A Yoke Joins Two Animals to Pull as One
A yoke is a wooden crosspiece joining draught animals. It also means oppression.
A yoke is a wooden crosspiece fastened over the necks of two animals so they pull together. It was also a unit of land: as much as a yoke of oxen could plough in a day, which is why medieval records measure fields in yokes rather than acres in some regions. The figurative sense of oppression — *the yoke of tyranny*, *throwing off the yoke* — comes from the Roman practice of making defeated soldiers pass beneath a yoke of spears as a humiliation, which also gives *subjugate*, literally to bring under the yoke.
- A crosspiece for oxen. *A yoke of oxen.*
- Oppression. *Under the yoke.*
- A shoulder piece. *The yoke of a shirt.*
- To join. *Yoked together.*
- Old English — *geoc*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | yoke | A yoke. |
| Plural | yokes | Yokes. |
| Verb | yoke | Yoked. |
| Related | subjugate | To subjugate. |
| Latin | iugum | A yoke. |
- A yoke of oxen pulled the plough.Farming.
- Under the yoke of empire.Figurative.
- The yoke of a shirt.Clothing.
Passing under the yoke
- Roman victors built an arch of spears
- Defeated soldiers were made to stoop beneath it
- The humiliation was worse than the defeat
- Subjugate means literally to bring under the yoke
- The image gave English its metaphor for oppression
Old English *geoc*, of Germanic origin, related to Latin *iugum* and Sanskrit *yoga*.
Why does yoke mean oppression?
From the Roman practice of making defeated soldiers stoop beneath an arch of spears, which also gives subjugate.
Was a yoke a unit of land?
Yes, in some medieval records: as much land as a yoke of oxen could plough in a day.