1a n. — Fishing, Newfoundland
an armful, usually of fish, usually cod, and occasionally kindling.
Type: 3. Semantic Change — Yaffle is among the many Newfoundland words that can be traced back to West Country English, a result of the significant number of people from southwest England that chose to settle throughout the island and in southern Labrador (Clarke 2010b: 105-106). EDD (s.v. "yafful") defines the British dialectal term as "a handful; an armful", which has been semantically narrowed in Newfoundland to an armful of fish (or wood) because of the province's close ties to the sea and fishing industry (Clarke 2010b: 118-119). The precise origin of the term is unclear, though several proposals have been made (see the 1916 and 1984 quotations).
See also COD-2, s.v. "yaffle", which is marked "Cdn (Nfld)", and OED-3, s.v. "yaffle" (n.3), which is marked "dial. (now chiefly Newfoundland)", EDD, s.v. "yafful" (1), which is marked "Nfld.".
1b v.
to gather an armful of something, usually of cod, kindling, etc.
Type: 3. Semantic Change — See meaning 1a.
See also OED-3, s.v. "yaffle" (v.3), which is marked "dial. (now chiefly Newfoundland)".
1c v. — Newfoundland
to gather and prepare salted cod in the curing process.
Type: 3. Semantic Change — A semantic extension of meaning 1b.
See also: flake
2 n. — Newfoundland, in figurative use
a bundle or bunch of something; a small group (of people).
Type: 3. Semantic Change — Once yaffle had become established in the sense of an armful of cod or wood, a figurative meaning developed.