Wiktionary

wis

See also: Appendix:Variations of "wis"

English

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Pronunciation

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

Alternative forms

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Etymology 1

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Inherited 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, cognate with Icelandic viss (“certain, sure”), Dutch gewis (“certain, sure”), and German gewiss (“certain, sure”). Ultimately from Proto-Germanic *gawissaz. More at iwis.

Adverb

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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.
Derived terms
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Adjective

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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
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Etymology 2

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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

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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.
    • 1889, Harriet McEwen Kimball, Poems, "In the Garden":
      And oh, that I should see that star remote / Yet His near Glory miss / Whereto the sun itself and stars do float / As motes, I wis!
    • 1797, S[amuel] T[aylor] Coleridge, “Christabel. Part I.”, in Christabel: Kubla Khan, a Vision: The Pains of Sleep, London: […] John Murray, […], by William Bulmer and Co. […], published 1816, →OCLC, page 8:
      As sure as Heaven shall rescue me, / I have no thought what men they be; / Nor do I know how long it is / (For I have lain in fits, I wis) […]

Anagrams

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Afrikaans

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Verb

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wis

  1. preterite of weet; knew

Chuukese

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Noun

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wis

  1. duty, responsibility

Dutch

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Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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

Adjective

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wis (not comparable)

  1. sure, certain
    een wisse dood — a certain death
Declension
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Declension 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
Descendants
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  • Afrikaans: wis

Etymology 2

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

Noun

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

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

Etymology 3

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Verb

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wis

  1. inflection of wissen:
    1. first-person singular present indicative
    2. (in case of inversion) second-person singular present indicative
    3. imperative

Gothic

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Romanization

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wis

  1. Romanization of 𐍅𐌹𐍃

Javanese

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Romanization

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wis

  1. Romanization of ꦮꦶꦱ꧀

Kabyle

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Particle

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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

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  • 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

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Etymology

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

Adjective

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wīs

  1. wise

Inflection

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Declension of wīs (a-stem)
strong declension
case masculine feminine neuter plural
nominative wīs wīs wīs wīsa, wīse
accusative wīsan, wīsen wīsa wīs wīsa, wīse
genitive wīses wīsero wīses wīsero
dative wīsin, wīsemo wīsero wīsin, wīsemo wīson
weak declension
case masculine feminine neuter plural
nominative wīso wīsa wīsa wīson
accusative wīson wīson wīsa wīson
genitive wīsin wīson wīsin wīsono
dative wīsin wīson wīsin wīson

Descendants

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Further reading

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  • “wīs”, in Oudnederlands Woordenboek, 2012

Old English

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Etymology

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Inherited 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

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Adjective

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wīs (comparative wīsra, superlative wīsest)

  1. wise
    • 10th century, The Wanderer:
      forþon ne mæġ wearþan wīs · wer, ǣr hē āge
      wintra dǣl in woruldrīċe. · Wita sċeal ġeþyldiġ.
      thus a man cannot become wise, before he would own
      a part of years in world-kingdom. A wise man must be patient.

Declension

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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

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Descendants

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Old High German

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Etymology

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Inherited 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

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wīs

  1. wise

Derived terms

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Descendants

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Old Saxon

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Etymology

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Inherited 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

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wīs

  1. wise

Declension

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Positive forms of wis
Strong declension
gender masculine feminine neuter
case singular plural singular plural singular plural
nominative wis wise, wisa wis wisa wis wis, wisa
accusative wisan, wisen wisa, wise wisa wisa wis wis, wisa
genitive wises, wisas wisaro, wisoro, wisero wisara, wisaro wisaro, wisoro, wisero wises, wisas wisaro, wisoro, wisero
dative wisumu, wisum, wisun, wisun, wison, wisen, wisan wisun, wison, wisum wisaro, wisaru, wisara wisun, wison wisumu, wisum, wisun, wisun, wison, wisen, wisan wisun, wison, wisum
Weak declension
gender masculine feminine neuter
case singular plural singular plural singular plural
nominative wiso, wisa wison, wisun wisa, wise wison, wisun, wisan wisa, wise wison, wisun
accusative wison, wisan wison, wisun wisun, wison, wisan wison, wisun, wisan wisa, wise wison, wisun
genitive wisen, wisan wisono, wiseno wisun, wisan, wisen wisono wisen, wisan wisono, wiseno
dative wison, wisen, wisan wison, wisun wisun, wisan wison, wisun wison, wisen, wisan wison, wisun


Comparative forms of wis (weak only)
Weak declension
gender masculine feminine neuter
case singular plural singular plural singular plural
nominative wisoro, wisora wisoron, wisorun wisora, wisore wisoron, wisorun, wisoran wisora, wisore wisoron, wisorun
accusative wisoron, wisoran wisoron, wisorun wisorun, wisoron, wisoran wisoron, wisorun, wisoran wisora, wisore wisoron, wisorun
genitive wisoren, wisoran wisorono, wisoreno wisorun, wisoran, wisoren wisorono wisoren, wisoran wisorono, wisoreno
dative wisoron, wisoren, wisoran wisoron, wisorun wisorun, wisoran wisoron, wisorun wisoron, wisoren, wisoran wisoron, wisorun


Superlative forms of wis
Strong declension
gender masculine feminine neuter
case singular plural singular plural singular plural
nominative wisost wisoste, wisosta wisost wisosta wisost wisost, wisosta
accusative wisostan, wisosten wisosta, wisoste wisosta wisosta wisost wisost, wisosta
genitive wisostes, wisostas wisostaro, wisostoro, wisostero wisostara, wisostaro wisostaro, wisostoro, wisostero wisostes, wisostas wisostaro, wisostoro, wisostero
dative wisostumu, wisostum, wisostun, wisostun, wisoston, wisosten, wisostan wisostun, wisoston, wisostum wisostaro, wisostaru, wisostara wisostun, wisoston wisostumu, wisostum, wisostun, wisostun, wisoston, wisosten, wisostan wisostun, wisoston, wisostum
Weak declension
gender masculine feminine neuter
case singular plural singular plural singular plural
nominative wisosto, wisosta wisoston, wisostun wisosta, wisoste wisoston, wisostun, wisostan wisosta, wisoste wisoston, wisostun
accusative wisoston, wisostan wisoston, wisostun wisostun, wisoston, wisostan wisoston, wisostun, wisostan wisosta, wisoste wisoston, wisostun
genitive wisosten, wisostan wisostono, wisosteno wisostun, wisostan, wisosten wisostono wisosten, wisostan wisostono, wisosteno
dative wisoston, wisosten, wisostan wisoston, wisostun wisostun, wisostan wisoston, wisostun wisoston, wisosten, wisostan wisoston, wisostun


Descendants

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Scots

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Etymology

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Compare West Frisian wie.

Verb

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wis

  1. simple past tense of be

Usage notes

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

See also

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Tagalog

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Alternative forms

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Pronunciation

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Pronoun

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wis (Baybayin spelling ᜏᜒᜐ᜔)

  1. (gay slang) Alternative form of was

West Frisian

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Etymology

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

Adjective

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wis

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

Inflection

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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

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Further reading

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