wir

German

Alternative forms

• Wir (pluralis majestatis)
• -wa, wa (rare, colloquial)

Etymology

From Middle High German wir, from Old High German wir, from Proto-West Germanic *wiʀ. Compare Low German wi, Dutch wij, English we, Danish vi, Icelandic vér, Gothic 𐍅𐌴𐌹𐍃 (weis).

Pronunciation

• (standard) IPA^(key): /viːɐ̯/
• Rhymes: -iːɐ̯

• Audio

  (file)

• Audio

  (file)

• (colloquially in unstressed position) IPA^(key): /vɐ/, /mɐ/

Pronoun

wir

1. we

Declension

• The genitive case unser is used more and more rarely in modern German.
• While the genitive of a personal pronoun does express ownership, it must not be confused with a possessive pronoun. While possessive pronouns such as unser are put in front of the noun they relate to and follow the inflection rules of adjectives, the genitive form of a personal pronoun has only one form, which is not further inflected. Additionally, personal pronouns in the genitive can be put after the word they relate to.

Further reading

• “wir” in Duden online
• “wir” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Middle High German

Etymology

From Old High German wir, from Proto-West Germanic *wiʀ, from Proto-Germanic *wīz, *wiz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wir/

Pronoun

wir

1. we: nominative plural of ich

Descendants

• Bavarian:
  • Cimbrian: biar, bar
  • Mòcheno: biar
• German: wir

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *wīraz. Cognate with Middle Low German wīre, and related to late Old Norse víravirki (“filigree work”), Old High German wiara.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wiːr/

Noun

wīr m (nominative plural wīras)

1. wire
2. (botany) myrtle

Descendants

• Middle English: wir, wyr
  • Scots: wire, weyr
  • English: wire

Old High German

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *wiʀ, from Proto-Germanic *wīz, *wiz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wiːr/

Pronoun

wir

1. we: nominative plural of ih

Descendants

• Bavarian:
  • Cimbrian: biar, bar
  • Mòcheno: biar
• German: wir

Polish

Polish Wikipedia has an article on:

wir

Wikipedia ^pl

Etymology

Inherited from Old Polish wir, from Proto-Slavic *virъ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /vir/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ir
• Syllabification: wir

Noun

wir m inan

1. vortex

   Synonyms: kłębowisko, odmęt

   wir polarny ― polar vortex

2. whirlpool

   Synonyms: topiel, odmęt

3. whirl

   Synonyms: kłębowisko, kotłowisko

4. swirl

   Synonym: trąba powietrzna

5. eddy
6. gyre

   Wir Morza Beauforta ― Beaufort Gyre

7. whirlwind

Declension

Derived terms

Further reading

• wir in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• wir in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Scots

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wər/

Etymology 1

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

wir

1. simple past tense of be

Usage notes

Wir is used with plural pronouns, and wis is used otherwise.

Etymology 2

Northumbrian Old English *war, a borrowing from Old Norse várr, from Proto-Germanic *unseraz. (The inherited term is oor via Old English ūre.) Compare Northumbrian English wor.

Alternative forms

• (Orkney) wur

Determiner

wir

1. our

   Synonym: oor

2. my

   Synonym: ma

Welsh

Noun

wir

1. Soft mutation of gwir.

Mutation