wis

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /waɪs/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪs

Alternative forms

• wiss, ywis, iwis

Etymology 1

From Middle English wis (“certain, sure”), from an aphetic form of Middle English iwis, ywis (“certain, sure”) (from Old English ġewiss (“certain, sure”)), or of North Germanic origin, akin to Icelandic viss (“certain”). Ultimately from Proto-Germanic *gawissaz. More at iwis.

Adverb

wis (comparative more wis, superlative most wis)

1. (rare, obsolete or dialectal) Certainly, surely.
   • 1884, Charlotte Mary Yonge, The armourer's prentices:

     So I wis would the Dragon under him […]

2. (rare, obsolete or dialectal) Really, truly.
3. (rare, obsolete or dialectal) Indeed.
   • c. 1368-1372, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Book of the Duchess:

     As wis God help me.

Derived terms

Adjective

wis (comparative more wis, superlative most wis)

1. (rare, obsolete or dialectal) Certain.
2. (rare, obsolete or dialectal) Sure.

   He was wis on his word.

   I am wis that it will happen.

Derived terms

• wisly

Etymology 2

From an incorrect division, mistaking iwis (“certain”) for I wis (“I know”). See ywis for more information. The German verb wissen may appear similar, but in fact corresponds etymologically to the English verb wit; both of those verbs ultimately descend from the same Proto-Indo-European root as this one.

Verb

wis (third-person singular simple present wis, no present participle, no simple past, past participle wist or wissed)

1. (obsolete or archaic) To know.
   • c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

     "The fire seven times tried this: / Seven times tried that judgement is, / That did never choose amiss. / Some there be that shadows kiss: / Such have but a shadow's bliss. / There be fools alive, I wis, / Silver'd o'er; and so was this. / I will ever be your head: / So be gone: you are sped."

2. (obsolete or archaic) To think, suppose.
   • 1850, Robert Browning, “(please specify the page)”, in Christmas-Eve and Easter-Day. A Poem, London: Chapman & Hall, , →OCLC:

     Howe'er you wis.

3. (obsolete or archaic) To imagine, ween; to deem.
   • 1889, Harriet McEwen Kimball, Poems, "In the Garden":

     And oh, that I should see that star remote / Yet His near Glory miss / Whereto the sun itself and stars do float / As motes, I wis!

   • 1797, S[amuel] T[aylor] Coleridge, “Christabel. Part I.”, in Christabel: Kubla Khan, a Vision: The Pains of Sleep, London: John Murray, , by William Bulmer and Co. , published 1816, →OCLC, page 8:

     As sure as Heaven shall rescue me, / I have no thought what men they be; / Nor do I know how long it is / (For I have lain in fits, I wis) […]

Anagrams

• WSI

Afrikaans

Verb

wis

1. preterite of weet; knew

Chuukese

Noun

wis

1. duty, responsibility

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʋɪs/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪs

Etymology 1

From Proto-Germanic *wissaz, past participle of *witaną. See gewis.

Adjective

wis (not comparable)

1. sure, certain

   een wisse dood — a certain death

Inflection

Etymology 2

From Middle Dutch wisch, from Old Dutch *wisk, from Proto-Germanic *wiskaz (“bundle of straw, hay”).

Noun

wis f or m (plural wissen, diminutive wisje n)

1. twig
2. bundle, bunch
3. short for wisdoek (dishcloth)

Etymology 3

Verb

wis

1. inflection of wissen:
   1. first-person singular present indicative
   2. imperative

Gothic

Romanization

wis

1. Romanization of 𐍅𐌹𐍃

Javanese

Adverb

j=ꦮꦶꦱ꧀

wis

1. already

Kabyle

Particle

wis (feminine tis)

1. -th, forms ordinal numerals by preceding a cardinal numeral

   ‎wis (“-th”) + ‎kraḍ (“three”) → ‎wis kraḍ (“third”)

   ‎wis (“-th”) + ‎xemsa (“five”) → ‎wis xemsa (“fifth”)

Usage notes

• The particle agrees in gender with its associated noun. If this noun is feminine, the particle has a feminine form tis.
• The particle may be used before both native Kabyle numerals and Arabic-derived numerals.
• The particle is not used before yiwen (“one”). The adjective amezwaru (“first”) is used instead of such an ordinal.

Old Dutch

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *wīsaz, from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (“to see, to know”).

Adjective

wīs

1. wise

Inflection

Descendants

• Middle Dutch: wijs

Further reading

• “wīs”, in Oudnederlands Woordenboek, 2012

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *wīsaz, from Proto-Indo-European *weydstos (“knowledgeable”), an extension of *weyd- (“to see, to know”). Akin to Old High German wīs and Old Norse víss.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wiːs/

Adjective

wīs

1. wise

Declension

Derived terms

• andwīs
• stæfwīs
• unwīs
• wīslīċe
• wīsnes

Descendants

• Middle English: wis, wys
  • Scots: wis, wise
  • English: wise
    • ⇒ English: wizard

Old High German

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *wīsaz, from Proto-Indo-European *weydstos (“knowledgeable”), an extension of *weyd- (“to see, to know”). Akin to Old English wīs and Old Norse víss.

Adjective

wīs

1. wise

Derived terms

• wīso

Descendants

• Middle High German: wīse
  • German: weise
• ⇒ Old High German: wīsi

Old Saxon

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *wīsaz, from Proto-Indo-European *weydstos (“knowledgeable”), an extension of *weyd- (“to see, to know”). Akin to Old English wīs, Old High German wīs and Old Norse víss.

Adjective

wīs

1. wise

Declension

Descendants

• Middle Low German: wīs
  • Low German:
    • German Low German: wies
    • Westphalian:

      Ravensbergisch-Lippisch: wuise, wuis

      Sauerländisch: weyse, wüse, wīse, wuise

      Westmünsterländisch: wiese

  • Plautdietsch: weis

Scots

Etymology

Compare West Frisian wie.

Verb

wis

1. simple past tense of be

Usage notes

Wis is used with singular pronouns and plural nouns, and wis, war or wir are used with plural pronouns.

See also

• wir

Tagalog

Alternative forms

• wiz, wit

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: wis
• IPA^(key): /ˈwis/,

Pronoun

wis (Baybayin spelling ᜏᜒᜐ᜔)

1. (gay slang) Alternative form of was

West Frisian

Etymology

See witte (“to know, be sure”). Related to English wis.

Adjective

wis

1. certain, sure
2. true
3. safe, trustworthy

Inflection

Derived terms

• jawis

Further reading

• “wis (I)”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011