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 (maʔjūj), and/or motivated by phonic considerations, as يَأْجُوج (yaʔjūj) is collocated with مَأْجُوج (maʔjūj) in the two instances of the word's occurrence in the Qurʾān. For other possible phonic changes, compare with عِيسَى (ʕīsā), 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 • (yaʔjūj) m

1. (Islam) Gog (an evil tribe associated with Magog)

   Synonym: (Christianity) جُوج (jūj)

   • 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 ʔinna yaʔjūja wa-maʔjūja mufsidūna fī l-ʔarḍi fa-hal najʕalu laka ḵarjan ʕalā ʔan tajʕala baynanā wa-baynahum saddan

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