wis

Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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See also: WIS, -wis, Wis., and wiś

English[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

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

Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

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[edit]

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.

Adjective[edit]

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[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

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[edit]

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[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ix]:
      "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.

Anagrams[edit]

Afrikaans[edit]

Verb[edit]

wis

  1. preterite of weet; knew

Chuukese[edit]

Noun[edit]

wis

  1. duty, responsibility

Dutch[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

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

Adjective[edit]

wis (not comparable)

  1. sure, certain
    een wisse dood — a certain death
Inflection[edit]
Inflection 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

Etymology 2[edit]

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

Noun[edit]

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

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

Etymology 3[edit]

Verb[edit]

wis

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

Gothic[edit]

Romanization[edit]

wis

  1. Romanization of 𐍅𐌹𐍃

Javanese[edit]

Javanese register set
ꦏꦮꦶ (kawi): sampun
ꦏꦿꦩꦲꦶꦁꦒꦶꦭ꧀ (krama inggil): pun
ꦏꦿꦩꦲꦤ꧀ꦝꦥ꧀ (krama andhap): wis

Adverb[edit]

wis

  1. already

Kabyle[edit]

Particle[edit]

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[edit]

  • 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[edit]

Etymology[edit]

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

Adjective[edit]

wīs

  1. wise

Inflection[edit]

Declension of wīs
Strong declension
masculine neuter feminine
singular plural singular plural singular plural
nominative wīs wīse wīs wīse wīs wīsu
accusative wīsan wīse wīs wīse wīsa wīsu
genitive wīsis wīsro wīsis wīsro wīsro wīsrō
dative wīson wīson wīson wīson wīsro wīson
Weak declension
masculine neuter feminine
singular plural singular plural singular plural
nominative wīso wīsu wīsa wīsu wīsa wīsu
accusative wīsin wīsin wīsa wīsin wīsin wīsin
genitive wīsin wīsno wīsin wīsno wīsin wīsno
dative wīsin wīson wīsin wīson wīsin wīson


Descendants[edit]

Further reading[edit]

  • “wīs”, in Oudnederlands Woordenboek, 2012

Old English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

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[edit]

Adjective[edit]

wīs

  1. wise

Declension[edit]

Declension of wīs — Strong
Singular Masculine Feminine Neuter
Nominative wīs wīs wīs
Accusative wīsne wīse wīs
Genitive wīses wīsre wīses
Dative wīsum wīsre wīsum
Instrumental wīse wīsre wīse
Plural Masculine Feminine Neuter
Nominative wīse wīsa, wīse wīs
Accusative wīse wīsa, wīse wīs
Genitive wīsra wīsra wīsra
Dative wīsum wīsum wīsum
Instrumental wīsum wīsum wīsum
Declension of wīs — Weak
Singular Masculine Feminine Neuter
Nominative wīsa wīse wīse
Accusative wīsan wīsan wīse
Genitive wīsan wīsan wīsan
Dative wīsan wīsan wīsan
Instrumental wīsan wīsan wīsan
Plural Masculine Feminine Neuter
Nominative wīsan wīsan wīsan
Accusative wīsan wīsan wīsan
Genitive wīsra, wīsena wīsra, wīsena wīsra, wīsena
Dative wīsum wīsum wīsum
Instrumental wīsum wīsum wīsum

Derived terms[edit]

Descendants[edit]

  • Middle English: wis, wys

Old High German[edit]

Etymology[edit]

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[edit]

wīs

  1. wise

Derived terms[edit]

Descendants[edit]

Old Saxon[edit]

Etymology[edit]

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[edit]

wīs

  1. wise

Declension[edit]

Positive forms of wīs
Strong declension
gender masculine feminine neuter
case singular plural singular plural singular plural
nominative wīs wīse, wīsa wīs wīsa wīs wīs, wīsa
accusative wīsan, wīsen wīsa, wīse wīsa wīsa wīs wīs, wīsa
genitive wīses, wīsas wīsaro, wīsoro, wīsero wīsara, wīsaro wīsaro, wīsoro, wīsero wīses, wīsas wīsaro, wīsoro, wīsero
dative wīsumu, wīsum, wīsun, wīsun, wīson, wīsen, wīsan wīsun, wīson, wīsum wīsaro, wīsaru, wīsara wīsun, wīson wīsumu, wīsum, wīsun, wīsun, wīson, wīsen, wīsan wīsun, wīson, wīsum
Weak declension
gender masculine feminine neuter
case singular plural singular plural singular plural
nominative wīso, wīsa wīson, wīsun wīsa, wīse wīson, wīsun, wīsan wīsa, wīse wīson, wīsun
accusative wīson, wīsan wīson, wīsun wīsun, wīson, wīsan wīson, wīsun, wīsan wīsa, wīse wīson, wīsun
genitive wīsen, wīsan wīsono, wīseno wīsun, wīsan, wīsen wīsono wīsen, wīsan wīsono, wīseno
dative wīson, wīsen, wīsan wīson, wīsun wīsun, wīsan wīson, wīsun wīson, wīsen, wīsan wīson, wīsun


Descendants[edit]

Scots[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Compare West Frisian wie.

Verb[edit]

wis

  1. simple past tense of be

Usage notes[edit]

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

See also[edit]

West Frisian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

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

Adjective[edit]

wis

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

Inflection[edit]

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[edit]

Further reading[edit]

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