we

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See also: Appendix:Variations of "we"

Contents

English[edit]

English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Etymology[edit]

English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

From Middle English we, from Old English wē (“we”), from Proto-Germanic *wīz, *wiz (“we”), from Proto-Indo-European *wéy (“we (plural)”). Cognate with Scots wee, we (“we”), North Frisian we (“we”), West Frisian wy (“we”), Low German wi (“we”), Dutch we, wij (“we”), German wir (“we”), Danish, Swedish and Norwegian vi (“we”), Icelandic vér, við (“we”), Avestan 𐬬𐬀𐬉𐬨‎‎ (vaēm‎), Sanskrit वयम् (vayám).

Pronunciation[edit]

Pronoun[edit]

we (first-person plural, nominative case, objective case us, reflexive ourselves, or, singular, ourself, possessive (with noun) our, possessive (without noun) ours)

  1. (personal) The speakers/writers, or the speaker/writer and at least one other person (not the person being addressed). (This is the exclusive we.)
    • 2017 February 20, Paul Mason, “Climate scepticism is a far-right badge of honour – even in sweltering Australia”, in the Guardian‎[1]:
      It’s time to overcome queasiness and restraint. We, the liberal and progressive people of the world, are at war with the far right to save the earth.
  2. (personal) The speaker(s)/writer(s) and the person(s) being addressed. (This is the inclusive we.)
  3. (personal) The speaker/writer alone. (This use of we is the editorial we, used by writers and others, including royalty—the royal we—as a less personal substitute for I. The reflexive case of this sense of we is ourself.)
  4. (personal) The plural form of you, including everyone being addressed.
    How are we all tonight?
  5. (personal, generally considered patronising) A second- or third-person pronoun for a person in the speaker's care.
    How are we feeling this morning?

Translations[edit]

Determiner[edit]

we

  1. The speakers/writers, or the speaker/writer and at least one other person.
    We Canadians like to think of ourselves as different.

Anagrams[edit]

Abinomn[edit]

Noun[edit]

we

  1. tree kangaroo

Caac[edit]

Determiner[edit]

we

  1. water
    kô-ny we
    'my (glass/drink of) water'

References[edit]

Chuukese[edit]

Determiner[edit]

we (plural kewe)

  1. (possessive subject marker) the (singular)

Dadibi[edit]

Noun[edit]

wẹ

  1. water

Synonyms[edit]

References[edit]

  • Karl J. Franklin, Comparative Wordlist 1 of the Gulf District and adjacent areas (1975), page 67
  • Karl James Franklin, Pacific Linguistics (1973, →ISBN, page 130: Polopa so/sou woman, cf. DAR sou female animal but we woman. Several multiple cognate sets appeared in the data. Daribi uses both ạị and wẹ for water; some Polopa speakers gave one term, some another. Both are probably known everywhere.

Dutch[edit]

Etymology[edit]

See wij.

Pronunciation[edit]

Pronoun[edit]

we (personal pronoun)

  1. we

Inflection[edit]

Dutch personal pronouns
subject object possessive reflexive genitive5
singular full unstr. full unstr. full unstr. pred.
1st person ik 'k1 mij me mijn m'n1 mijne me mijner
2nd person jij je jou je jouw je jouwe je jouwer
2nd person archaic or regiolectal gij ge u – uw – uwe u uwer
2nd person formal u – u – uw – uwe zich uwer
3rd person masculine hij ie1 hem 'm1 zijn z'n1 zijne zich zijner
3rd person feminine zij ze haar h'r1, 'r1, d'r1 haar h'r1, 'r1, d'r1 hare zich harer
3rd person neuter het 't1 het 't1 zijn z'n1 zijne zich zijner
plural
1st person wij we ons – ons, onze2 – onze ons onzer
2nd person jullie je jullie je jullie je – je –
2nd person archaic or regiolectal6 gij ge u – uw – uwe u uwer
2nd person formal u – u – uw – uwe zich uwer
3rd person zij ze hen3, hun4 ze hun – hunne zich hunner
1) Not as common in written language.
2) Inflected as an adjective.
3) In prescriptivist use, used only as direct object (accusative).
4) In prescriptivist use, used only as indirect object (dative). 		5) Archaic. Nowadays used for formal, literary or poetic purposes, and in fixed expressions.
6) To differentiate from the singular gij, and in a similar vein to "you lot" or "you guys" in English, it is common to use gijlui ("you people") or gijlieden ("you people") or one of their contracted variants, and their corresponding objects, possessives and reflexives, in the plural.


Synonyms[edit]

See also[edit]

Fwâi[edit]

we

Etymology[edit]

From Proto-Oceanic *waiʀ, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

Noun[edit]

we

  1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

References[edit]

  • André-Georges Haudricourt, Françoise Ozanne-Rivierre, Dictionnaire thématique des langues de la région de Hienghène (1982)

Galoli[edit]

Noun[edit]

we

  1. (Talur) water

References[edit]

Haeke[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Proto-Oceanic *waiʀ, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

we

  1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

References[edit]

  • Jean Claude Rivierre, Sabine Ehrhart, Raymond Diéla, Le Bwatoo: et les dialectes de la région de Koné (2006)

Haveke[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Proto-Oceanic *waiʀ, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

we

  1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

References[edit]

  • Jean Claude Rivierre, Sabine Ehrhart, Raymond Diéla, Le Bwatoo: et les dialectes de la région de Koné (2006)

Hmwaveke[edit]

Noun[edit]

we

  1. water

References[edit]

Ido[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

we (plural we-i)

  1. The name of the Latin script letter W/w.

See also[edit]

Japanese[edit]

Romanization[edit]

we

  1. Rōmaji transcription of ゑ
  2. Rōmaji transcription of ヱ
  3. Rōmaji transcription of うぇ
  4. Rōmaji transcription of ウェ

Jawe[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Proto-Oceanic *waiʀ, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

Noun[edit]

we

  1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

References[edit]

  • André-Georges Haudricourt, Françoise Ozanne-Rivierre, Dictionnaire thématique des langues de la région de Hienghène (1982)

Lamboya[edit]

Noun[edit]

we

  1. water

References[edit]

  • ABVD
  • Blust's Austronesian Comparative Dictionary

Lower Sorbian[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Preposition[edit]

we (with locative)

  1. Alternative form of w (especially before labial consonants and consonant clusters)

Mapudungun[edit]

Adjective[edit]

we (using Raguileo Alphabet)

  1. new, recent

References[edit]

  • Wixaleyiñ: Mapucezugun-wigkazugun pici hemvlcijka (Wixaleyiñ: Small Mapudungun-Spanish dictionary), Beretta, Marta; Cañumil, Dario; Cañumil, Tulio, 2008.

Middle English[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

from Old English wē (“we”), from Proto-Germanic *wīz, *wiz (“we”), from Proto-Indo-European *wéy (“we (plural)”).

Alternative forms[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Pronoun[edit]

we (accusative us, we, genitive oure, possessive determiner oures)

  2. First-person plural pronoun: we
  3. First-person plural accusative pronoun: us
Descendants[edit]
See also[edit]
  • wit (first person dual pronoun)
References[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

From Old English wēa, from Proto-Germanic *waiwô. Doublet of wowe.

Alternative forms[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

we (uncountable)

  2. woe, grief, sadness
References[edit]

Middle Low German[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

From Old Saxon hwē, from Proto-Germanic *hwaz.

Pronoun[edit]

wê (accusative wēne or wen, dative wēme or wem, genitive wes)

  1. (interrogative, masculine, feminine) who

Etymology 2[edit]

From Proto-Germanic *wiz.

Pronoun[edit]

wê

  1. (personal, first person, plural, nominative) Alternative form of wî.

Nedebang[edit]

Noun[edit]

we

  1. blood

References[edit]

  • Gary Holton and Laura Robinson, The Internal History of the Alor-Pantar language family, in The Alor-Pantar languages: History and Typology, edited by Marian Klamer
  • transnewguinea.org (wæ), ASJP 1 (wE i.e. wɛ), ASJP 2 (we)

Nemi[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Proto-Oceanic *waiʀ, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

Noun[edit]

we

  1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

References[edit]

  • André-Georges Haudricourt, Françoise Ozanne-Rivierre, Dictionnaire thématique des langues de la région de Hienghène (1982)

North Ambrym[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

Noun[edit]

we

  1. water

Further reading[edit]

  • Darrell T. Tryon, New Hebrides languages: an internal classification (1976)
  • George William Grace, The position of the Polynesian languages within the Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian) language family (1959)

Nyâlayu[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Proto-Oceanic *waiʀ, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

Noun[edit]

we

  1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

References[edit]

  • Jim Hollyman, K. J. Hollyman, Études sur les langues du Nord de la Nouvelle-Calédonie (1991), page 81

Old English[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Proto-Germanic *wiz, *wīz, from Proto-Indo-European *wéy-, plural of *éǵh₂. Cognate with Old Frisian wī (West Frisian wy), Old Saxon wī (Low German wi), Old Dutch wī (Dutch wij), Old High German wir (German wir), Old Norse vér (Danish and Swedish vi), Gothic 𐍅𐌴𐌹𐍃 (weis).

Pronunciation[edit]

Pronoun[edit]

wē (personal pronoun)

  1. we (nominative plural of iċ)

Descendants[edit]

Pije[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Proto-Oceanic *waiʀ, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

Noun[edit]

we

  1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

References[edit]

  • André-Georges Haudricourt, Françoise Ozanne-Rivierre, Dictionnaire thématique des langues de la région de Hienghène (1982)

Polish[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Proto-Slavic *vъ(n), from Proto-Indo-European *én

Pronunciation[edit]

Preposition[edit]

we (before words that begin with awkward consonant clusters)

  1. (+ locative) in
  2. (+ accusative) into, in

Spanish[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Variant of güey, representing the relaxed pronunciation of the /gw/ sounds and in some cases loss of the /i/ sound.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

we m or f (plural wees)

  1. (colloquial) dude, guy, buddy
  2. (Mexico, colloquial slang) chump, punk, dumbass, idiot, jerk

Synonyms[edit]

Tocharian A[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁. Compare also wu.

Numeral[edit]

we f

  1. two

Related terms[edit]

Tok Pisin[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From English where.

Adverb[edit]

we

  1. where
    • 1989, Buk Baibel long Tok Pisin, Port Moresby: Bible Society of Papua New Guinea, 3:9:
      (please add an English translation of this quote)
This entry has fewer than three known examples of actual usage, the minimum considered necessary for clear attestation, and may not be reliable. Tok Pisin is subject to a special exemption for languages with limited documentation. If you speak it, please consider editing this entry or adding citations. See also Help and the Community Portal.

Turkmen[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Phonetik.svg This entry needs pronunciation information. If you are familiar with the IPA then please add some!

Etymology 1[edit]

Conjunction[edit]

we

  1. and

Etymology 2[edit]

Noun[edit]

we (definite accusative ?, plural ?)

  1. The name of the Latin-script letter W.

Uyghur[edit]

Noun[edit]

we

  1. Latin (ULY) transcription of ۋە‎ (we)

Vamale[edit]

Noun[edit]

we

  1. water

References[edit]

Welsh[edit]

Noun[edit]

we

  1. Soft mutation of gwe.

Yuaga[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Proto-Oceanic *waiʀ, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

Noun[edit]

we

  1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

References[edit]

  • Jim Hollyman, K. J. Hollyman, Études sur les langues du Nord de la Nouvelle-Calédonie (1999), page 81

Zulu[edit]

Pronoun[edit]

-we

  1. Combining stem of wena.
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