ee

See also: Appendix:Variations of "ee"

Languages (24)

Translingual • English

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Dibabawon Manobo • Dutch • Estonian • Finnish • Hamer-Banna • Igbo • Japanese • Luo • Manx • Middle English • Old English • Phalura • Scots • Swahili • Teposcolula Mixtec • Tlingit • Tswana • Tukudede • Võro • Ye'kwana • Yola • Zyphe

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Page categories

Translingual

Symbol

ee

1. (international standards) ISO 639-1 language code for Ewe.

English

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -iː

Etymology 1

Noun

ee (plural een)

1. (Scotland, Northern England and archaic) An eye.
   • 1798, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, "The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere":

     Each turn'd his face with a ghastly pang / And curs'd me with his ee.

   • 1815, Sir Walter Scott, Guy Mannering:

     […] and he never took his ee aff them, or said another word […]

Derived terms

• eesome

References

• Bill Griffiths, editor (2004), “ee”, in A Dictionary of North East Dialect, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear: Northumbria University Press, →ISBN.

Etymology 2

Interjection

ee

1. (Northern England) eh
   • 1975, R. Chetwynd-Hayes, The Werewolf and the Vampire:

     Father advanced with outstretched hand and announced in a loud, very hearty voice: "Ee, I'm pleased to meet ye, lad. […]

   • 2008, Mavis Crawley, The Rolling Stone: Based on the True Story of My Life:

     'Ee by gum lass we've seen nought of thee this many a long year, thou's a sight for sore eyes,' he said planting a kiss firmly on Mum's cheek...

Etymology 3

Noun

ee (plural ees)

1. (chemistry) Enantiomeric excess.

Etymology 4

Noun

ee (plural ees)

2. Alternative form of e: the name of the Latin-script letter E/e.
   • 1773 October, The Monthly Review Or Literary Journal Enlarged:

     The word length, which contains only four sounds l e ng th, is usually spell'd thus, el ee en gee tee aitch.

   • 2004, Will Rogers, The Stonking Steps, page 170:

     I have drunk en-ee-cee-tee-ay-ar from the ef-ell-oh-doubleyou-ee-ar-ess in his gee-ay-ar-dee-ee-en many a time.

   • 2016 CCEB, Communications Instructions Radiotelephone Procedures: ACP125 (G), p. 3-5

     ETA [is spoken] as "ee-tee-ay" instead of "I SPELL Echo Tango Alfa".

Derived terms

• aitch ee double hockey sticks

Etymology 5

From Cantonese 噫 (ji², interjection).

Pronunciation

• (Singapore) IPA^(key): /iː/, [iː˧˦˧], [iː˦˦˧], [iːː˨˦˧]

Interjection

ee (with as many extra ‘e’s as needed for emphasis)

1. (Singapore) Ew, yuck; expression of disgust.
   • 2000 December 29, Samuel Lee, The Straits Times, Singapore: Singapore Press Holdings Limited, page L8:

     Eee, so commercial some might say.

Usage notes

• Not to be confused with eee, an unrelated general-English interjection of excitement.

See also

etymologically unrelated terms

• ark at ee
• day-ee
• ee aye addio

Dibabawon Manobo

Interjection

èe

1. yes

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch êe, from Old Dutch ēwa, from Proto-West Germanic *aiw.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /eː/
• Hyphenation: ee
• Rhymes: -eː

Noun

ee f (uncountable)

1. (obsolete) a law or rule
2. (obsolete) the bond of marriage

Related terms

• eegade, eega, eegemaal, echt, eeuw, ieder, ooit

Estonian

Etymology 1

Noun

ee (genitive [please provide], partitive [please provide])

1. The name of the Latin-script letter E/e.

Etymology 2

Noun

ee

1. genitive singular of esi

Finnish

Etymology

From Latin ē.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈeː/, [ˈe̞ː]
• Rhymes: -eː
• Syllabification^(key): ee
• Hyphenation^(key): ee

Noun

ee

1. The name of the Latin-script letter E/e.

Declension

Inflection of ee (Kotus type 18/maa, no gradation)
nominative		ee	eet
genitive		een	eiden eitten
partitive		eetä	eitä
illative		eehen	eihin
		singular	plural
nominative		ee	eet
accusative	nom.	ee	eet
	gen.	een
genitive		een	eiden eitten
partitive		eetä	eitä
inessive		eessä	eissä
elative		eestä	eistä
illative		eehen	eihin
adessive		eellä	eillä
ablative		eeltä	eiltä
allative		eelle	eille
essive		eenä	einä
translative		eeksi	eiksi
abessive		eettä	eittä
instructive		—	ein
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of ee (Kotus type 18/maa, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative eeni eeni accusative nom. eeni eeni gen. eeni genitive eeni eideni eitteni partitive eetäni eitäni inessive eessäni eissäni elative eestäni eistäni illative eeheni eihini adessive eelläni eilläni ablative eeltäni eiltäni allative eelleni eilleni essive eenäni einäni translative eekseni eikseni abessive eettäni eittäni instructive — — comitative — eineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative eesi eesi accusative nom. eesi eesi gen. eesi genitive eesi eidesi eittesi partitive eetäsi eitäsi inessive eessäsi eissäsi elative eestäsi eistäsi illative eehesi eihisi adessive eelläsi eilläsi ablative eeltäsi eiltäsi allative eellesi eillesi essive eenäsi einäsi translative eeksesi eiksesi abessive eettäsi eittäsi instructive — — comitative — einesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative eemme eemme accusative nom. eemme eemme gen. eemme genitive eemme eidemme eittemme partitive eetämme eitämme inessive eessämme eissämme elative eestämme eistämme illative eehemme eihimme adessive eellämme eillämme ablative eeltämme eiltämme allative eellemme eillemme essive eenämme einämme translative eeksemme eiksemme abessive eettämme eittämme instructive — — comitative — einemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative eenne eenne accusative nom. eenne eenne gen. eenne genitive eenne eidenne eittenne partitive eetänne eitänne inessive eessänne eissänne elative eestänne eistänne illative eehenne eihinne adessive eellänne eillänne ablative eeltänne eiltänne allative eellenne eillenne essive eenänne einänne translative eeksenne eiksenne abessive eettänne eittänne instructive — — comitative — einenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative eensä eensä accusative nom. eensä eensä gen. eensä genitive eensä eidensä eittensä partitive eetään eetänsä eitään eitänsä inessive eessään eessänsä eissään eissänsä elative eestään eestänsä eistään eistänsä illative eehensä eihinsä adessive eellään eellänsä eillään eillänsä ablative eeltään eeltänsä eiltään eiltänsä allative eelleen eellensä eilleen eillensä essive eenään eenänsä einään einänsä translative eekseen eeksensä eikseen eiksensä abessive eettään eettänsä eittään eittänsä instructive — — comitative — eineen einensä

Hamer-Banna

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔéː/

Interjection

ee

1. OK
2. yes

References

• Petrollino, Sara (2016) A Grammar of Hamar: A South Omotic language of Ethiopia‎^[1], Leiden University

Igbo

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /éꜜé/

Interjection

eē

1. yes

   Antonym: mbà

Japanese

Romanization

ee

1. Rōmaji transcription of ええ

Luo

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /e.e/

Interjection

ee

1. yes

Manx

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /iː/

Etymology 1

From Old Irish í.

Pronoun

ee (emphatic eeish or ish)

1. she

   As ta'n chooid share jeh nagh vel ee ny ben Vanninagh.

   The beauty of it is that she is not Manx.

   Ben vie thie ee.

   She is a good housekeeper.

   Cha dooar ee eh.

   She didn't find it.

   Cha nel ee agh ny lhiannoo.

   She is but a child.

   Er leshyn dy row ee nane jeh e chaarjyn.

   He counted her among his friends.

2. her

   Hug eh fo obbeeys ee.

   He bewitched her.

   Ren eh smeidey stiagh ee.

   He beckoned her in.

3. it (referring to a feminine noun)

   Cha jargym fakin ee.

   I can't see it.

See also

• ad
• eh
• mee
• oo
• shin
• shiu

Etymology 2

From Old Irish ithid, from Proto-Celtic *ɸiteti, from Proto-Indo-European *peyt-.

Verb

ee (past dee, verbal noun ee, present participle gee, past participle eeit)

1. to eat, consume, feed

Usage notes

The expected future indicative form would be *ee but it’s not attested, the relative form is eeys. In non-relative context generally periphrastic constructions with the verbal noun are used, e.g. cre nee shiu y ee, ny cre nee shiu y iv ― what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, nee eh gee ec my voayrd hene ― he shall eat at my table, raad nee ad gee eh ― wherein they shall eat it.

Middle English

Alternative forms

• æ, ea, eaa (Early Middle English)
• *eo

Etymology

From Old English ēa, ǣ, from Proto-West Germanic *ahu, from Proto-Germanic *ahwō. Doublet of aa.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛː/
• (early) IPA^(key): /æː/

Noun

ee

1. A body of water; river, stream.

Derived terms

• eafrosk (“waterfrog”)

Descendants

• English: ea, Eau, eau, yeo

References

• “ē, n.²”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Old English

Noun

ee f

1. Alternative form of ēa

Phalura

Etymology 1

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ee/

Particle

ee (modal, Perso-Arabic spelling اے)

1. Utterance final question clitic

Alternative forms

• aa (Biori)

References

• Henrik Liljegren, Naseem Haider (2011) “ee”, in Palula Vocabulary (FLI Language and Culture Series; 7)‎^[2], Islamabad, Pakistan: Forum for Language Initiatives, →ISBN

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ee/

Conjunction

ee (conjunction, Perso-Arabic spelling اے)

1. Conjoining marker cliticized to the first constituent

References

• Henrik Liljegren, Naseem Haider (2011) “ee”, in Palula Vocabulary (FLI Language and Culture Series; 7)‎^[3], Islamabad, Pakistan: Forum for Language Initiatives, →ISBN

Scots

Etymology 1

From (Anglian) Old English ēġe.

Noun

ee (plural een)

1. eye
   • 1789, Robert Burns, Willie Brew'd A Peck O' Maut:

     We are na fou, we're nae that fou, / But just a drappie in our ee

     We are not full, we're not that full, / but just a drop [of liquor] in our eye

Alternative forms

• (Dundee) eh

Etymology 2

From Old English ġē.

Pronoun

ee (personal, non-emphatic)

1. (Southern Scots) you

Etymology 3

Numeral

ee

1. Shetland form of ae (“one”)

See also

• ye
• yow
• yow yins

References

• “ee, adj.”, in The Dictionary of the Scots Language, Edinburgh: Scottish Language Dictionaries, 2004–present, →OCLC.

Swahili

Pronunciation

• Audio (Kenya):

  (file)

Interjection

ee

1. o; oh

Teposcolula Mixtec

Etymology 1

From Proto-Mixtec *ɨ́ɨ̨́.

Numeral

ee

1. one

Etymology 2

From Proto-Mixtec *ɨ̀ɨ̨̀.

Numeral

ee

1. nine

References

• Alvarado, Francisco de (1593) Vocabulario en lengua misteca (in Spanish), Mexico: En casa de Pedro Balli, page 203v

Tlingit

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /iː/

Letter

ee (upper case Ee)

1. (US) A letter of the Tlingit alphabet, written in the Latin script.

   Synonym: ì

See also

• Canada:
• (Latin-script letters) A a, Á á, À à,  â, Ch ch, Chʼ chʼ, D d, Dł dł, Dz dz, E e, É é, È è, Ê ê, G g, Gw gw, Gh gh, Ghw ghw, H h, I i, Í í, Ì ì, Πî, J j, K k, Kw kw, Kʼ kʼ, Kʼw kʼw, Kh kh, Khw khw, Khʼ khʼ, Khʼw khʼw (L l), Ł ł, Łʼ łʼ (M m), N n (O o), S s, Sʼ sʼ, Sh sh, T t, Tʼ tʼ, Tl tl, Tlʼ tlʼ, Ts ts, Tsʼ tsʼ, U u, Ú ú, Ù ù, Û û, W w, X x, Xw xw, Xʼ xʼ, Xʼw xʼw, Xh xh, Xhw xhw, Xhʼ xhʼ, Xhʼw xhʼw, Y y (Ÿ ÿ), ․
• US:
• (Latin-script letters) A a, Á á, Aa aa, Áa áa, Ch ch, Chʼ chʼ, D d, Dl dl, Dz dz, E e, É é, Ee ee, Ée ée, Ei ei, Éi éi, G g, Gw gw, G̱ g̱, G̱w g̱w, H h, I i, Í í, J j, K k, Kw kw, Kʼ kʼ, Kʼw kʼw, Ḵ ḵ, Ḵw ḵw, Ḵʼ ḵʼ, Ḵʼw ḵʼw, L l, Lʼ lʼ (Ḻ ḻ, M m), N n (O o), Oo oo, Óo óo, S s, Sʼ sʼ, Sh sh, T t, Tʼ tʼ, Tl tl, Tlʼ tlʼ, Ts ts, Tsʼ tsʼ, U u, Ú ú, W w, X x, Xw xw, Xʼ xʼ, Xʼw xʼw, X̱ x̱, X̱w x̱w, X̱ʼ x̱ʼ, X̱ʼw x̱ʼw, Y y (Ÿ ÿ, Y̱ y̱), ․

Tswana

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈe.ɪ/

Interjection

ee

1. yes

Tukudede

ee

Etymology

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

Noun

ee

1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

Võro

Noun

ee (genitive [please provide], partitive [please provide])

1. The name of the Latin-script letter E/e.

Inflection

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

Ye'kwana

Variant orthographies

ALIV	ee
Brazilian standard	ee
New Tribes	ee

Alternative forms

• 'eee

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [eː]

Particle

ee

1. yes

   Synonym: mmjm

References

• Cáceres, Natalia (2011) “ee”, in Grammaire Fonctionnelle-Typologique du Ye’kwana‎^[4], Lyon
• Hall, Katherine Lee (1988) The morphosyntax of discourse in De'kwana Carib, volumes I and II, Saint Louis, Missouri: PhD Thesis, Washington University, page 388: “'eee - yes”
• Hall, Katherine (2007) “ʔeee”, in Mary Ritchie Key & Bernard Comrie, editors, The Intercontinental Dictionary Series‎^[5], Leipzig: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, published 2021

Yola

Etymology 1

Preposition

ee

1. Alternative form of ing (“in”)
   • 1867, “A YOLA ZONG”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 2, page 84:

     Th' valler w'speen here, th' lass ee chourch-hey.

     The more we spend here, the less in the churchyard.

   • 1867, “A YOLA ZONG”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 4, page 84:

     Joud an moud vrem earchee ete was ee Lough.

     Throngs and crowds from each quarter were at the Lough;

   • 1867, “A YOLA ZONG”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 4, page 84:

     Zitch vaperreen, an shimmereen, fan ee-daff ee aar scoth!

     Such vapouring and glittering when stript in their shirts!

Etymology 2

Article

ee

1. Alternative form of a (“the”)
   • 1867, GLOSSARY OF THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, page 52:

     Leiough ut ee die.

     Idle out the 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 [the] IV.,

   • 1867, “DR. RUSSELL ON THE INHABITANTS AND DIALECT OF THE BARONY OF FORTH”, in APPENDIX, page 130:

     Ee vrieste o' paryshe on a long-tailed garrane.

     [The priest of parish on a long-tailed pony.]

   • 1867, “DR. RUSSELL ON THE INHABITANTS AND DIALECT OF THE BARONY OF FORTH”, in APPENDIX, page 130:

     Anure vrem ee Bake,

     [Another from the Beak,]

References

• 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 37

Zyphe

Verb

ee

1. to eat

References

• Samson Alexander Lotven (2021) The Sound Systems of Zophei Dialects and Other Maraic Languages (Dissertation)‎^[6]