Etymology From Middle English ȝaren, ȝurren, ȝeorren, from Old English ġeorran, ġirran, gyrran (“to sound, chatter, grunt, creak, grate”), from Proto-West Germanic *gerran (“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”).
1
To snarl; to gnar.
2
Scotland To growl, especially like a dog; quarrel; to be captious or troublesome.
Etymology From Middle English yar, ȝar, variants of yare, ȝare, from Old English ġearu (“ready”), from Proto-West Germanic *garu, from Proto-Germanic *garwaz.
1
Nautical, TransportOf a vessel Quick and agile; easy to hand, reef and steer.
Especially sailboat
The wynd was good, the Schip was yare.1390, J. Gower, Confessio Amantis, II. 237:
1939, The Philadelphia Story written by Philip Barry 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.
2 more examples
...to make a ship best weighed, or yarest in her going.1958, Bulletin of the John Rylands Library:
Arr, here be a fine vessel: the yarest river-going boat there be.1993 Captain McAllister, The Simpsons ep. 1F06