oui

See also: ouï and OUI

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French oui (“yes”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wiː/
• Homophones: we, wee, whee (in accents with the wine-whine merger), Wii
• Rhymes: -iː

Interjection

oui

1. (quaint) Synonym of yes

Related terms

• langue d'oïl
• ouiaboo
• ouid

 

Anagrams

• IOU

French

Alternative forms

• voui
• ouais

Etymology

First attested in 1380, from Old French oïl (1100), from Vulgar Latin *hoc ille or by surface analysis a compound of Old French o (affirmative particle) and il (“he”). Partially cognate to Occitan òc (“yes”) and Catalan oi (“isn't it?”). See the Old French term for details.

Pronunciation

• ^{(aspirated h)} IPA^(key): /wi/
• (humorous, colloquial) IPA^(key): /ɥi/

• audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -wi
• Homophones: ouï, ouïe, ouïes, ouïs, ouït (one pronunciation)

Adverb

oui

1. yes

   Antonym: non

Interjection

oui

1. yes

   Synonyms: ouais, vouai

   Antonym: non

Usage notes

This word is treated as if it has an aspirated h despite not being written with an h.

Derived terms

• mais oui
• ni oui ni non
• pour un oui ou pour un non

 

Descendants

• → English: oui
• Maori: Wīwī (“France”)

See also

• si ("yes" used to contradict a negative statement or question)

Further reading

• “oui”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Norman

Etymology

From Old French oïl, a contraction of o il, from Vulgar Latin hoc ille.

Adverb

oui

1. (Guernsey) yes

Interjection

oui

1. (Guernsey) yes