English word origin

Etymology of yif

Inherited from Middle English yif, from Old English ġif, from Proto-Germanic *jabai. Doublet of if.

1 source sectionExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 1 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗

conj

If.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Inherited from Middle English yif, from Old English ġif, from Proto-Germanic *jabai. Doublet of if.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inherited-form mentionyifenm
Inherited-form mentionġifang
Inherited-form mention*jabaigem-pro
Doublet mentionifen

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "yif"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English yif"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "ġif"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English ġif"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*jabai"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *jabai"
    },
    {
      "name": "doublet",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "if"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of if"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "yif",
      "yif#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "ġif",
      "gif#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*jabai",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/jabai"
    ],
    [
      "if",
      "if#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "conj",
      "glosses": [
        "If."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "West-Country"
      ],
      "recordId": "49197106e95d5870b5e8a0452d4b066bf1459634926ef3313b1f7853caa5ea61",
      "rawRecordSha256": "2031c1fcd05d1e6df2212ca99b87f28592b7dbaca801e89b11fc8a632598363c",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 2001886
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for yif →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-eWlm