A- (3) prefix meaning "not," from Gk a-, an- "not," from pie base *ne "not" (see un-)

worn (adj.) --- 1508, from adj. use of pp. of wear, from O.E. geworen (see wear). Worn-out "exhausted by use" is attested from 1612 in ref. to things, c.1700 in ref. to persons.

worry (n.) --- 1804, from worry (v.). Worrisome is first recorded 1845. Worry wart first recorded 1956, from comic strip "Out Our Way" by U.S. cartoonist J.R. Williams (1888-1957). According to those familiar with the strip, Worry Wart was the name of a character who caused others to worry, which is the inverse of the current colloq. meaning.

worry (v.) --- O.E. wyrgan "to strangle," from W.Gmc. *wurgijanan (cf. M.Du. worghen, Du. worgen, O.H.G. wurgen, Ger. würgen "to strangle," O.N. virgill "rope"), from PIE *wergh- "to turn" (see wring). The oldest sense was obs. in Eng. after c.1600; meaning "annoy, bother, vex," first recorded 1671, developed from that of "harass by rough or severe treatment" (1553), as of dogs or wolves attacking sheep. Meaning "to cause mental distress or trouble" is attested from 1822; intrans. sense of "to feel anxiety or mental trouble" is first recorded 1860.

worse --- O.E. wiersa, wyrsa, from P.Gmc. *wers-izon- (cf. O.S. wirs, O.N. verri, Swed. värre, O.Fris. wirra, O.H.G. wirsiro, Goth. wairsiza "worse"), comparative of PIE *wers- "to confuse, mix up" (cf. O.H.G. werra "strife," O.S. werran "to entangle, compound;" see war). Used as a comparative of bad, evil, ill or as the opposite of better. Phrase for better or for worse is attested from 1390 (for bet, for wers); to change for the worse is recorded from c.1400.

worsen (v.) --- to make worse, O.E. wyrsian, from the root of worse (q.v.). The refl. sense of "to get worse, become worse off" first attested 1795 and elevated into literary use c.1800-30, where formerly worse (v.) had served.

worship (n.) --- O.E. worðscip, wurðscip (Anglian), weorðscipe (W.Saxon) "condition of being worthy, honor, renown," from weorð "worthy" (see worth) + -scipe (see -ship). Sense of "reverence paid to a supernatural or divine being" is first recorded c.1300. The original sense is preserved in the title worshipful (c.1300). The verb is recorded from c.1200.

worst --- O.E. wyrresta, from P.Gmc. *wers-ista- (cf. O.S. wirsista, O.N. verstr, O.Fris. wersta, O.H.G. wirsisto), superlative of PIE *wers- "to confuse, mix up" (see worse). The verb meaning "damage, inflict loss upon" is first recorded 1602, from the adj. Phrase in the worst way (1839) is from Amer.Eng. sense of "most severely."

worsted --- woolen fabric made from twisted yarn, 1296, from Worstead (O.E. Wurðestede), town in Norfolk where the cloth originally was made.

wort --- a plant, O.E. wyrt "root, herb," from P.Gmc. *wurtiz (cf. O.S. wurt, O.N., Dan. urt, O.H.G. wurz "plant, herb," Ger. Wurz, Goth. waurts, O.N. rot "root"), from PIE base *wrad- "twig, root" (see radish).

-worth --- as final element in place names, is from O.E. worþ "enclosed place, homestead."

worth (1) --- O.E. weorð "equal in value to," from P.Gmc. *werthaz “toward, opposite,” hence “equivalent, worth" (cf. O.Fris. werth, O.N. verðr, Du. waard, O.H.G. werd, Ger. wert, Goth. wairþs "worth, worthy"), perhaps a derivative of PIE *wert- "to turn, wind," from base *wer- "to turn, bend" (see versus). O.C.S. vredu, Lith. vertas "worth" are Gmc. loan-words. Worthless is first attested 1588; worthwhile is recorded from 1884.

worth (2) --- to come to be, now chiefly, if not solely, in the archaic expression woe worth the day, present subjunctive of O.E. weorðan "to become, be, to befall," from P.Gmc. *werthan "to become" (cf. O.S., O.Du. werthan, O.N. verða, O.Fris. wertha, O.H.G. werdan, Ger. werden, Goth. wairþan "to become"), lit. "to turn into," from P.Gmc. *werthaz “toward, opposite,” perhaps a derivative of PIE *wert- "to turn, wind," from base *wer- "to turn, bend" (see versus).

worthy (adj.) --- c.1250, "having merit," from worth (1). Attested from c.1300 as a noun meaning "person of merit" (esp. in Nine Worthies, famous men of history and legend: Joshua, David, Judas Maccabæus, Hector, Alexander, Julius Cæsar, Arthur, Charlemagne, Godfrey of Bouillon -- three Jews, three gentiles, three Christians).

wot --- to know (archaic), from O.E. wat, first and third person singular present indicative of witan "to know," from P.Gmc. *wait (see wit (v.)).

would --- O.E. wolde, past tense of willan "to will" (see will (v.)). Would-be (adj.) "wishing, pretending" is first recorded c.1300.

wound (n.) --- O.E. wund "hurt, injury," from P.Gmc. *wundaz (cf. O.S. wunda, O.N. und, O.Fris. wunde, O.H.G. wunta, Ger. wunde "wound"), perhaps from PIE base *wen- "to beat, wound." The verb is from O.E. wundian.

woven (adj.) --- c.1470, from pp. of weave on analogy of stolen.

wow --- 1513, Scottish interjection, a natural expression of amazement. The verb meaning "overwhelm with delight or amazement" is first recorded 1924, Amer.Eng. slang. Used as a noun meaning "unqualified success" since 1920.

wr- --- common Gmc. consonantal combination, especially to start words implying twisting or distortion. Retained in Du., Flem.; reduced to -r- in O.H.G., O.N.; represented by vr- in Dan., Swed.; still spelled -wr- in Eng., but except in dialects the -w- ceased to be pronounced c.1450-1700.

wrack (n.) --- c.1386, "wrecked ship," probably from M.Du. wrak "wreck," cognate with O.E. wræc "misery, punishment," and wrecan "to punish, drive out" (see wreak). The meaning "damage, disaster, destruction" (in wrack and ruin) is from c.1408, from the O.E. word. Sense of "seaweed, etc., cast up on shore" is recorded from 1513. The verb meaning "to ruin or wreck" (originally of ships) is recorded from 1562, from earlier intrans. sense "to be shipwrecked" (1470). Often confused in this sense since 16c. with rack (1) in the verb sense of "to torture on the rack;" to wrack one's brains is thus erroneous.

wraith --- 1513, "ghost," Scottish, of uncertain origin. Weekley suggests O.N. vorðr "guardian" in the sense of "guardian angel." Klein points to Gael., Ir. arrach "specter, apparition."

wrangle (v.) --- 1377, from Low Ger. wrangeln "to dispute, to wrestle," related to M.L.G. wringen, from P.Gmc. *wrang-, from PIE *wrengh-, nasalized variant of *wergh- "to turn" (see wring). The noun is recorded from 1547. Wrangler "person in charge of horses or cattle, herder" is first recorded 1888; as a proprietary name for a brand of jeans, copyrighted 1947, claiming use from 1929.

wrap (v.) --- c.1320, wrappen, of uncertain etymology, perhaps via Scand. (cf. Dan. dialectal vravle "to wind"), ult. from PIE *werp- "to turn, wind" (cf. Gk. rhaptein "to sew"), from base *wer- "to turn, bend" (see versus). The noun is first recorded c.1412; as a type of women's garment, recorded from 1827. Meaning "end of a filming session" is attested from 1974. Fig. phrase under wraps "in concealment" is recorded from 1939. Wrapper is recorded from c.1460.

wrasse --- 1672, from Cornish wrach, from Welsh gurach.

wrath --- O.E. wræððu "anger," from wrað "angry" (see wroth) + -þu, from P.Gmc. -itho (as in strength, width etc.).

wreak --- O.E. wrecan "avenge," originally "to drive, drive out, punish" (class V strong verb; past tense wræc, pp. wrecen), from P.Gmc. *wrekanan (cf. O.S. wrekan, O.N. reka, O.Fris. wreka, M.Du. wreken "to drive, push, compel, pursue, throw," O.H.G. rehhan, Ger. rächen "to avenge," Goth. wrikan "to persecute"), from PIE base *werg- "to work, to do" (cf. Lith. vergas "distress," vergas "slave," O.C.S. vragu "enemy," L. urgere; see urge (v.)). Meaning "inflict or take vengeance," with on, is recorded from c.1489; that of "inflict or cause (damage or destruction)" is attested from 1817.

wreath --- O.E. wriða "fillet, bandage, band" (lit. “that which is wound around”), from P.Gmc. *writhon (cf. O.N. riða, Dan. vride, O.H.G. ridan "to turn, twist," O.S., O.Fris. wreth "angry," Du. wreed "rough, harsh, cruel," O.H.G. reid "twisted," O.N. reiða "angry"), from PIE *wreit- "to turn, bend" (cf. O.E. wriða "band," wriðan "to twist, torture," wraþ "angry"), from base *wer- "to turn, bend" (see versus). Meaning "ring or garland of flowers" is first recorded 1563.

wreathe --- 1530, a back-formation from wrethen, M.E. pp. of writhe.

wreck (n.) --- 1228, "goods cast ashore after a shipwreck, flotsam," from Anglo-Fr. wrec, from O.N. *wrek (cf. Norw., Icel. rek) "wreck, flotsam," related to reka "to drive, push" (see wreak). The meaning "a shipwreck" is first recorded 1463; that of "a wrecked ship" is from 1500. General sense of "remains of anything that has been ruined" is recorded from 1713; applied by 1795 to dissipated persons. The verb meaning "to destroy, ruin" is first recorded 1510. Wreckage is first attested 1837.

wren --- O.E. wrenna, metathesis variation of earlier werna, a W.Gmc. word of uncertain origin. Cf. Icel. rindill, O.H.G. wrendo, wrendilo "wren." The bird's name in other languages usually denotes "royalty" (cf. L. regulus), in reference to its golden crest.

wrench (n.) --- O.E. wrenc "a twisting, artifice, trick;" see wrench (v.). The meaning "tool with jaws for turning" is first recorded 1794.

wrench (v.) --- O.E. wrencan "to twist," from P.Gmc. *wrankijanan (cf. O.H.G. renken, Ger. renken "to twist, wrench," O.E. wringan "to wring"), from PIE *wreng- "to turn" (cf. Skt. vrnakti "turns, twists," Lith. rengtis "to grow crooked, to writhe"), nasalized variant of *werg- "to turn" (cf. L. vergere "to turn, tend toward"), from base *wer- "to turn, bend" (see versus).

wrest --- O.E. wræstan "to twist, wrench," from P.Gmc. *wraistijanan (cf. O.N. reista "to bend, twist"), derivative of *wrig-, *wreik- "to turn" (see wry). Meaning "to pull, detach" (something) is recorded from 1297. Meaning "to take by force" (in ref. to power, authority, etc.) is attested from 1426.

wrestle --- O.E. *wræstlian, frequentative of wræstan "to wrest" (see wrest). Cf. N.Fris. wrassele, M.L.G. worstelen. Fig. sense is recorded from 1225. Wrestling is attested by c.1100; meaning "sport of grappling and throwing" is attested by c.1225.

wretch --- O.E. wrecca "wretch, stranger, exile," from P.Gmc. *wrakjan (cf. O.S. wrekkio, O.H.G. reckeo "a banished person, exile," Ger. recke "renowned warrior, hero"), related to O.E. wreccan "to drive out, punish" (see wreak). Sense of "vile, despicable person" developed in O.E., reflecting the sorry state of the outcast, as presented in much of Anglo-Saxon verse (e.g. "The Wanderer"). A Ger. word for "misery" is Elend, from O.H.G. elilenti "sojourn in a foreign land, exile."

wretched --- c.1200, wrecched, an irregular formation from wrecche "wretch" (see wretch). Cf. also wicked.

wriggle --- 1495, from M.L.G. wrigglen "to wriggle," from P.Gmc. *wrig-, *wreik- "to turn" (see wry). Related to O.E. wrigian "to turn, incline, go forward."

wright --- O.E. wryhta "worker," variant of earlier wyhrta, from wyrcan "to work" (see work). Now usually in combinations (wheelwright, playwright, etc.) or as a common surname. Common W.Gmc.; cf. O.S. wurhito, O.Fris. wrichta, O.H.G. wurhto.

wring --- O.E. wringan "press, strain, wring, twist" (class III strong verb; past tense wrang, pp. wrungen), from P.Gmc. *wrenganan (cf. O.E. wringen "to wring, press out," O.Fris. wringa, M.Du. wringhen, Du. wringen "to wring," O.H.G. ringan "to move to and fro, to twist," Ger. ringen "to wrestle"), from PIE *wrengh- "to turn," nasalized variant of *wergh- "to turn," from base *wer- "to turn, bend" (see versus). Wringer "device for squeezing water from clothes" first recorded 1799. Fig. phrase to put (something) through the wringer first recorded 1942, Amer.Eng.

wrinkle (n.) --- 1387 (in wrinkling), probably from stem of O.E. gewrinclod "wrinkled, crooked, winding," pp. of gewrinclian "to wind, crease," from perfective prefix ge- + -wrinclian "to wind," from P.Gmc. *wrankjan (see wrench (v.)). Meaning "defect, problem" first recorded 1643; that of "idea, device, notion" (especially a new one) is from 1817. The verb is attested from 1528.

wrist --- O.E. wrist, from P.Gmc. *wristiz (cf. O.N. rist "instep," O.Fris. wrist, M.Du. wrist, Ger. Rist "back of the hand, instep"), from P.Gmc. *wrig-, *wreik- "to turn" (see wry). The notion is "the turning joint."

writ --- O.E. writ "something written, piece of writing," from the past participle stem of writan (see write). Used of legal documents or instruments since at least 1121.

write --- O.E. writan "to score, outline, draw the figure of," later "to set down in writing" (class I strong verb; past tense wrat, pp. writen), from P.Gmc. *writanan "tear, scratch" (cf. O.Fris. writa "to write," O.S. writan "to tear, scratch, write," O.N. rita "write, scratch, outline," O.H.G. rizan "to write, scratch, tear," Ger. reißen "to tear, pull, tug, sketch, draw, design"), outside connections doubtful. Words for "write" in most I.E languages originally mean "carve, scratch, cut" (cf. L. scribere, Gk. grapho, Skt. rikh-); a few originally meant "paint" (cf. Goth. meljan, O.C.S. pisati, and most of the modern Slavic cognates).

writhe --- O.E. wriðan "to twist or bend," earlier "to bind or fetter," from P.Gmc. *writhanan (cf. N.Fris. wrial, O.H.G. ridan, O.N. riða, M.Swed. vriþa, M.Da. vride), from PIE *wreit- "to turn, bend" (see wreath).

wrong (adj.) --- late O.E., "twisted, crooked, wry," from O.N. rangr, earlier *wrangr "crooked, wry, wrong," from P.Gmc. *wrangaz (cf. Dan. vrang "crooked, wrong," M.Du. wranc, Du. wrang "sour, bitter," lit. "that which distorts the mouth"), from PIE *wrengh- "to turn" (see wring). Sense of "not right, bad, immoral, unjust" developed by c.1300. Wrong thus is etymologically a negative of right (from L. rectus, lit. "straight"). L. pravus was lit. "crooked," but most commonly "wrong, bad;" and other words for "crooked" also have meant "wrong" in It. and Slav. Cf. also Fr. tort "wrong, injustice," from L. tortus "twisted." Wrong-headed first recorded 1732. To get up on the wrong side (of the bed) "be in a bad mood" is recorded from 1801.

wrong (n.) --- that which is improper or unjust, c.1100, from wrong (adj.). Meaning "an unjust action" is recorded from c.1200.

wrong (v.) --- to do wrong to, c.1330, from wrong (adj.).

wroth --- O.E. wrað, "angry" (lit. "tormented, twisted”), from P.Gmc. *wraithaz (cf. O.Fris. wreth "evil," O.S. wred, M.Du. wret, Du. wreed "cruel," O.H.G. reid, O.N. reiðr "angry, offended"), from PIE *wreit- "to turn" (see wreath). Rare or obs. from early 16c. to mid-19c., but somewhat revived since, esp. in dignified writing, or this exchange:

wrought --- c.1250, from past participle of M.E. werken (see work).

wry (adj.) --- 1523, "distorted, somewhat twisted," from obs. verb wry "to contort, to twist or turn," from O.E. wrigian "to turn, bend, move, go," from P.Gmc. *wrig- (cf. O.Fris. wrigia "to bend," M.L.G. wrich "turned, twisted"), from PIE *wreik- "to turn" (cf. Gk. rhoikos "crooked," Lith. raisas "paralysed"), from base *wer- "to turn, bend" (see versus). Of words, thoughts, etc., from 1599. The original sense is in awry.

wunderkind --- child prodigy (especially in music), 1891 (G.B. Shaw), from Ger. Wunderkind, lit. "wonder-child."

Wurlitzer --- type of musical instrument (originally a player piano popular in silent movie theaters, later a type of jukebox), 1925, named for The Wurlitzer Company, founded near Cincinnati, Ohio, 1856 by Rudolph Wurlitzer, Saxon immigrant to U.S. An importer at first, he started production of pianos in 1880; coin-operated pianos in 1896.

wurst --- Ger. sausage, 1855, from Ger. Wurst, from O.H.G.

wuss --- 1982, from wussy (1960s), probably an alteration of pussy (2).

wuthering --- N. England dial. variant of Scottish and dial. whithering "rushing, whizzing, blustering," from a verb whither (1375), used in ref. to gusts of wind and coughing fits, from O.N. *hviðra (cf. Norw. kvidra "to go quickly to and fro," related to O.E. hwiþa "air, breeze."

wyandotte --- N.Amer. Indian people, 1884, from Wyandot, from Fr. Ouendat, from Huron Wendat.

wych --- see witch hazel.

Wyoming --- region in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, from Munsee Delaware (Algonquian) chwewamink "at the big river flat," from /xw-/ "big" + /-e:wam-/ "river flat" + /-enk/ "place." Popularized by 1809 poem "Gertrude of Wyoming," set amid wars between Indians and American settlers, by Scottish author Thomas Campbell (1777-1844), who seems to have had a vague or defective notion of Pennsylvania geography. Subsequently applied 19c. to other locations, including a western territory organized July 25, 1868 (admitted as a state 1890); also used in Kansas, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

wysiwyg --- 1982, computer programmer's acronym from what you see is what you get.

wyvern --- 1610, formed (with excrescent -n) from M.E. wyver (c.1300), from Anglo-Fr. wivre, from O.N.Fr. form of O.Fr. guivre "snake," from L. vipera "viper" (see viper). In heraldry, a winged dragon with eagle's feet and a serpent's barbed tail.

X --- most Eng. words beginning in -x- are of Gk. origin or modern commercial coinages. E. Anglian in 14c. showed a tendency to use -x- for initial sh-, sch- (cf. xal for shall), which didn't catch on but seems an improvement over the current system. As a symbol of a kiss on a letter, etc., it is recorded from 1765. In malt liquor, XX denoted "double quality" and XXX "strongest quality" (1827). Algebraic meaning "unknown quantity" (1660 in Eng.), sometimes said to be from medieval use, originally a crossed -r-, probably from L. radix (see root). Other theories trace it to Arabic, but a more prosaic explanation says Descartes (1637) took x, y, z, the last three letters of the alphabet, for unknowns to correspond to a, b, c, used for known quantities. Used allusively for "unknown person" from 1797, "something unknown" since 1859. As a type of chromosome, attested from 1902. First used 1950 in Britain to designate "films deemed suitable for adults only;" adopted in U.S. Nov. 1, 1968.

Xanadu --- Mongol city founded by Kublai Khan, 1625, Anglicized form of Shang-tu. Sense of "dream place of magnificence and luxury" derives from Coleridge's poem (1816).

Xanthippe --- 1596, spouse of Socrates (5c. B.C.E.), the prototype of the quarrelsome, nagging wife. The name is related to the masc. proper name Xanthippos, a compound of xanthos "yellow" + hippos "horse."

xanthous --- 1829, from Gk. xanthos "yellow," of unknown origin. Prefix form xantho- is used in many scientific words; cf. xanthein (1857) "soluble yellow coloring matter in flowers," Huxley's Xanthochroi (1867) "blond, light-skinned races of Europe" (with okhros "pale"), xanthophyll (1838) "yellow coloring matter in autumn leaves."

xebec --- small three-masted vessel, 1756, from Fr. chébec, from It. sciabecco, ult. from Ar. shabbak "a small warship." Altered by infl. of cognate Sp. xabeque, which shows the old way of representing the Sp. sound now spelled -j-.

Xenia --- city in Ohio, from Gk. xenia "hospitality," lit. "state of a guest," from xenos "guest," of unknown origin, perhaps cognate with L. hostis "stranger, enemy." Founded 1803 and named by vote of a town meeting, on suggestion of the Rev. Robert Armstrong to suggest freindliness and hospitality.

xenon --- 1898, from Gk. neut. of xenos "foreign, strange," coined by its discoverer, Scottish chemist Sir William Ramsay (1852-1916); cf. krypton.

xenophobic --- 1912, coined from Gk. xenos "foreign, stranger" + phobos "fear" (see phobia).

xerasia --- 1706, "excessive dryness of hair," Medical L., from Gk. xerasia "dryness," from xeros "dry."

Xeres --- 1661, name of Andalusian town (modern Jerez) famous for its wine (see sherry). For first letter, see xebec.

Xerox --- 1952, trademark taken out by Haloid Co. of Rochester, N.Y., for a copying device, from earlier xerography "photographic reduplication without liquid developers" (1948), from Gk. xeros "dry" + -ography as in photography. The verb is first attested 1965, from the noun, despite strenuous objection from the Xerox copyright department.

Xerxes --- king of Persia who reigned 486-465 B.C.E., Gk. Xerxes, from O.Pers. Xšayaršan, lit. "male (i.e. 'hero') among kings," from Xšaya- "king" (cf. shah) + aršan "male, man." The Heb. rendition was Ahashwerosh, Ahashresh.

xiphias --- 1667, genus of swordfish, from Gk. xiphias "swordfish," from xiphos "sword," of unknown origin.

Xmas --- Christmas, 1551, X'temmas, wherein the X is an abbreviation for Christ in Christmas, from first letter of Gk. Christos "Christ" (see Christ). The earlier way to abbreviate it was Xp- or Xr-, corresponding to "Chr-," and the form Xres mæsse for "Christmas" appears in the "Anglo-Saxon Chronicle" (c.1100).

X-ray --- 1896, translation of Ger. X-strahl, from X, algebraic symbol for an unknown quantity, + Strahl (pl. Strahlen) "beam, ray." Coined 1895 by Ger. scientist Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen (1845-1923), who discovered them.

xylem --- woody tissue in higher plants, 1875, from Ger. Xylem, coined from Gk. xylon "wood," of unknown origin.

xylophone --- 1866, coined from Gk. xylon "wood" + phone "a sound" (see fame).

xyster --- surgical instrument for scraping bones, 1684, from Gk. xyster, from xyein "to scrape," from PIE base *kes- "to scrape."

Y --- a late-developing letter in Eng. Called ipsilon in Ger., upsilon in Gk., the Eng. name is of obscure origin. The sound at the beginning of yard, yes, yield, etc. is from O.E. words with initial g- as in got and y- as in yet, which were considered the same sound and often transcribed as a character that looks something like 3 (but with a flat top and lower on the line of text), known as yogh. The system was altered by Fr. scribes, who brought over the continental use of -g- and from the early 1200s used -y- and sometimes -gh- to replace 3. There's a good, in-depth discussion of yogh here. As short for YMCA, YWCA, YMHA first recorded 1915.

y- --- perfective prefix, in y-clept, etc.; a deliberate archaism, introduced by Spenser and his imitators, representing an authentic M.E. prefix, from O.E. ge-, originally meaning "with, together" but later a completive or perfective element, from P.Gmc. *ga-. It is still living in Ger. and Du. ge-, and survives, disguised, in some Eng. words (e.g. alike, aware).

-y (1) --- noun suffix, in army, city, country, etc., from O.Fr. -e, L. -atus, -atum, pp. suffix of verbs of the first conjugation. In victory, history, etc. it represents L. -ia, Gk. -ia.

-y (2) --- adj. suffix, "full of or characterized by," from O.E. -ig, from P.Gmc. *-iga (cf. Ger. -ig), cognate with Gk. -ikos, L. -icus.

-y (3) --- suffix in pet proper names (e.g. Johnny, Kitty), first recorded in Scottish, c.1400; became frequent in Eng. 15c.-16c. Extension to surnames seems to date from c.1940. Use with common nouns seems to have begun in Scot. with laddie (1546) and become popular in Eng. due to Burns' poems, but the same formation appears to be represented much earlier in baby and puppy.

yacht --- 1557, yeaghe "a light, fast-sailing ship," probably from Norw. jaght, from M.L.G. jacht, shortened form of jachtschip "fast pirate ship," lit. "ship for chasing," from jacht "chase," from jagen "to chase, hunt," from O.H.G. jagon, from P.Gmc. *jagojanan.

yack (v.) --- to talk, to chatter, slang, 1950, probably echoic (cf. Australian slang yacker "talk, conversation," 1882). Yackety is recorded from 1953.

yadda-yadda --- and so on, 1990s, of echoic origin (cf. yatata "talk idly, chatter," 1940s; and yatter "to talk incessantly or idly," 1825).

yahoo --- a brute in human form, 1726, from the race of brutish human creatures in Swift's "Gulliver's Travels."

Yahtzee --- dice game, 1957, proprietary (E.S. Lowe Co., N.Y.), apparently based on yacht.

Yahweh --- 1869, hypothetical reconstruction of the tetragrammaton YHWH (see Jehovah), based on the assumption that the tetragrammaton is the imperfective of Heb. verb hawah, earlier form of hayah "was," in the sense of "the one who is, the existing."