yogh

[ yohkh ]

noun

1. the letter used in the writing of Middle English to represent a palatal fricative, as in ung (Modern English young ) or a velar fricative, as in litliche (Modern English lightly ).

yogh

/ jɒɡ /

noun

1. a character (ȝ) used in Old and Middle English to represent a palatal fricative very close to the semivowel sound of Modern English y, as in Old English ȝeong (young)
2. this same character as used in Middle English for both the voiced and voiceless palatal fricatives; when final or in a closed syllable in medial position the sound approached that of German ch in ich, as in knyȝt (knight). After the 14th century this symbol became the modern consonantal (semivocalic) y when initial or commencing a syllable, and though no longer pronounced in medial position it is preserved in many words by a modern gh, as in thought

Word History and Origins

Origin of yogh¹

1250–1300; Middle English yogh, yok

Word History and Origins

Origin of yogh¹

C14: perhaps from yok yoke , referring to the letter's shape

Example Sentences

W'y-ee-yogh, the Man of Sense; a brave, with a handsome pipe in his hand, and bears claw necklace on his neck.

From Project Gutenberg

Except for yogh, h-stroke and paired , unusual letters appear only in the editorial material (introduction, notes and glossary).

From Project Gutenberg

Yogh is used in dictionary headwords; the others occur only in etymologies.

From Project Gutenberg

Yogh and thorn are alphabetized as g and t. I and J are alphabetized together.

From Project Gutenberg

Chipping Walden, of the Saxon word ᵹipping (or ghipping) uses the insular 'g' (ᵹ), variant of (lowercase) yogh (ȝ).

From Project Gutenberg