Etymology Dictionary

YON,  at a distance.  (E.)   Properly an adj., as in prov. E., in which such phrases as 'yon house' and 'yon field' are common.  Common in Shak., Mids. Nr. Dr. iii. 2. 188, &c.   M.E. ȝon, P. Plowman, C. xxi. 149 (also ȝeon, and even ȝond, ȝeond, see the footnote).—A.S. geon, yon; 'tó geonre byrg' = to yon city; Ælfred, tr. of Gregory's Past. Care, ed. Sweet, p. 443, l. 25; where geon-re is the dat. fem. + Icel. enn, the (orig. that), used as the def. art., and often miswritten hinn; see Vigfusson's remarks on hinn. + Goth. jains, yon, that. + G. jener, M.H.G. gener, yon, that.   β. The Teut. type is YENA, Fick, iii. 243; extended (with Aryan suffix -na) from the Aryan pronom. base YA, that; cf. Skt. pronom. base ya, who (orig. that), Gk. ὅς (for yós).   From the same base are yea, ye-s, ye-t.   Der. yond, adv., Temp. i. 2. 409 (also incorrectly used instead of yon, Temp. ii. 2. 20), from A.S. geond, adv., but often used as a prep., Grein, i. 497; cf. Goth. jaind, adv., there, John, xi. 8.   Hence be-yond, q.v.   Also yond-er (not in A.S.), M.E. yonder, adv., Chaucer, C. T. 5438; cf. Goth. jaindre, adv., yonder, there, Luke, xi. 37.