yar

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English ȝaren, ȝurren, ȝeorren, from Old English ġeorran, ġirran, gyrran (“to sound, chatter, grunt, creak, grate”), from Proto-Germanic *gerranan (“to creak”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰer- (“to make a noise, rattle, gurgle, grumble”). Cognate with Scots yarr, yirr (“to snarl, growl, quarrel, cause trouble”), Middle High German girren (“to roar, cry, rattle, chatter”).

Alternative forms

yarr

Verb

yar (third-person singular simple present yars, present participle yarring, simple past and past participle yarred)

(intransitive) To snarl; gnar.
(intransitive, chiefly Scotland) To growl, especially like a dog; quarrel; be captious or troublesome.

Etymology 2

Origin uncertain.

Alternative forms

yare

Adjective

yar (comparative more yar, superlative most yar)

(UK dialectal) Sour; brackish.

Derived terms

yarrish

Etymology 3

From Old English gearu (“ready”), from Proto-Germanic *garwaz.

Adjective

yar (comparative yarer, superlative yarest)

(nautical, of a vessel, especially sailboat) Quick and agile; easy to hand, reef and steer.
1940 My, she was yar...It means, uh...easy to handle, quick to the helm, fast, right. Everything a boat should be, until she develops dry rot. - The Philadelphia Story written by Philip Barry
- 1958, Bulletin of the John Rylands Library
  ...to make a ship best weighed, or yarest in her going.
1993 Arr, here be a fine vessel the yarest river-going boat there be. - Captain McAllister The Simpsons ep. 1F06