. Middle English Compendium refers it probably to Old English eoh "yew tree" (see yew) and also a rune name.

yokefellow(n.)

also yoke-fellow, "one associated with another in labor, an undertaking, etc." (1520s); also "marriage partner, associate, mate" (1540s); yockfelowe (Tyndale), from yoke (n.) + fellow (n.).

*yeug-

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to join."

It might form all or part of: adjoin; adjust; conjoin; conjugal; conjugate; conjugation; conjunct; disjointed; enjoin; injunction; jugular; jostle; joust; join; joinder; joint; jointure; junction; juncture; junta; juxtapose; juxtaposition; rejoin (v.2) "to answer;" rejoinder; subjoin; subjugate; subjugation; subjunctive; syzygy; yoga; yoke; zeugma; zygoma; zygomatic; zygote.

It might also be the source of: Sanskrit yugam "yoke," yunjati "binds, harnesses," yogah "union;" Hittite yugan "yoke;" Greek zygon "yoke," zeugnyanai "to join, unite;" Latin iungere "to join," iugum "yoke;" Old Church Slavonic igo, Old Welsh iou "yoke;" Lithuanian jungas "yoke," jungti "to fasten to a yoke;" Old English geoc "yoke."