Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

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

Ȝoking, Ȝocking, vbl. n. Also: ȝoken, yocken, yoking(e, yokeing, yokeine, yokking, yocking, yoaking, yolking, ȝwkking. Pl. also yokenies. [e.m.E. yoking (1580), yockynge (1587).]

1. The length of time for which draught animals are yoked to a plough, etc., a spell of work for a draught animal. Also const. of ane (one's) pleuch(is), plewching, ane hors, etc. Also fig.(1) 1516 Wigtown B. Ct. 54b.
For the vrangus haldin fra [hym] of xii d. for ane ȝoking of ane pleuchis 1562–3 Linlithgow Sheriff Ct. 20 Feb.
xij d. for the maill of thre riggis land And tua ȝockingis of his pleuch or than the price thairfor as pleuchis presentlie gettis 1567 Montgomery Mem. 204.
To … pay … the availl of aucht ȝoking of plewching ȝeirlie … price of the ȝoking of the said plewching [13 s. 4 d.] 1605 Dundonald Par. Rec. 88.
Johne Mvir … to pay vj lib. to Allexander Trumbill and thrie yokingis of his pleuch 1611 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. II 87 (see (3) below). 1660 Melrose Reg. Rec. I 287.
[William Belindain … sues Nicol Cairncros] … for four yokings of ane plowch except tuo mailles of meit to the plowch meir and onely ane copfull of oats to the hors(b) 1580 Edinb. Test. VIII 86b.
Awand … for tua ȝwkking of his pleuch ix s.(c) 1672 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 158.
I acleame him nyne yokeings of ane pleuch at twintie shilling the yokeing(d) 1673 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 184.
Yokenies(2) 1589 St. A. B. Ct. 20 June.
Sex schillingis for thre ȝokingis of the said James hors in the said Alexanderis pleuche 1631 Monteith Stewartry Ct. 14 July.
For fyve ȝoking of ane hors in lentroun last 1670 Cramond Cullen Ann. 53.
The whole persons within the liberties of the burgh … wer ordayned to give ane yocking off ther horse for helping to cary hom yearly to the minister … his peits(3) 1611 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. II 87.
Absoluis William Clerk … fra … tua ȝokingis of a pleuche as dettour for vmquhill Richie Smith and his vyfe and a ȝoking allegit ressauit in his name fra Robert Hawes wyfe becas he mad faith he wes nocht avand the samen 1622 Elgin Rec. II 173.
For tua yokingis to lead sand 6 s. 1673 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 184 (17 June).
Thrie yokkingis for all the yokkingis at ane merk the yokking with 34 s. and ten shilling for the tree(b) 1673 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 184.
I acleam the said John Gordoune foure yokenies of my pleuch quhich was two in oate land and two in bereland at ane pund Scots the yokeinefig. ?1672 M. Bruce Sermon in Edinb. Tolbooth 15.
God borrowes a yocking of the Philistines to till a rigg in Sauls' land

2. The act of yoking a plough, etc. in preparation for work. (Ȝok(e v. 2 b.) 1640 Dundonald Par. Rec. 483.
Androw Porter … to make repentance … for yocking ane carre on the last fast day

3. A measure of land, ? the amount ploughed in one spell of work. (Ȝok(e n.¹ 4.) b. The yield of this amount of land as a measure.sing. 1629 Monteith Stewartry Ct. 29 July.
Anent xvii ȝoking of land … on teillat be him quhilk he suld haif done 1658 Melrose Reg. Rec. I 185.
[He set the same in tilling to James Merser in Newsteid, who tilled four] yockings [thereof] 1674 Cunningham Diary 27.
Note of the small duties payable by my tenants—Archibald Arthur—A yolking of land & tilling & 12 fowls. … James Black … —A yoaking of land tilling … 3 days' shearing [etc.] … all which priced in money … the … fowls and the days' shearing at grots, the yoaking of land at 40 s. 1676 Cunningham Diary 11.
On condition of 3 more fowls yearly I promised him two yoaking of land tilling this year 1709 Corshill Baron Ct. 240.
The persewer to prove that ilk yokeing of land gave 7 merk, cropt 708pl. 1533 Wigtown B. Ct. 287b.
For schadyne of tham of nechbovreret to the avayll of vii ȝokenys 1676 Cunningham Diary 11.
If he stay but a year or two that the additional fowls make me not up for my two yoakings of land, then I am to have four lb. for them at his departure 1697 Argaty Baron Ct. 16 Jan.
The saidis tutouris and baillyie ordaines the haill tennentis … to bring their haill pleughes to the landis of Midle Argatie … and thair to teill four yockings with their saidis pleugesb. 1644 E. Loth. Antiq. Soc. II 149.
10 s. for a yokeing devotts and turves and ane pek beir and ane pek aitts

4. ? The amount (of stones) that can be drawn by a single yoke (Ȝok(e n.¹ 2) of draught animals. 1670 Cramond Cullen Ann. 54.
The haill horses within the toune are ordained to bring in ane yocken of stones to the churchyard

5. Joining, linking, association. (Ȝok(e v. 3.) 1639 Johnston Diary I a 88.
Whether the two kingdomes should presently yock, and by their yocking the king hasard the losse of both

6. The act of engaging in combat; a fight, battle or skirmish. Also fig. b. An argument, verbal dispute. (Ȝok(e v. 4.) 1594 Cal. Sc. P. XI 456.
[John Torrie, servant boy to James Carr … saw Argyle and Huntly's] yokinge, [Argyll being 8000 men] 1596 Dalr. I 177/16.
Seuerus at the first ȝoking slewe of Albion xx thousand 1639 Baillie I 202.
He eschewed all occasion of yocking or beginning the warr; he did not trouble a man on the shoare with a shott 1644 Baillie II 152.
Everie where the armices are near a-yocking 1651 Johnston Diary II 84.
I heard theirafter of great shooting of canon and musket … which was aprehended to be the yoking of the airmyes 1688 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. XIII 299.
The rebells … ly presently in our sight. Iff the water war passable I belive ther would shortly bee a yockingfig. 1652 Johnston Diary II 189.
At night, about 9 a'clok, I was … called by the servants of the house to see the yokings and feyghtings of airmyes in the lift, wherin I did see … the lykest to a battel that could be by som cloudes coming up in two bodyes … meiting midwayes and feyghtingb. 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1894) 239.
Dr. Barron hath often disputed with me especially about Arminian controversies … Three yokings laid him by; and I have not been troubled with him since