yoke (n.) Look up yoke at Dictionary.com
Old English geoc "contrivance for fastening a pair of draft animals," earlier geoht "pair of draft animals" (especially oxen), from Proto-Germanic *yukam (source also of Old Saxon juk, Old Norse ok, Danish aag, Middle Dutch joc, Dutch juk, Old High German joh, German joch, Gothic juk "yoke"), from PIE root *yeug- "to join" (see jugular). Figurative sense of "heavy burden, oppression, servitude" was in Old English.
yoke (v.) Look up yoke at Dictionary.com
Old English geocian "to yoke, join together," from yoke (n.). Related: Yoked; yoking.