Y

Y. The chromosome (q.v.) carried by the sperm cell, which determines that a given infant will be male. If the Y chromosome from the male pairs with an X chromosome in the egg, the child will be male. See X. yang. In Chinese art and philosophy, the basic male component of life and the universe. It is usually portrayed as being red. Around the time of the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-204 A.D.), it emerged as a circular diagram bisected by a wavy line, with both yang and yin (q.v.). Yang is linked with life, light, and heat. See T’AI CHI.

Yang Shao. A Chinese village culture, in which people lived in mud-walled pit homes. It developed ca. 2500 B.C. Wheat and millet were characteristic crops. See POTTERY, PAINTED.

yard. On a sailboat, a spar to which the head of the sail is attached in order to help maintain its expansion.

yarn. A longer textile fiber that can be used to make a fabric. A strand of yarn is usually composed of twisted fibers.

Yayoi. A full Neolithic culture based on rice agriculture in southwest Japan, dating ca. 250 B.C.

year, astral. See YEAR, SIDEREAL.

year, new. The cessation of one year and the beginning of the next, often marked by special observances to symbolize the change and its effect on man.

year, sidereal. The time in which the center of the sun makes the full circuit going eastward from the ecliptic meridian of a given star. The sidereal, or astral, year contains 365.242198 days.

yech. In Indian belief, a small animal that can take any shape and mislead travelers. It can become invisible through its white cap. If a human grabs a yech’s cap and gets it under a millstone, the yech will work its great powers for him.

Yiddish. The language of the Ashkenazic Jews, formed through the fusion of dialectal German, medieval Romance, Hebrew-Aramaic, and Slavic components. It originated approximately in the tenth century in the Rhineland area and was spoken by about 11,000,000 people in 1939. It is still the native or second language of millions of Ashkenazic Jews the world over, and has developed a rich literature of its own.

yin. In Chinese art and philosophy, the basic female component of life and the universe. It represents darkness, cold, and death. It is usually portrayed as being black. When represented, a wavy line divides a circle’s diameter, with yin black and yang (q.v.) represented as red. See T’AI CHI.

yo-de-ho. Noire’s theory that language arose through sounds originally issued during physical exertion and that the first words stem from fixating natural sounds emitted in a group effort, e.g., heave.

yoke, coolie. A single piece of strong wood which is balanced on the neck and weighted by loads carried at each end. It is generally used to carry water containers or other objects of equal weight, so that each side balances the other. It probably was first used in Asia, although it was found widely in the western hemisphere.

Yomta. The priest-like head of a Pomo medicine society.

yoni. A Hindu religious symbol for the female generative power. It is widely worshipped in Tibet and India, usually together with the lingam (q.v.). It represents the earth and fertility. The yoni-lingam combination often symbolizes a merger of opposites in order to create. The yoni may have overtones of evil that can be warded off by the lingam. In addition to a pointed oval or a circle suggesting the vulva, the yoni is often shown as a cow, lotus (q.v.), woman, or sakti (q.v.).

young-dah-hte. See LATAH.

yourta. A spreading low tent used by central Asiatic nomads generally to cover pits in the ground. See YURT.

Yüan. The Yüan dynasty in China, A.D. 1280-1368. Decoration of porcelain in underglaze cobalt blue probably originated then.

yucca or yuca. A plant with long fibrous leaves, a member of the lily family. The sap of the roots makes suds in water.

Yuma. See IMPLEMENTS, YUMA.

yurt. Among the Kazak and several other Siberian nomadic groups, a tent of felt stretched over a light framework of wood. It has been called the best portable dwelling developed by man. The yurt is cylindrical with a dome top. There is a wattle wall about five feet high, and a wooden frame for the dome. Carpets cover the bare earth. The yurt can be disassembled in less than an hour. See YOURTA.