wis

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English

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /waɪs/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -aɪs

Alternative forms

Etymology 1

Inherited 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, cognate with Icelandic viss (certain, sure), Dutch gewis (certain, sure), and German gewiss (certain, sure). 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.
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

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.
  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

Afrikaans

Verb

wis

  1. preterite of weet; knew

Chuukese

Noun

wis

  1. duty, responsibility

Dutch

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

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

Adjective

wis (not comparable)

  1. sure, certain
    een wisse dood — a certain death
Declension
Declension of wis
uninflected wis
inflected wisse
comparative
positive
predicative/adverbial wis
indefinite m./f. sing. wisse
n. sing. wis
plural wisse
definite wisse
partitive wis
Descendants
  • Afrikaans: wis

Etymology 2

Inherited 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. (in case of inversion) second-person singular present indicative
    3. imperative

Gothic

Romanization

wis

  1. Romanization of 𐍅𐌹𐍃

Javanese

Romanization

wis

  1. Romanization of ꦮꦶꦱ꧀

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

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

Adjective

wīs

  1. wise

Inflection


Descendants

Further reading

  • wīs”, in Oudnederlands Woordenboek, 2012

Old English

Etymology

Inherited 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

Adjective

wīs (comparative wīsra, superlative wīsest)

  1. wise
    • 10th century, The Wanderer:
      forþon ne mæġ wearþan wīs · wer, ǣr hē āge
      wintra dǣl in woruldrīċe. · Wita sċeal ġeþyldiġ.
      thus a man cannot become wise, before he would own
      a part of years in world-kingdom. A wise man must be patient.

Declension

Derived terms

Descendants

Old High German

Etymology

Inherited 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

Descendants

Old Saxon

Etymology

Inherited 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

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

Tagalog

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

Pronoun

wis (Baybayin spelling ᜏᜒᜐ᜔)

  1. (gay slang) Alternative form of was

West Frisian

Etymology

See witte (to know, be sure). Cognate with English wis.

Adjective

wis

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

Inflection

Inflection of wis
uninflected wis
inflected wisse
comparative wisser
positive comparative superlative
predicative/adverbial wis wisser it wist
it wiste
indefinite c. sing. wisse wissere wiste
n. sing. wis wisser wiste
plural wisse wissere wiste
definite wisse wissere wiste
partitive wis wissers

Derived terms

Further reading

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