prefix. See Y-. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ or }. [ OE. y-, i-, AS. ge-, akin to D. & G. ge-, OHG. gi-, ga-, Goth. ga-, and perhaps to Latin con-; originally meaning, together. Cf. Com-, Aware, Enough, Handiwork, Ywis. ] A prefix of obscure meaning, originally used with verbs, adverbs, adjectives, nouns, and pronouns. In the Middle English period, it was little employed except with verbs, being chiefly used with past participles, though occasionally with the infinitive. Ycleped, or yclept, is perhaps the only word not entirely obsolete which shows this use. [ 1913 Webster ]

That no wight mighte it see neither yheere. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

Neither to ben yburied nor ybrent. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Some examples of Chaucer's use of this prefix are; ibe, ibeen, icaught, ycome, ydo, idoon, ygo, iproved, ywrought. It inough, enough, it is combined with an adjective. Other examples are in the Vocabulary. [ 1913 Webster ] Spenser and later writers frequently employed this prefix when affecting an archaic style, and sometimes used it incorrectly. [ 1913 Webster ]