ewe

See also: Ewe, EWE, -ewe, and éwé

Translingual

Etymology

From English Ewe.

Symbol

ewe

1. (international standards) ISO 639-2 & ISO 639-3 language code for Ewe.

See also

• Wiktionary’s coverage of Ewe terms

English

A ewe

Etymology

From Middle English ewe, from Old English eowu, from Proto-West Germanic *awi, from Proto-Germanic *awiz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ówis (“sheep”).

Cognates

See also Old English ēow (“sheep”), West Frisian ei, Dutch ooi, German Aue); also Old Irish oí, Latin ovis, Tocharian B ā(ᵤ)w, Lithuanian avi̇̀s (“ewe”), Russian овца́ (ovcá).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /juː/, /jʊ̯u/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (Southern US, archaic) IPA^(key): /joʊ̯/
• (Ireland) IPA^(key): /joː/
• Rhymes: -uː
• Homophones: eau, u, yew, you; hew, hue, Hugh (h-dropping); yo (Ireland, archaic Southern US)

Noun

ewe (plural ewes)

2. A female sheep, as opposed to a ram.

   Antonym: ram

   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 31:38, column 2:

     This twentie yeeres haue I bene with thee: thy ewes and thy ſhee goates haue not caſt their yong, and the rammes of thy flocke haue I not eaten.

Synonyms

• yowe, yeo, yoe, yow (archaic, dialectal, Britain, Scotland)

Derived terms

• black ewe
• ewe cat
• ewe lamb
• ewe neck
• ewe-necked
• hippo birdie two ewe

Translations

female sheep

• Afrikaans: skaapooi (af)
• Albanian: dele (sq), delme (sq)
• Arabic: نَعْجَة f (naʕja)

  Egyptian Arabic: نعجة f (naʕga)

• Armenian: մաքի (hy) (makʻi)
• Aromanian: oai (roa-rup) f
• Asturian: oveya (ast)
• Belarusian: аве́чка f (avjéčka)
• Breton: dañvadez (br) f
• Bulgarian: овца́ (bg) f (ovcá)
• Burmese: သိုးမ (my) (sui:ma.)
• Catalan: ovella (ca) f
• Chechen: жий (žii)
• Chinese:

  Dungan: муён (mui͡on)

  Mandarin: 母羊 (zh) (mǔyáng), 牂 (zh) (zāng)

• Cornish: davas f
• Czech: ovce (cs) f
• Danish: moderfår, hunfår c
• Dutch: ooi (nl) f
• Esperanto: ŝafino
• Ewe: alẽnɔ
• Faroese: ær f
• Finnish: uuhi (fi), lammas (fi)
• French: brebis (fr) f
• Galician: ovella (gl) f
• Georgian: ცხვარი (cxvari)
• German: Schaf (de) n, weibliches Schaf n (for clarity), Mutterschaf (de) n (chiefly when with young), Zibbe (de) f (regional), Aue (de) f

  Alemannic German: Au f

• Greek: προβατίνα (el) f (provatína), αρνάδα (el) f (arnáda), αμνάδα (el) f (amnáda)

  Ancient: ἀμνάς f (amnás)

• Greenlandic: sava piaqqiortoq
• Hebrew: רחל \ רָחֵל (he) f (rakhél)
• Hindi: भेड़ (hi) f (bheṛ)
• Hungarian: anyajuh (hu)
• Icelandic: ær (is) f
• Ingrian: uto
• Irish: caora (ga) f, fóisc f (yearling), athchaora f (two-year-old), athfhóisc f (two-year-old)
• Italian: pecora (it) f
• Japanese: 牝羊 (めひつじ, mehitsuji), 雌羊 (めひつじ, mehitsuji)
• Kashmiri: گٔب (gạb)
• Korean: 암양 (ko) (amyang)
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: مێ (ckb) (mê)

  Northern Kurdish: mî (ku), mîh (ku)

  Southern Kurdish: میە (mye)

• Ladino: oveja
• Latin: ovis (la) f
• Latvian: avs (lv) f
• Low German: Au f
• Macedonian: овца (mk) f (ovca)
• Maori: uwha hipi, kātua hipi
• Navajo: dibétsaʼii
• Norman: brébis f (Jersey)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: søye m or f

  Nynorsk: søye f

• Nǀuu: gǂaru
• Old Church Slavonic:

  Cyrillic: овьца f (ovĭca)

  Glagolitic: ⱁⰲⱐⱌⰰ f (ovĭca)

• Old English: eowu f
• Persian: میش (fa) (miš)
• Polish: owca (pl) f
• Portuguese: ovelha (pt) f
• Romani: bakri f
• Romanian: oaie (ro) f, oiță (ro) f
• Russian: овца́ (ru) f (ovcá), я́рка (ru) f (járka)
• Scots: yowe
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: о́вца f

  Roman: óvca (sh) f

• Slovak: ovca (sk) f
• Slovene: ovca (sl) f
• Somali: lax (so)
• Spanish: oveja (es) f, oveja madre f

  Old Spanish: oueja

• Sumerian: 𒁱 (DARA4)
• Swedish: tacka (sv) c
• Tarifit: tixsi f
• Telugu: మేషి (te) (mēṣi), ఆడగొర్రె (te) (āḍagorre)
• Tigrinya: ሽበን (šəbän)
• Tocharian B: awi
• Turkish: anaç koyun
• Ugaritic: 𐎘𐎀𐎚 (ṯảt)
• Ukrainian: вівця́ (uk) f (vivcjá)
• Uzbek: sovliq (uz)
• Vietnamese: cừu cái
• Volapük: jijip (vo)
• Wolof: xar mu jigéen
• Zazaki: miy f, misna f

See also

• hog
• ram
• shearling
• teg
• wether

Anagrams

• Wee, wee, WEE, eew

Chuukese

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /eweɪ/

Article

ewe (plural ekkewe)

1. the (singular)

Usage notes

When used with a possessive, the word used is we.

Finnish

Etymology

From Ewe Eʋe.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈewe/, [ˈe̞we̞]
• Rhymes: -ewe
• Syllabification^(key): e‧we
• Hyphenation^(key): ewe

Noun

ewe

1. Ewe (member of a West African ethnic group)

   ewe-kulttuuri / ewejen kulttuuri ― Ewe culture

   ewe-kansa ― Ewe people

   ewejen kieli ― Ewe language

2. Ewe (language)
3. (in the plural) the Ewe (ethnic group)

Declension

Inflection of ewe (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)
nominative		ewe	ewet
genitive		ewen	ewejen
partitive		eweä	ewejä
illative		eween	eweihin
		singular	plural
nominative		ewe	ewet
accusative	nom.	ewe	ewet
	gen.	ewen
genitive		ewen	ewejen
partitive		eweä	ewejä
inessive		ewessä	eweissä
elative		ewestä	eweistä
illative		eween	eweihin
adessive		ewellä	eweillä
ablative		eweltä	eweiltä
allative		ewelle	eweille
essive		ewenä	eweinä
translative		eweksi	eweiksi
abessive		ewettä	eweittä
instructive		—	ewein
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of ewe (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative eweni eweni accusative nom. eweni eweni gen. eweni genitive eweni ewejeni partitive eweäni ewejäni inessive ewessäni eweissäni elative ewestäni eweistäni illative eweeni eweihini adessive ewelläni eweilläni ablative eweltäni eweiltäni allative ewelleni eweilleni essive ewenäni eweinäni translative ewekseni eweikseni abessive ewettäni eweittäni instructive — — comitative — eweineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative ewesi ewesi accusative nom. ewesi ewesi gen. ewesi genitive ewesi ewejesi partitive eweäsi ewejäsi inessive ewessäsi eweissäsi elative ewestäsi eweistäsi illative eweesi eweihisi adessive ewelläsi eweilläsi ablative eweltäsi eweiltäsi allative ewellesi eweillesi essive ewenäsi eweinäsi translative eweksesi eweiksesi abessive ewettäsi eweittäsi instructive — — comitative — eweinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative ewemme ewemme accusative nom. ewemme ewemme gen. ewemme genitive ewemme ewejemme partitive eweämme ewejämme inessive ewessämme eweissämme elative ewestämme eweistämme illative eweemme eweihimme adessive ewellämme eweillämme ablative eweltämme eweiltämme allative ewellemme eweillemme essive ewenämme eweinämme translative eweksemme eweiksemme abessive ewettämme eweittämme instructive — — comitative — eweinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative ewenne ewenne accusative nom. ewenne ewenne gen. ewenne genitive ewenne ewejenne partitive eweänne ewejänne inessive ewessänne eweissänne elative ewestänne eweistänne illative eweenne eweihinne adessive ewellänne eweillänne ablative eweltänne eweiltänne allative ewellenne eweillenne essive ewenänne eweinänne translative eweksenne eweiksenne abessive ewettänne eweittänne instructive — — comitative — eweinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative ewensä ewensä accusative nom. ewensä ewensä gen. ewensä genitive ewensä ewejensä partitive eweään eweänsä ewejään ewejänsä inessive ewessään ewessänsä eweissään eweissänsä elative ewestään ewestänsä eweistään eweistänsä illative eweensä eweihinsä adessive ewellään ewellänsä eweillään eweillänsä ablative eweltään eweltänsä eweiltään eweiltänsä allative ewelleen ewellensä eweilleen eweillensä essive ewenään ewenänsä eweinään eweinänsä translative ewekseen eweksensä eweikseen eweiksensä abessive ewettään ewettänsä eweittään eweittänsä instructive — — comitative — eweineen eweinensä

Derived terms

compounds

• ewe-kansa

Mam

Adverb

ewe

1. yesterday

Maori

Noun

ewe

1. afterbirth
2. womb

Middle Dutch

Etymology

From Old Dutch ēwa, from Proto-West Germanic *aiw.

Noun

êwe f or m

1. era
2. eternity
3. moral law
4. nature

Inflection

Weak feminine noun

	singular	plural
nominative	êwe	êwen
accusative	êwe	êwen
genitive	êwe, êwen	êwen
dative	êwe, êwen	êwen

Weak masculine noun

	singular	plural
nominative	êwe	êwen
accusative	êwe	êwen
genitive	êwen	êwen
dative	êwe	êwen

Alternative forms

• êeu

Descendants

• Dutch: eeuw
  • Afrikaans: eeu
• Limburgish: ieuw

Further reading

• “ewe”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• Verwijs, E.; Verdam, J. (1885–1929), “ewe”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN

Middle English

Etymology 1

Inherited from Old English eowu, from Proto-West Germanic *awi, from Proto-Germanic *awiz.

Alternative forms

• awe, eu, ouwe, yeue, yowe
• ȝou, ȝow, yhow (Early Scots)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛu̯(ə)/, /ˈjɔu̯(ə)/
• Rhymes: -ɛu̯(ə)

Noun

ewe (plural ewes or ewen)

1. ewe (female sheep)

Descendants

• English: ewe
• Middle Scots: ȝow, ȝoue, ȝowe, yow, ȝew, yew, yoaw, yeowe (late), ȝown, ȝeown (a reinterpretation of Middle English ewen (“ewes”) as a singular)
  • Scots: yowe
• Yola: yowe

Etymology 2

Noun

ewe

1. alternative form of ew

Middle High German

Alternative forms

• ē

Etymology

Inherited from Old High German ēwa, akin to Old English ǣ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈeː.wə/

Noun

ēwe f

1. law
2. eternity
3. marriage

Declension

Declension of ēwe (strong feminine in -e)

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	diu	ēwe	die	ēwe
genitive	einer	dër	ēwe	dër	ēwen
dative	einer	dër	ēwe	dën	ēwen
accusative	eine	die	ēwe	die	ēwe

Descendants

• Alemannic German: Ee, E-e
• German: Ehe

References

• Benecke, Georg Friedrich; Müller, Wilhelm; Zarncke, Friedrich (1863), “êwe”, in Mittelhochdeutsches Wörterbuch: mit Benutzung des Nachlasses von Benecke, Stuttgart: S. Hirzel

Old French

Etymology 1

From Latin aqua (“water”).

Alternative forms

• iaue, egua, euwe

Noun

ewe oblique singular, f (oblique plural ewes, nominative singular ewe, nominative plural ewes)

1. alternative form of iaue (“water”)
   • a. 1350, Holkham Bible:

     E caunt ele estoyt de tut chargé
     La ewe vint curant a grant plenté.

     And when it [the Ark] was fully loaded
     the waters ran high and fast.

   • c. 1170, Wace, Le Roman de Rou:

     L'ewe est bele e parfond qui en la cité cort

     The water which runs through the city is beautiful and deep

   • c. 1200, Marie de France, Guigemar:

     En bacins d'or ewe aporterent

     They brought water in basins made of gold

Related terms

• ewer
• sewiere

Etymology 2

From Latin equa

Alternative forms

• ive, iewe

Noun

ewe oblique singular, f (oblique plural ewes, nominative singular ewe, nominative plural ewes)

1. mare (adult female horse)

Pennsylvania German

Etymology

From Middle High German eben, from Old High German eban. Compare German eben, Dutch even, English even.

Adjective

ewe

1. even
2. level

Swedish

Etymology

From Ewe Eʋeawó (“Ewe people”).

Noun

ewe c

1. Ewe (language)

Tocharian B

Alternative forms

• iwe

Etymology

Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₃ewes- (“covering”), from *h₃ew- (“to put on clothes, shoes”). Cognate with Latin *uo (“to put on clothes”), Lithuanian auti (“to put on shoes”), etc.

Noun

ewe ?

1. (anatomy) skin, hide
2. leather

Further reading

• Adams, Douglas Q. (2013), “ewe”, in A Dictionary of Tocharian B: Revised and Greatly Enlarged (Leiden Studies in Indo-European; 10), Amsterdam, New York: Rodopi, →ISBN, pages 103-104

Xhosa

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [eːwé]

Adverb

ewé

1. yes

Yoruba

Etymology 1

Cognate with Itsekiri ìwé, perhaps also related to Edo èbé, Urhobo ẹbe, see Doublet of ìwé

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ē.wé/

Noun

ewé

1. leaf, foliage
2. The leaves of the plants Thaumatococcus daniellii and Megaphrynium macrostachyum, which are used in wrapping foods.

   Synonyms: ẹẹ́rà, ewé eéran, ewé iran

Synonyms

Yoruba varieties and languages: ewé (“leaf”)
view map; edit data
Language family	Variety group	Variety/language	Subdialect	Location	Words
Proto-Itsekiri-SEY	Southeast Yoruba	Ào		Ìdóàní	ewé
		Eastern Àkókó	Ìkàrẹ́	Ìkàrẹ́ Àkókó (Ùkàrẹ́)	ewé
			Àkùngbá	Àkùngbá Àkókó	ewé
			Ṣúpárè	Ṣúpárè Àkókó	ewé
		Ìdànrè (Ùdànè, Ùdànrè)		Ìdànrè (Ùdànè, Ùdànrè)	ewé
		Ìjẹ̀bú	Ìjẹ̀bú	Ìjẹ̀bú Òde	ewé
			Rẹ́mọ	Ẹ̀pẹ́	ewé
				Ìkòròdú	ewé
				Ṣágámù	ewé
		Ìkálẹ̀ (Ùkálẹ̀)		Òkìtìpupa	ewé
		Ìlàjẹ (Ùlàjẹ)		Mahin	ewé
		Oǹdó		Oǹdó	ewé
		Ọ̀wọ̀ (Ọ̀ghọ̀)		Ọ̀wọ̀ (Ọ̀ghọ̀)	ewé
		Usẹn		Usẹn	ewé
	Ìtsẹkírì			Ìwẹrẹ	iwé
	Olùkùmi			Ugbódù	éwéjin
Proto-Yoruba	Central Yoruba	Èkìtì	Èkìtì	Àdó Èkìtì	ewé
			Àkúrẹ́	Àkúrẹ́	ewé
			Mọ̀bà	Ọ̀tùn Èkìtì	ewé
		Ifẹ̀ (Ufẹ̀)		Ilé Ifẹ̀ (Ulé Ufẹ̀)	ewé
		Ìjẹ̀ṣà (Ùjẹ̀ṣà)		Iléṣà (Uléṣà)	ewé
		Òkè Igbó		Òkè Igbó	ewé
		Western Àkókó		Ọ̀gbàgì Àkókó	ewé
	Northwest Yoruba	Àwórì		Èbúté Mẹ́tà	ewé
		Ẹ̀gbá		Abẹ́òkúta	ewé
		Ẹ̀gbádò		Ìjàká	ewé
		Èkó		Èkó	ewé
		Ìbàdàn		Ìbàdàn	ewé
		Ìbàràpá		Igbó Òrà	ewé
		Ìbọ̀lọ́		Òṣogbo (Òsogbo)	ewé
		Ìgbómìnà		Ìlá Ọ̀ràngún	ewé
				Ìfẹ́lódùn LGA	ewé
				Ìrẹ́pọ̀dùn LGA	ewé
				Ìsin LGA	ewé
		Ìlọrin		Ìlọrin	ewé
		Oǹkó		Òtù	ewé
				Ìwéré Ilé	ewé
				Òkèhò	ewé
				Ìsẹ́yìn	ewé
				Ṣakí	ewé
				Tedé	ewé
				Ìgbẹ́tì	ewé
		Ọ̀yọ́		Ọ̀yọ́	ewé
		Standard Yorùbá		Nàìjíríà	ewé
				Bɛ̀nɛ̀	ewé
	Northeast Yoruba/Okun	Gbẹ̀dẹ̀		Ìyá Gbẹ̀dẹ̀	ewé
		Ìbùnú		Bùnú	ewé
		Ìjùmú		Ìjùmú	ewé
		Ìkìrì		Akutupa Kiri	ewé
		Ìyàgbà		Ìsánlú Ìtẹ̀dó	ewé
		Owé		Kabba	eghé
		Ọ̀wọ́rọ̀		Lọ́kọ́ja	ewé
	Ede languages/Southwest Yoruba	Ana		Sokode	ewé
		Cábɛ̀ɛ́		Cábɛ̀ɛ́ (Ìdàdú)	ewé
				Tchaourou	ewé
		Ǹcà (Ìcà, Ìncà)		Baàtɛ	ewé
		Ìdàácà	Benin	Igbó Ìdàácà (Dasa Zunmɛ̀)	ewé
		Ọ̀họ̀rí/Ɔ̀hɔ̀rí-Ìjè	Ọ̀họ̀rí/Ɔ̀hɔ̀rí/Ìjè	Ìkpòbɛ́	ewé
				Onigbolo	ewé
			Kétu/Ànàgó	Kétu	ewé
		Ifɛ̀		Akpáré	ewé
				Atakpamɛ	ewé
				Boko	ewé
				Est-Mono	ewé
				Moretan	ewé
				Tchetti (Tsɛti, Cɛti)	ewé
		Kura		Aledjo-Koura	íwé
				Awotébi	íwé
				Partago	íwé
		Mɔ̄kɔ́lé		Kandi	wúwà
		Northern Nago		Kambole	ewé
				Manigri	ewé
Note: This amalgamation of terms comes from a number of different academic papers focused on the unique varieties and languages spoken in the Yoruboid dialectal continuum which extends from eastern Togo to southern Nigeria. The terms for spoken varieties, now deemed dialects of Yorùbá in Nigeria (i.e. Southeast Yorùbá, Northwest Yorùbá, Central Yorùbá, and Northeast Yorùbá), have converged with those of Standard Yorùbá leading to the creation of what can be labeled Common Yorùbá (Funṣọ Akere, 1977). It can be assumed that the Standard Yorùbá term can also be used in most Nigerian varieties alongside native terms, especially amongst younger speakers. This does not apply to the other Nigerian Yoruboid languages of Ìṣẹkírì and Olùkùmi, nor the Èdè Languages of Benin and Togo.

Derived terms

• eléwe
• ewé-iná (“Mucuna sloanei shrub, known for irritant hairs”)
• ewébẹ̀ (“herbs”)
• ewédò (“water plant, moss”)
• ewédú (“Corchorus olitorius shrub, also soup made from same plant”)
• ewékewé (“"any leaf"”)
• ewéko (“vegetable, plant”)

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /è.wē/

Noun

èwe

1. adolescent, youth, young person

Derived terms

• ìgbà èwe (“childhood, adolescence”)

Etymology 3

Alternative forms

• eè (Èkìtì)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ē.wè/

Noun

ewè

1. A common species of edible fungi, Termitomyces robustus

   Ọmọ Ọbalùú kò gbọ́dọ̀ jẹ ewè ― The subjects of the King (of the town of Ẹ̀fọ̀n) must never eat the ewe mushroom (The people of Ẹ̀fọ̀n regard it as a taboo to eat this specific species of mushroom)

Zazaki

Noun

ewe

1. and