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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Ȝok(e, Ȝock, v. Also: yok(e, yock, yoak, ȝoik, yoik, ȝolk. P.p. also ȝakkit, yewked. [ME and e.m.E. ȝeokede(n p.t. (Layamon), ȝoked p.p. (Trevisa), ȝokit p.t. (c1400), ȝoke (c1420), yocked p.p. (Caxton), yoke (1529), yocke (1535), yoake (1593), OE ᵹeocian.]

1. tr. To yoke (an animal or animals) (to do draught work). Also absol. 1375 Barb. x 217.
He … made him to ȝok his fe … & callit his wayne towart the pele 1513 Doug. xii xii 100.
Quhen he first ruschit in hys cart inhy, And gart do ȝok [Ruddim. ȝoik] hys stedis by and by To go onto the batale c1500-50 Pleuch-Song in Tools & Tillage I iii 177/2.
Ther is ane oxe … And he no langer may be drawn, … And I am woe your plewgh sould lye And I might come and be near by To yok [Cantus yoak] another in his steid To drugg and draw c1575 Balfour Pract. 400.
The saidis gudis or beistis be not actuallie ȝokkit, or not in pleuch, wane or harrowis 1635 Boharm Kirk S. 27 Oct.
He yokit horses and led sum of his father's corns at the night fallinge 1676 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 219.
Finding the watter of Die rysing throw speat … and haveing ane ruk of win hay upon the watirsyd … did … yok ane naig to cary it to dry grundabsol. 1645 S. Leith Rec. 63.
The cairters to yoke at 6 hours in the morning and leid till 1 hours

2. To yoke (a draught animal) in, to a cart, etc. a1400 Leg. S. iv 329, 332.
Scho had bulis wilde and tate, That scho nocht trewit mycht ȝakkit be In carte, na wane … And, gyf it hapnyt that thai Var ȝokit, suld ryne away, And brak the wane in pecis smale 1513 Doug. vii iv 199.
A ryal chair richly arrayit he sent, With twa stern stedis tharin ȝok infeir 1513 Doug. x v 95.
With renyt lyonys ȝokkyt to the char ?a1648 Polemo-Mid. 53.
In cartis yockato omnes 1650 Nicoll Diary 12.
The hangman rydand on ane hors befoir him yockit in that kairt

b. To yoke (a plough, etc.), to attach draught animals to a plough in preparation for work. Also fig. of a person setting to work on a task, or of God.pres. a1570-86 Maitland in Maitl. F. 62/33.
Than cummis ane findis it waist lyand Ȝokis his pleuch, telis at his awin hand 1616 Rogers Social Life III 300.
Quhen he wes first yoking his pleuch, she wold nather speik to him nor bid him God speid 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 220/368.
But when that leaues, with ratling falles … And carefull labores do begin To yoke the painefull ploughes 1701 Kingarth Par. Rec. 217.
Forgetting that it was a fast day they did yoak ther plough for a short start … and … quhen they remembert the day they did loose the plough and came to churchp.t. 15.. Wyf Awcht. 6.
He ȝokkit his plwch vpoun the plane 1562 Peebles B. Rec. I 283.
Thomas Peblis yokkit his pleuch vpon his maling of the landis of Dod 1635 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. VI 37.
He yocked the cairt wherein Cokstouns chartour kist wes caried away 1662 Crim. Trials III 603.
We went be-east Kinlosse, and ther we yoaked an plewghe of paddokis. The Divell held the plewgh, and Johne Yownge … did drywe the plewghep.p. 1617 Hawick Arch. Soc. (1905) 57.
Walter and William Scottis hes at thair awne hand yockit the nowmer of … gangand plewis to teill the … haill landis 1648 Old Kirk Chron. 115.
All the pleuchs in the perische wer yokit 1649 Sc. N. & Q. XII 74.
The elders to report anie pleuches yewked upon the day of thanksgivingfig. 1513 Doug. vii Prol. 158.
I assayt to ȝok our pleuch agane, And, as I couth … This nixt buke following … Has thus begun 1638 Henderson Serm. 276.
Not only is it God who makes your common pleughs to gang, … but it is God also who disposes and overrules this same pleugh of persecution. For without His license the pleugh cannot be yoked

3. fig.a. intr.To associate, join in, link with (a person, group, etc); to forge an alliance. b. tr.To unite (people) in some way; to embrace (a person); to join in marriage; to link, associate (a person or persons) to another. Also const. up. c. With non-personal object.a. (1) c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 105/33.
All ȝoung men … Keip ȝou fra harlottis nycht and day Thai sall repent quhai with tham ȝockis 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1894) 199.
Oh, if I could yoke in amongst the thick of angels, and seraphims, and now glorified saints, and could raise a new love-song of Christ, before all the world! 1653 Binning Wks. 336.
Shall I yoke in myself with drunkards … and other slaves of sin? 1685 Hay Fleming Six Saints I 111.
Christ [is] … the easiest merchant ever the people of God yoked with; if ye be pleased with the wares, what of His graces makes best for you, He and ye will soon sort on the price 1692 Presb. Eloq. (1694) 59.
The Devil in his flower is much to be fear'd: Better yoak with an old gray-hair'd, withered, dry Devil(2) 1639 Johnston Diary I a 88.
Whether the two kingdomes should presently yock, and by their yocking the king hasard the losse of bothb. c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 220.
Than he … with a ȝoldin ȝerd dois ȝolk me in armys 1562-3 Winȝet I 110/5.
The twa harlotis to be ȝokit vp in a prætendit band of matrimonie 1657 R. Moray Lett. 64 (E).
Now yoak all the doctors in the town to me 1681 Colvil Whig's Suppl. (1681) i 30.
If groundless jealousies and fears Yoaks Dutch and English by the earsc. 16.. Rudiments 22b.
A personall verbe is that quhilk is yoaked through thrie distinct persones or conjugat by 3 severall persones: as I loue, thow louest, hee loueth 1644 Aberd. Council Lett. II 369.
Ther forlorn houps first yoked with unsertan advantage 1644 Justiciary Cases III 648.
Haveing defynit ane presumptione to be a signe quhich notis one conjecturalie to be a witche … first notorious defamatione … it yoiketh … onlie suspitione, and that onlie quhen the report is made be men of honestie and credeit

4. intr.To engage in a battle, dispute, argument, etc., to join, lock, wrestle (togidder) (in battle, physical combat, etc.) with an opponent or adversary). b. tr.To fight (an enemy). c. To set one person or group against another in a battle, dispute, etc. d. To link (persons) in dispute. e. To match, pit, set in opposition with (= against). f. To set (dogs) on.(1) 1513 Doug. x vi 164.
The bargane lang standis in dowt … Nane other wys the Troiane hostis in feild, And Latyn rowtis ȝokkit [Ruddim. lokyt] vnder scheild, Metys in the melle: ionyt sammyn than Thai fewtyr fut to fut, and man to man 1567 G. Ball. 184.
Ane hunder thousand thay wald se Ȝockit in till ane feild Under thair speir and scheild 1596 Dalr. I 215/10.
The day of battel is sett, baith pairties meites, baith sydes ȝokis 1596 Dalr. I 12/18.
Ȝok 1596 Dalr. II 409/25.
Quhan [he] … out of the toune had led thame, and saw thame sa few quhen tha war in number, and sa mony the Frenche men tha thocht weil tha could not ȝock in plane battel 1606 Reg. Privy C. VII 245.
The said James Braidwode, be thair directioun … ran doun the Hie Gait cryand ‘Arme you! arme you! they ar yokit’ 1641 Justiciary Cases II 474.
The saidis Nevenes followit immediatlie the foote stepis of the said Mr. Patrik; depones it was at that tyme thay yockit, bot he saw nocht the maner of the rancounter 1643 Justiciary Cases II 580.
[He] … depones he saw thame baithe yok togidder at thair first meiting … Robert Logie gripit the said David Howiesone be the breist of his doublet, and [etc.] 1646 Baillie II 360.
We are at this instant yocked in a great and dangerous combate 1646 Baillie II 398.
Tomorrow, the House of Commons debates the ordinance against heresies and blasphemies … The orthodoxe and heterodoxe partie will yoke about it with all their strength 1681 Colvil Whig's Suppl. (1681) i 84.
Yet still bogg-sclented, when they yoaked For all the garrison in their pocket(2) 1535 Stewart 53580.
Syne he and tha hes ȝokkit sone togidder In plane battell 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 192.
Befoir that Carmichael had yockit with the foirsaidis, he chaunced to meit ane English man wha said he was seikand service a1578 Pitsc. I 199/5.
King Richart seand this ȝokkit with Hareis wangard quha faucht tham stoutlie a1578 Pitsc. II 157/11.
He will nocht mise bot he will ȝoke allis sune witht ȝow at ȝour bakis as the wther partie will befoir 1612 Misc. Maitl. C. III 110.
Busie bodyis, who by surmising and telling of taillis … amangis the nobilitie … doeth quhat in thame lyis to yok nobleman togidder who standis in good termes of friendship, quhairvpoun mony inconvenientis hes oft tymes fallin out to the trouble and disquyet of the peace of the parliament 1644 Aberd. Council Lett. II 369.
On Tysday last our general yokit with Prince Rupert [sc. at Marston Moor] 1651 Dickson Matthew 253/4.
Christ will yoke, with all his adversaries 1685-8 Renwick Serm. 135.
The Lord, in His ordinary procedure, first gives the cup into the hands of His people, before He yoke with enemies a1578 Pitsc. I 319/1.
The Earle of Angus and the Earle of Glencairneis was ȝokit togither and the Lord Hammilltounis force and the Earle of Lennox in lyke maner and baitht fightand furieouslieb. 1596 Dalr. I 90/19.
In weiris, quhen thay ȝokit the aduersar, thay invadet with ane arrow or a lancec. 1650 Argyll Synod I 193.
Do not cease to spread their false surmises to the contrair that they may come to arms and yock the one part of the kingdom against the other 1651 Hist. Fragm. I 21.
The party with Holburn, being but 2500 horse and foot, were yoked against the English army consisting of 8000 horse and footd. 1653 Binning Wks. 567.
Any bait or advantage of the times yokes them in that childish contention, who shall have it?e. 1692 Presb. Eloq. (1692) 99.
Do not you know that I have an honest servant they call Job? … Sorrow to his thank, says the Deel … but give him a cuff, I'll hazard he'll be as ill as I am called. Go, Deel (says God) I'll yoke his honesty with youf. 1681 Colvil Whig's Suppl. (1751) 144.
Whoever yet did see or hear, That bears yoak'd dogs upon a bear

5. a. intr.To set to work (in a place, with a task). b. tr.To set (a person) to work, give (a person) a task. c. To set (a dog) upon a person. 1554 Tytler Hist. Scot. (1864) III 29.
[‘Oh!’ said Angus, ‘that I had here my white goss-hawk: we should then all] yoke [at once’] 1630 Rutherford Christ & Doves 7.
The man Christ without the back-bond … durst not … have ventured to yoak in the fields with the justice of God a1699 Sel. Biog. II 213.
Duties of prayer and reading, only before I yoked with them, were a terrorb. 1630 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. III 586.
[They] yocked twelffe men with spaids mattocks and others instruments who at their command … rave and kaist up ane great part of the same lands 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1894) 231.
He hath yoked me to work, to wrestle with Christs' love c1650 Spalding I 349.
He yokit George Ronald, mesoun, to the Snaw Kirk, and kest doun the wallis thairof c1650 Spalding I 377.
Bot the tailȝouris and cordineris of both Abirdenes wes ȝokit to wark to mak wp thir clothis 1693 Melville Chart. 230.
In the station he is in, as he is yoaked he cannot doe much, for neither of the seccretarries have any kindenes for him … and will doe all they can to keep the king from ever employing him further then at presentc. 1681 Colvil Whig's Suppl. (1751) i 98.
Bishops either will cause stone him, Or else yoak butcher dogs upon him

6. To subjugate, oppress. 1513 Doug. xiii i 24.
The brydyll now refus thai nocht to dre Nor ȝok thar nekkys in captiuite 1567 G. Ball. 185.
The watter of life we gaif thame neuer to drink … haly Scripture alluterlie we haif mockit, And with traditiounis of men we haif thame ȝockit [1578 Scotish Poems of the Sixteenth Century II 173, ȝocked]