- the letter used in the writing of Middle English to represent a palatal fricative, as in ung (Modern English young) or a velar fricative, as in litliche (Modern English lightly).
- a character (ȝ) used in Old and Middle English to represent a palatal fricative very close to the semivowel sound of Modern English y, as in Old English ȝeong (young)
- this same character as used in Middle English for both the voiced and voiceless palatal fricatives; when final or in a closed syllable in medial position the sound approached that of German ch in ich, as in knyȝt (knight). After the 14th century this symbol became the modern consonantal (semivocalic) y when initial or commencing a syllable, and though no longer pronounced in medial position it is preserved in many words by a modern gh, as in thought
