weten

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈʋeːtə(n)/

• audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: we‧ten
• Rhymes: -eːtən

Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch wēten, from Old Dutch witan, from Proto-West Germanic *witan, from Proto-Germanic *witaną, from Proto-Indo-European *wóyde (“know”), a root perfect from the root *weyd-. The past tense forms is also composed of the regular past tense marker -te.

Verb

weten

1. (transitive) to know (knowledge)

   Ik weet hoe die planeet heet.

   I know what that planet is called.

2. (transitive) to remember

   Ik weet nog hoe koud het vorig jaar was.

   I still remember how cold it was last year.

3. (auxiliary, with te) to be able to, to manage to (literally, "to know how to/to know of a way to")

   De Frisii waren een Germaans volk en net als verscheidene andere Germaanse volkeren wisten ze zich fel te verdedigen tegen de Romeinen. Toch moesten de Frisii zich in het jaar 12 onderwerpen doordat veldheer Drusus hen wist te verslaan.

   The Frisii were a Germanic people and just like various other Germanic peoples they were able to fiercely defend themselves against the Romans. Nevertheless, the Frisii had to subject themselves in the year 12 because warlord Drusus was able to defeat them.

   De voornamelijk op lokaal niveau succesvolle partij Freie Wähler weet voor het eerst ergens op deelstaatniveau de kiesdrempel te halen.

   The party Freie Wähler, successful primarily at the local level, is able for the first time to achieve the election threshold somewhere at the state level.

Inflection

Inflection of weten (preterite-present)
infinitive	weten
past singular	wist
past participle	geweten
infinitive	weten
gerund	weten n
	present tense	past tense
1st person singular	weet	wist
2nd person sing. (jij)	weet	wist
2nd person sing. (u)	weet	wist
2nd person sing. (gij)	weet	wist
3rd person singular	weet	wist
plural	weten	wisten
subjunctive sing.1	wete	wiste
subjunctive plur.1	weten	wisten
imperative sing.	weet
imperative plur.1	weet
participles	wetend	geweten
1) Archaic.

Derived terms

• onwetend
• te weten
• wetenschap

Descendants

• Afrikaans: weet
• Jersey Dutch: wête
• Negerhollands: weet
• Skepi Creole Dutch: guet

See also

• kennen

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

weten

1. plural past indicative and subjunctive of wijten

Anagrams

• weent

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Low German

Alternative forms

• witen

Etymology

From Middle Low German wēten, from Old Saxon witan, from Proto-West Germanic *witan, from Proto-Germanic *witaną.

Verb

weten (past singular wüss, past participle wüsst, auxiliary verb hebben)

1. (transitive or intransitive) to know; to be aware of (a fact)

   Ik weet, woneem du büst. — “I know where you are.”

   vun wat weten — “to know about something”

Conjugation

Conjugation of weten (preterite-present)

infinitive	weten
indicative	present	preterite
1st person singular	weet	wüss
2nd person singular	weetst/weeßt	wüsst
3rd person singular	weet	wüss
plural	weet	wüssen
imperative	present	—
singular	—
plural	—
participle	present	past
	weten	weten, wüsst
Note: This conjugation is one of many; neither its grammar nor spelling apply to all dialects.

Synonyms

• kennen

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Middle Dutch

Etymology

From Old Dutch witan, from Proto-West Germanic *witan, from Proto-Germanic *witaną, from Proto-Indo-European *wóyde.

Verb

wēten

1. to know (knowledge)
2. to know (person)
3. to get to know, to learn of, to be made aware of (a fact)
4. (auxiliary, with te) to be able to

Inflection

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

Descendants

• Dutch: weten
  • Afrikaans: weet
• Limburgish: weite, wiete

Further reading

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

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Middle Low German

Etymology

From Old Saxon witan, from Proto-West Germanic *witan, from Proto-Germanic *witaną, from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (“see, know”).

Pronunciation

• Stem vowel: ē¹
  • (originally) IPA^(key): /wɪətən/

Verb

wēten

1. to know (knowledge)

Alternative forms

• wetten

Descendants

• German Low German: wetten, wieten

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Zazaki

Etymology

From Arabic وَطَن‎ (waṭan).

Noun

weten m

1. homeland, home country
2. motherland, fatherland, mother country