Wiktionary

wee

See also: Wee, WEE, weè, and wêe

English

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Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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From Middle English wey, weygh, wegh, weȝe, wæȝe (“little bit”), from Old English wǣġ, wǣġe (“weight”), from Proto-West Germanic *wāgu, from Proto-Germanic *wēgō (“scales, weight”) and *wēgǭ (“weight”), related to Middle English weġan (“to move, weigh”) (15c).

Adjective

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wee (comparative weer, superlative weest)

  1. (Scotland, Ireland, Northern England, New Zealand, Ottawa Valley, Mid-Ulster) Small, little.
    You looked a little cold, so I lit a wee fire.
    • 1907, Barbara Baynton, edited by Sally Krimmer and Alan Lawson, Human Toll (Portable Australian Authors: Barbara Baynton), St Lucia: University of Queensland Press, published 1980, page 275:
      The beat of its wee heart held against her own, sent her intense maternity surging like the spring sap in a young tree.
    • 2008, James Kelman, Kieron Smith, Boy, Penguin, published 2009, page 73:
      I had not seen a wee boy do it like that before. He was weer than me and his swimming was just like splashing about.
Derived terms
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Translations
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Noun

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wee

  1. A short time or short distance.

References

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  • Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary: Tenth Edition (1997)

Etymology 2

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Onomatopoeic for the sound of urination. The noun derives from the verb.

Noun

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wee (countable and uncountable, plural wees)

  1. (colloquial, uncountable) Urine.
  2. (colloquial, countable) An act of urination.
    I need to have a wee.
Synonyms
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Translations
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Verb

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wee (third-person singular simple present wees, present participle weeing, simple past and past participle weed)

  1. (UK, colloquial) To urinate.
    I need to wee! I can't hold it any longer!
    • 2011 March 15, Tom Armstrong, Marvin (comic):
      When I was young, I was up every night until the wee hours. Now I'm up every hour at night to wee.
Synonyms
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Derived terms
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Translations
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Etymology 3

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Pronoun

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wee (personal pronoun)

  1. obsolete emphatic of we
    • 1645, John Milton, Tetrachordon:
      Yet lest wee should be Capernaitans, as wee are told there that the flesh profiteth nothing, so wee are told heer, if we be not as deaf as adders, that this union of the flesh proceeds from the union of a fit help and solace.

See also

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etymologically unrelated terms containing the word "wee"

Anagrams

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Afar

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Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈweː/ [ˈweː]
  • Hyphenation: wee

Verb

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wée (autobenefactive weyité)

  1. (transitive) lack
  2. (transitive) miss
  3. (auxiliary) Used to form the negative of some moods and aspects.

Conjugation

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    Conjugation of wee (irregular)
1st singular 2nd singular 3rd singular 1st plural 2nd plural 3rd plural
m f
perfective V-affirmative wéeh waytéh wéeh waytéh waynéh wayteeníh weeníh
N-affirmative wée wayté wée wayté wayné waytén wéen
negative máwanniyo máwannito máwanna máwanna máwannino máwanniton máwannon
imperfective V-affirmative wáah waytáh wáah waytáh waynáh waytaanáh waanáh
N-affirmative wáa waytá wáa waytá waytán wáan máwaa
negative máwayta máwaa máwayta máwayna máwaytan máwaan wéeliyoh, wéeyyoh
prospective V-affirmative wéelitoh, wéettoh wéeleh wéeleh wéelinoh, wéennoh wéelitoonuh, wéettoonuh wéeloonuh wéeliyo, wéeyyo
N-affirmative wéelito, wéetto wéele wéele wéelino, wéenno wéeliton, wéetton wéelon wáyuh
conjunctive I V-affirmative wáytuh wáyuh wáytuh wáynuh waytóonuh wóonuh wáyu
N-affirmative wáytu wáyu wáytu wáynu wáytoonu wóonu wée wáyuh
negative wée wáytuh wée wáyuh wée wáytuh wée wáynuh wée waytóonuh wée wóonuh wáankeh
conjunctive II V-affirmative waytánkeh wáankeh waytánkeh waynánkeh waytaanánkeh waanánkeh wáanke
N-affirmative waytánke wáanke waytánke waynánke waytaanánke waanánke wée wáankeh
negative wée waytánkeh wée wáankeh wée waytánkeh wée waynánkeh wée waytaanánkeh wée waanánkeh wáay
jussive affirmative wáytay wáay wáytay wáynay waytóonay wóonay wée wáay
negative wée wáytay wée wáay wée wáytay wée wáynay wée waytóonay wée wóonay wanniyóy
past
conditional 		affirmative wannitóy wannáy wannáy wanninóy wannitóonuy wanninóonuy wée wóonay
negative wée wanniyóy wée wannitóy wée wannáy wée wannáy wée wanninóy wée wannitóonuy wée wanninóonuy
present
conditional I 		affirmative wéek wayték wéek wayték waynék wayteeník weeník
negative wée wéek wée wayték wée wéek wée wayték wée waynék wée wayteeník wée weeník
singular plural singular plural
consultative affirmative wayóo waynóo imperative affirmative wáy wáya
negative mawayóo mawaynóo negative máwan máwana
-h converb -i form -k converb -in(n)uh converb -innuk converb infinitive indefinite participle
V-focus N-focus
wáah wáyi wáak wayínnuh wayínnuk wayíyya wannáanih wannáan
Compound tenses
past perfect affirmative perfective + perfective of én or sugé
present perfect affirmative perfective + imperfective of én
future perfect affirmative perfective + prospective of sugé
past progressive -k converb + imperfective of én or sugé
present progressive affirmative imperfect + imperfective of én
future progressive -k converb + prospective of sugé
immediate future affirmative conjunctive I + imperfective of wée
imperfect potential I affirmative conjunctive I + imperfective of takké
imperfect
potential II 		affirmative imperfective + -m + takké
negative wée + imperfective of wée + -m + takké
perfect
potential 		affirmative perfective + -m + takké
negative wée + perfective of wée + -m + takké
present
conditional II 		affirmative imperfective + object pronoun + tekkék
negative wée + perfective of wée + object pronoun + tekkék
perfect
conditional 		affirmative perfective + imperfective of sugé + -k
negative perfective + sugé + imperfective of wée -k
irrealis wée + perfective of xaaxé or raaré

References

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  • E. M. Parker, R. J. Hayward (1985) “wee”, in An Afar-English-French dictionary (with Grammatical Notes in English), University of London, →ISBN
  • Mohamed Hassan Kamil (2015) L’afar: description grammaticale d’une langue couchitique (Djibouti, Erythrée et Ethiopie)‎[1], Paris: Université Sorbonne Paris Cité (doctoral thesis)

Dutch

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Etymology

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From Old Dutch *wē, from Proto-West Germanic *wai, from Proto-Germanic *wai.

Compare Old English wā (English woe), Old High German wē (German weh), Old Norse vei.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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wee (not comparable)

  1. nauseating

Declension

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Declension of wee
uninflected wee
inflected weeë
comparative —
positive
predicative/adverbial wee
indefinite m./f. sing. weeë
n. sing. wee
plural weeë
definite weeë
partitive wees

Noun

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wee f (plural weeën, diminutive weetje n)

  1. contraction during labour or childbirth
    De weeën beginnen!
    The contractions are starting!
  2. (archaic) sorrow, sadness, pain, woe (used in interjections of despair or annoyance)
    O wee, wat zal er van ons worden.
    Oh woe, what shall become of us.

Derived terms

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Descendants

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  • Afrikaans: wee

Anagrams

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Kikuyu

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Pronoun

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wee (second person singular)

  1. Alternative spelling of we (“you, thou”)

Middle Dutch

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Etymology

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From Old Dutch *wē, from Proto-West Germanic *wai.

Pronunciation

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Interjection

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wêe

  1. woe!

Descendants

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Adjective

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wêe

  1. unpleasant, painful

Inflection

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This adjective needs an inflection-table template.

Descendants

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Noun

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wêe f

  1. pain

Inflection

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This noun needs an inflection-table template.

Descendants

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Further reading

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Middle English

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Noun

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wee

  1. Alternative form of we (“woe”)

Scots

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Etymology

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Inherited from Old English wēġ(e), wǣġ (unit of weight).

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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wee (comparative weer, superlative weest)

  1. small, little, tiny

References

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Yola

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Etymology 1

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From Middle English wiþ, from Old English wiþ.

Alternative forms

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Pronunciation

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Preposition

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wee

  1. with
    • 1867, “THE WEDDEEN O BALLYMORE”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 2, page 94:
      Wee aar lhaung vlealès an pikkès, to waaite apan a breede.
      With their long flails and picks, to wait upon the bride.
    • 1867, “THE WEDDEEN O BALLYMORE”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 3, page 94:
      Aar was lhaung kaayle an nettles, ee-mixt wee prasaugh buee,
      There was long kale and nettles, mingled with yellow-weed,
    • 1867, “VERSES IN ANSWER TO THE WEDDEEN O BALLYMORE”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, page 98:
      Tibbès an crockès wee drink war ee-felt.
      [Tubs and crocks were filled with drink.]
    • 1867, “VERSES IN ANSWER TO THE WEDDEEN O BALLYMORE”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 2, page 100:
      Craneen t' thee wee aam, thee luggès shell aake.
      Choking to thee with them. Thy ears shall ache.
    • 1867, “VERSES IN ANSWER TO THE WEDDEEN O BALLYMORE”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 3, page 100:
      Risheenearès! Leth aam gaame wee aar barish-amang,
      Snack-eaters! let them game, with their barley-mung.
Derived terms
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Etymology 2

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Pronoun

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wee

  1. Alternative form of wough (“we”)
    • 1867, GLOSSARY OF THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, page 59:
      Note will wee dra aaght to-die?
      I don't know will we draw any to-day?
    • 1867, CONGRATULATORY ADDRESS IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, page 114, lines 1-3:
      Wee, Vassalès o' 'His Most Gracious Majesty,' Wilyame ee Vourthe,
      We, the subjects of his Most Gracious Majesty, William IV.,
    • 1867, CONGRATULATORY ADDRESS IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, page 114, lines 14-15:
      Mang ourzels——var wee dwytheth an Irelonde az ure generale haime——
      Unto ourselves——for we look on Ireland to be our common country——
    • 1867, CONGRATULATORY ADDRESS IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, page 116, lines 8-9:
      wee hert ee zough o'ye colure o' pace na name o' Mulgrave.
      we heard the distant sound of the wings of the dove of peace, in the word Mulgrave.

References

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  • Jacob Poole (d. 1827) (before 1828) William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, published 1867, page 77

Yoruba

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Etymology

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Clipping of ìwé. Cognates with Yoruba èyí, Ìkálẹ̀ Yoruba ìyí

Pronunciation

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Determiner

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wèé

  1. (Ijebu) this
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