يأجوج

A Qurʾānic coinage later taken into the wider Arabic lexicon, apparently reshaped from Hebrew גּוֹג (gōg), which is also the source of the Biblical form جُوج (jūj). The extra syllable was probably introduced under the influence of Hebrew מָגוֹג (māgōg), itself the origin of مَاجُوج (mājūj) and مَأْجُوج (maʔjūj), or simply for euphonic reasons, since يَأْجُوج (yaʔjūj) occurs twice in the Qurʾān, both times alongside مَأْجُوج (maʔjūj). Comparable sound adjustments are found elsewhere: عِيسَى (ʕīsā) is often paired with مُوسَى (mūsā) or يَحْيَى (yaḥyā), and قَابِيل (qābīl), which, though not used in the Qurʾān, may have been remodeled in 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?"