▪ I. † yeke, n. Obs.
Forms: 1 ᵹeac, ᵹaec, ᵹec, iac, iec, 4–5 ȝeke, yeke.
[OE. ᵹéac cuckoo = MLG. gôk simpleton, MDu. gooc, OHG., MHG. gouh, gouch cuckoo, bastard, fool, (G. gauch provincial name of cuckoo, etc., simpleton, gawk), ON. gaukr cuckoo (whence Sc. gowk); perhaps f. gau- as in *gaujan (see yeie v.).]
The cuckoo. Also in comb. (with gen.) † yekesterse [tarse1] = cuckoo-pint.
With OE. ᵹéaces s{uacu}re ‘cuckoo's sorrel’ cf. ME. goukesures glossing Alleluia in MS. Rawl. C. 607 lf. 1 b.
| c 725 Corpus Gloss. (Hessels) A 131 Accitulium, ᵹęces sure [Epinal ᵹeacaes; Erfurt ᵹ ecaes]. Ibid. C 121 Calciculium, ieces surae [Erfurt iaces sura]. Ibid. G 87 Geumatrix, ᵹeac. a 1000 Guthlac 716 Ᵹeacas ᵹear budon. a 1387 Sinon. Barthol. (Anecd. Oxon.) 24 Iarus, barba aaron, pes vituli,..i. ȝekesterse. 14.. MS. Porkington lf. 59 (Halliw.) Whene the ȝeke gynnys to synge, Thenne the schrewe begynnys to sprynge. 14.. MS. Rawl. C. 506, lf. 249 b, Iarus aaron, ȝeksters, gauk pyntill. |
▪ II. yeke (ȝeke)
obs. f. eke v., adv., itch n., v.1