iets

Afrikaans

Alternative forms

• iits (obsolete)

Etymology

From Dutch iets.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /its/

• Audio

  (file)

Pronoun

iets

1. something

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch iet, a contraction of earlier iewet, from Old Dutch iowiht. This Old Dutch compound is formed from Old Dutch ie- 'anything' and a second constituent corresponding to Middle Dutch wicht 'being, creature', earlier meaning 'thing'. Cognate with Limburgish get, Central Franconian jet, English aught.

The suffix -s is taken from Old Dutch niets whose -s is an old partitive genitive ending.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /its/

• audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: iets
• Rhymes: -its

Pronoun

iets

1. something

   Er zit iets in mijn schoen.

   There's something in my shoe.

2. anything

   Anders nog iets? ― Anything else?

Antonyms

• niets

Derived terms

Descendants

• Afrikaans: iets

Adverb

iets

1. a little, somewhat

   Je zou wel iets meer enthousiasme mogen tonen.

   You could show a little more enthusiasm.

Anagrams

• eist

Latvian

Participle

iets (definite ietais)

1. gone; indefinite past passive participle of iet

   ar mazo spēkstaciju atbalstu ir iets par tālu ― as for (lit. with) the support for small power plants (it) is gone too far

   atceries kādreiz takas, kas ietas ― remember sometime the paths that were gone (= gone by, traveled)

Declension