Yest, yst. s.
The foam, spume, or flower of beer in fermentation; barm; the spume on a troubled sea.
☞ Dr. Johnson has very properly spelled this word yest, from the Saxon gest, and not yeast as we sometimes see it; and this spelling decides its pronunciation. Dr. Jones spells it yeast, and gives the diphthong its long sound; Mr. Nares pronounces the word in the same manner, but spells it yest; Dr. Kenrick spells it yest, but rhymes it with mist; Mr. Barclay pronounces it yeest; Mr. Perry writes it yēast and yĕst; but Mr. Sheridan, Mr. Scott, and Mr. Smith, write it as Dr. Johnson has done, and pronounce it as I have done; and I think not only more agreeable to analogy, which forbids us to pronounce e long, when followed by st in the same syliable, (see Lest,) but, if I mistake not, more consonant to polite usage. The vulgar do not only pronounce the diphthong long, but sink the y, and reduce the word to east.
Yesty, ys′t. a.
Frothy, spumy.
Yester, ys′tr. a.
Being next before the present day.
Yesterday, ys′tr-d. s.
The day last past, the next day before to-day.
☞ Though yes, from its continual use, is allowably worn into the somewhat easier sound of yis, there is no reason why yesterday should adopt the same change; and though I cannot pronounce this change vulgar, since Mr. Sheridan, Dr. Kenrick, Mr. Nares, and Mr. Scott have adopted it, I do not hesitate to pronounce the regular sound given by W. Johnston as the more correct, and agreeable to the best usage.
Yesternight, ys′tr-nte. s.
The night before this night.
Yet, yt. conj.
Nevertheless, notwithstanding, however.
☞ The e in this word is frequently changed by incorrect speakers into i; but though this change is agreeable to the best and most established usage in the word yes; in yet it is the mark of incorrectness, and vulgarity.
Dr. Kenrick is the only orthöepist who gives any countenance to this incorrectness, by admitting it as a second pronunciation; but Mr. Sheridan, Mr. Scott, W. Johnston, Mr. Perry, and Mr. Smith, give the regular sound only.
Yet, yt. ad.
Beside, over and above; still, the state still remaining the same; once again; at this time, so soon, hitherto, with a negative before it; at least; it notes increase or extension of the sense of the words to which it is joined; still, in a new degree; even, after all; hitherto.
Yew, y. s.
A tree of tough wood.
To Yield, yld. v. a. (275)
To produce, to give in return for cultivation or labour; to produce in general; to afford, to exhibit; to give as claimed of right; to allow, to permit; to emit, to expire; to resign, to give up; to surrender.
To Yield, yld. v. n.
To give up the conquest, to submit; to comply with any person; to comply with things; to concede, to admit, to allow, not to deny; to give place as inferior in excellence or any other quality.
Yielder, yld′r. s.
One who yields.
Yoke, yke. s.
The bandage placed on the neck of draught oxen; a mark of servitude, slavery; a chain, a link, a bond; a couple, two, a pair.
To Yoke, yke. v. a.
To bind by a yoke or carriage; to join or couple with another; to enslave, to subdue; to restrain, to confine.
Yoke-elm, yke′lm. s.
A tree.
Yokefellow, yke′fl-l. Yokemate, yke′mte. s.
Companion in labour; mate, fellow.
Yolk, yke. s.
The yellow part of an egg.—See Yelk.
Yon, yn. Yonder, yn′dr. (98) a.
Being at a distance within view.
☞ There is a vulgar pronunciation of this word in London, as if written yander. This cannot be too carefully avoided.
Yore, yre. ad.
Long; of old time, long ago.
The oblique of Ye; it is used in the nominative; it is the ceremonial word for the second person singular, and is always used, except in solemn language.
☞ A very common errour in reading and speaking, arises from pronouncing the personal pronoun you in the same manner, whether it is in the nominative or in an oblique case. It is certain that you and my when they are contradistinguished from other pronouns, and consequently emphatical, are always pronounced with their full open sound, rhyming with view and high; but it is as certain, if we observe correct pronunciation, that when they are not emphatical by being opposed to other words, and do not take the lead in a sentence, they are sounded like ye and me; rhyming with sea. Thus, for example, "You told him all the truth." Here the word you is a nominative case, that is, it goes before the word denoting action, and must therefore be pronounced full and open so as to rhyme with view. In this sentence also, "He told you before be told any one else." The word you is in the oblique case, or comes after the word denoting action; but as ii is emphatical by being contradistinguished from any one else, it preserves its full open sound as before. But in the sentence, "Though he told you, he had no right to tell you." Here the pronoun you is in the oblique case, or follows the word denoting action, and having no distinctive emphasis invariably falls into the sound of the antiquated form of this pronoun, ye, and as if written, "Though he told ye, he had no right to tell ye." See the word My.
Perhaps it was this pronunciation of the pronoun you when in an oblique case, which induced Shakespeare and Milton, sometimes to write it ye: though as Dr. Lowih observes very ungrammatically:
"The more shame for ye, holy men I thought ye." Henry VIII.
"His wrath, which one day will destroy ye both." Milton's Par. Lost, book. ii. v. 734.
Young, yng. a.
Being in the first part of life, not old; ignorant, weak; it is sometimes applied to vegetable life.
Young, yng. s. (314)
The offspring of animals collectively.
Youngish, yng′sh. a. (381)
Somewhat young.
Youngling, yng′lng. s. (410)
Any creature in the first part of life.
Youngly, yng′l. ad. (381)
Early in life; ignorantly, weakly.
Youngster, yng′str. Younker, yngk′r. (98). s.
Ludicrously, a young person.
Your, yr. pron.
Belonging to you: Yours is used when the substantive goes before or is understood, as, This is your book, This book is yours.
☞ This word is nearly under the same predicament as the pronoun My. When the emphasis is upon this word, it is always pronounced full and open, like the noun Ewer; as, "The moment I had read Your letter I sat down to write Mine;" but when it is not emphatical, it generally sinks into yur, exactly like the last syllable of Law-yer; as, "I had just answered yur first letter as yur last arrived." Here, if we were to say, "I had just answered your first letter as your last arrived," with your sounded full and open like ewer, as in the former sentence, every delicate ear would be offended. This obscure sound of the possessive pronoun your always takes place when it is used to signify any species of persons or things in an indeterminate sense. Thus Addison, speaking of those metaphors which professional men most commonly fall into, says, "Your men of business usually have recourse to such instances as are too mean and familiar." Spectator. No. 421.
Yourself, yr-slf′. s.
You, even you; ye, not others.
☞ The pronunciation of your in this word is a confirmation of the observations on the foregoing word.
Youth, yth. s.
The part of life succeeding to childhood and adolescence; a young man; young men.
Youthful, yth′fl. a.
Young; suitable to the first part of life; vigorous as in youth.
Youthfully, yth′fl-. ad.
In a youthful manner.
Youthy, yth′. a. (381)
Young, youthful.
