يأجوج

A Qurʾānic formation later incorporated into the Arabic Islamic lexicon, apparently an alteration of Hebrew גּוֹג‎ (gōg), itself also the source of the Biblical form جُوج‎ (jūj). The addition of a syllable may have been by influence of Hebrew מָגוֹג‎ (māgōg), the source of مَاجُوج‎ (mājūj) and مَأْجُوج‎ (maʾjūj), and/or motivated by phonic considerations, as يَأْجُوج‎ (yaʾjūj) is collocated with مَأْجُوج‎ (maʾjūj) in the two instances of the word's occurrence in the Qurʾān. For other possible phonic changes, compare with عِيسَى‎ (ʿīsā), which is often conjoined or juxtaposed in the Qurʾān with such words as مُوسَى‎ (mūsā) and يَحْيَى‎ (yaḥyā). Compare also with قَابِيل‎ (qābīl), which, though not used in the Qurʾān, may have been modified by analogy with هَابِيل‎ (hābīl).

• IPA^(key): /jaʔ.d͡ʒuːd͡ʒ/

يَأْجُوج • (yaʾjūj) m

1. (Islam) Gog (an evil tribe associated with Magog)
   • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 18:94:

     ‏قَالُوا يَا ذَا ٱلْقَرْنَيْنِ إِنَّ يَأْجُوجَ وَمَأْجُوجَ مُفْسِدُونَ فِي ٱلْأَرْضِ فَهَلْ نَجْعَلُ لَكَ خَرْجًا عَلَى أَنْ تَجْعَلَ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَهُمْ سَدًّا‎

     qālū yā ḏā l-qarnayni ʾinna yaʾjūja wa-maʾjūja mufsidūna fī l-ʾarḍi fa-hal najʿalu laka ḵarjan ʿalā ʾan tajʿala baynanā wa-baynahum saddan

     They said, "O Dhul-Qarnayn, indeed Gog and Magog are [great] corrupters in the land. So may we assign for you an expenditure that you might make between us and them a barrier?"

   Synonym: (Christianity) جُوج‎ (jūj)