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Wiktionary

we

See also: Appendix:Variations of "we"

Contents

EnglishEdit

 
English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

EtymologyEdit

 
English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

From Middle English we, from Old English wē (“we”), from Proto-Germanic *wīz, *wiz (“we”), from Proto-Indo-European *wéy (“we (plural)”). Cognate with Scots wee, we (“we”), North Frisian we (“we”), West Frisian wy (“we”), Low German wi (“we”), Dutch we, wij (“we”), German wir (“we”), Danish, Swedish and Norwegian vi (“we”), Icelandic vér, við (“we”), Avestan 𐬬𐬀𐬉𐬨‎‎ (vaēm‎), Sanskrit वयम् (vayám).

PronunciationEdit

PronounEdit

we (first-person plural, nominative case, objective case us, reflexive ourselves, or, singular, ourself, possessive (with noun) our, possessive (without noun) ours)

  1. (personal) The speakers/writers, or the speaker/writer and at least one other person (not the person being addressed). (This is the exclusive we.)
    • 2017 February 20, Paul Mason, “Climate scepticism is a far-right badge of honour – even in sweltering Australia”, in the Guardian‎[1]:
      It’s time to overcome queasiness and restraint. We, the liberal and progressive people of the world, are at war with the far right to save the earth.
  2. (personal) The speaker(s)/writer(s) and the person(s) being addressed. (This is the inclusive we.)
  3. (personal) The speaker/writer alone. (This use of we is the editorial we, used by writers and others, including royalty—the royal we—as a less personal substitute for I. The reflexive case of this sense of we is ourself.)
  4. (personal) The plural form of you, including everyone being addressed.
    How are we all tonight?
  5. (personal, often considered patronising) A second- or third-person pronoun for a person in the speaker's care.
    How are we feeling this morning?

TranslationsEdit

DeterminerEdit

we

  1. The speakers/writers, or the speaker/writer and at least one other person.
    We Canadians like to think of ourselves as different.

AnagramsEdit

AbinomnEdit

CaacEdit

DeterminerEdit

we

  1. water
    kô-ny we
    'my (glass/drink of) water'

ReferencesEdit

ChuukeseEdit

DeterminerEdit

we (plural kewe)

  1. (possessive subject marker) the (singular)

DadibiEdit

NounEdit

wẹ

  1. water

SynonymsEdit

ReferencesEdit

  • Karl J. Franklin, Comparative Wordlist 1 of the Gulf District and adjacent areas (1975), page 67
  • Karl James Franklin, Pacific Linguistics (1973, →ISBN, page 130: Polopa so/sou woman, cf. DAR sou female animal but we woman. Several multiple cognate sets appeared in the data. Daribi uses both ạị and wẹ for water; some Polopa speakers gave one term, some another. Both are probably known everywhere.

DutchEdit

EtymologyEdit

See wij.

PronunciationEdit

PronounEdit

we (personal pronoun)

  1. we

InflectionEdit

Dutch personal pronouns
subject object possessive reflexive genitive5
singular full unstr. full unstr. full unstr. pred.
1st person ik 'k1 mij me mijn m'n1 mijne me mijner, mijns
2nd person jij je jou je jouw je jouwe je jouwer, jouws
2nd person archaic or regiolectal gij ge u – uw – uwe u uwer, uws
2nd person formal u – u – uw – uwe zich uwer, uws
3rd person masculine hij ie1 hem 'm1 zijn z'n1 zijne zich zijner, zijns
3rd person feminine zij ze haar h'r1, 'r1, d'r1 haar h'r1, 'r1, d'r1 hare zich harer, haars
3rd person neuter het 't1 het 't1 zijn z'n1 zijne zich zijner, zijns
plural
1st person wij we ons – ons, onze2 – onze ons onzer, onzes
2nd person jullie je jullie je jullie je – je –
2nd person archaic or regiolectal6 gij ge u – uw – uwe u uwer, uws
2nd person formal u – u – uw – uwe zich uwer, uws
3rd person zij ze hen3, hun4 ze hun – hunne zich hunner, huns
1) Not as common in written language.
2) Inflected as an adjective.
3) In prescriptivist use, used only as direct object (accusative).
4) In prescriptivist use, used only as indirect object (dative). 		5) Archaic. Nowadays used for formal, literary or poetic purposes, and in fixed expressions.
6) To differentiate from the singular gij, and in a similar vein to "you lot" or "you guys" in English, it is common to use gijlui ("you people") or gijlieden ("you people") or one of their contracted variants, and their corresponding objects, possessives and reflexives, in the plural.


SynonymsEdit

See alsoEdit

FijianEdit

NounEdit

we

  1. scar

FwâiEdit

 
we

EtymologyEdit

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

NounEdit

we

  1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

ReferencesEdit

  • André-Georges Haudricourt, Françoise Ozanne-Rivierre, Dictionnaire thématique des langues de la région de Hienghène (1982)

GaloliEdit

NounEdit

we

  1. (Talur) water

ReferencesEdit

HaekeEdit

EtymologyEdit

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

PronunciationEdit

NounEdit

we

  1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

ReferencesEdit

  • Jean Claude Rivierre, Sabine Ehrhart, Raymond Diéla, Le Bwatoo: et les dialectes de la région de Koné (2006)

HavekeEdit

EtymologyEdit

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

PronunciationEdit

NounEdit

we

  1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

ReferencesEdit

  • Jean Claude Rivierre, Sabine Ehrhart, Raymond Diéla, Le Bwatoo: et les dialectes de la région de Koné (2006)

HmwavekeEdit

NounEdit

we

  1. water

ReferencesEdit

IdoEdit

PronunciationEdit

NounEdit

we (plural we-i)

  1. The name of the Latin script letter W/w.

See alsoEdit

JapaneseEdit

RomanizationEdit

we

  1. Rōmaji transcription of ゑ
  2. Rōmaji transcription of ヱ
  3. Rōmaji transcription of うぇ
  4. Rōmaji transcription of ウェ

JaweEdit

EtymologyEdit

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

NounEdit

we

  1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

ReferencesEdit

  • André-Georges Haudricourt, Françoise Ozanne-Rivierre, Dictionnaire thématique des langues de la région de Hienghène (1982)

LamboyaEdit

NounEdit

we

  1. water

ReferencesEdit

  • ABVD
  • Blust's Austronesian Comparative Dictionary

Lower SorbianEdit

PronunciationEdit

PrepositionEdit

we (with locative)

  1. Alternative form of w (especially before labial consonants and consonant clusters)

MapudungunEdit

AdjectiveEdit

we (using Raguileo Alphabet)

  1. new, recent

ReferencesEdit

  • Wixaleyiñ: Mapucezugun-wigkazugun pici hemvlcijka (Wixaleyiñ: Small Mapudungun-Spanish dictionary), Beretta, Marta; Cañumil, Dario; Cañumil, Tulio, 2008.

Middle EnglishEdit

Etymology 1Edit

from Old English wē (“we”), from Proto-Germanic *wīz, *wiz (“we”), from Proto-Indo-European *wéy (“we (plural)”).

Alternative formsEdit

PronunciationEdit

PronounEdit

we (accusative us, we, genitive oure, possessive determiner oures)

  2. First-person plural pronoun: we
  3. First-person plural accusative pronoun: us
DescendantsEdit
See alsoEdit
  • wit (first person dual pronoun)
ReferencesEdit

Etymology 2Edit

From Old English wēa, from Proto-Germanic *waiwô. Doublet of wowe.

Alternative formsEdit

PronunciationEdit

NounEdit

we (uncountable)

  2. woe, grief, sadness
ReferencesEdit

Middle Low GermanEdit

PronunciationEdit

Etymology 1Edit

From Old Saxon hwē, from Proto-Germanic *hwaz.

PronounEdit

wê (accusative wēne or wen, dative wēme or wem, genitive wes)

  1. (interrogative, masculine, feminine) who

Etymology 2Edit

From Proto-Germanic *wiz.

PronounEdit

wê

  1. (personal, first person, plural, nominative) Alternative form of wî.

NedebangEdit

NounEdit

we

  1. blood

ReferencesEdit

  • Gary Holton and Laura Robinson, The Internal History of the Alor-Pantar language family, in The Alor-Pantar languages: History and Typology, edited by Marian Klamer
  • transnewguinea.org (wæ), ASJP 1 (wE i.e. wɛ), ASJP 2 (we)

NemiEdit

EtymologyEdit

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

NounEdit

we

  1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

ReferencesEdit

  • André-Georges Haudricourt, Françoise Ozanne-Rivierre, Dictionnaire thématique des langues de la région de Hienghène (1982)

North AmbrymEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ.

NounEdit

we

  1. water

Further readingEdit

  • Darrell T. Tryon, New Hebrides languages: an internal classification (1976)
  • George William Grace, The position of the Polynesian languages within the Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian) language family (1959)

NyâlayuEdit

EtymologyEdit

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

NounEdit

we

  1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

ReferencesEdit

  • Jim Hollyman, K. J. Hollyman, Études sur les langues du Nord de la Nouvelle-Calédonie (1991), page 81

Old EnglishEdit

Alternative formsEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Proto-Germanic *wiz, *wīz, from Proto-Indo-European *wéy-, plural of *éǵh₂. Cognate with Old Frisian wī (West Frisian wy), Old Saxon wī (Low German wi), Old Dutch wī (Dutch wij), Old High German wir (German wir), Old Norse vér (Danish and Swedish vi), Gothic 𐍅𐌴𐌹𐍃 (weis).

PronunciationEdit

PronounEdit

wē (personal pronoun)

  1. we (nominative plural of iċ)

DescendantsEdit

PijeEdit

EtymologyEdit

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

NounEdit

we

  1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

ReferencesEdit

  • André-Georges Haudricourt, Françoise Ozanne-Rivierre, Dictionnaire thématique des langues de la région de Hienghène (1982)

PolishEdit

Alternative formsEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Proto-Slavic *vъ(n), from Proto-Indo-European *én

PronunciationEdit

PrepositionEdit

we (before words that begin with awkward consonant clusters)

  1. (+ locative) in
  2. (+ accusative) into, in

SpanishEdit

EtymologyEdit

Variant of güey, representing the relaxed pronunciation of the /gw/ sounds and in some cases loss of the /i/ sound.

PronunciationEdit

NounEdit

we m or f (plural wees)

  1. (colloquial) dude, guy, buddy
  2. (Mexico, colloquial slang) chump, punk, dumbass, idiot, jerk

SynonymsEdit

Tocharian AEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁. Compare also wu.

NumeralEdit

we f

  1. two

Related termsEdit

Tok PisinEdit

EtymologyEdit

From English where.

AdverbEdit

we

  1. where
    • 1989, Buk Baibel long Tok Pisin, Port Moresby: Bible Society of Papua New Guinea, 3:9:
      (please add an English translation of this quote)
This entry has fewer than three known examples of actual usage, the minimum considered necessary for clear attestation, and may not be reliable. Tok Pisin is subject to a special exemption for languages with limited documentation. If you speak it, please consider editing this entry or adding citations. See also Help and the Community Portal.

TurkmenEdit

PronunciationEdit

  This entry needs pronunciation information. If you are familiar with the IPA then please add some!

Etymology 1Edit

ConjunctionEdit

we

  1. and

Etymology 2Edit

NounEdit

we (definite accusative ?, plural ?)

  1. The name of the Latin-script letter W.

UyghurEdit

NounEdit

we

  1. Latin (ULY) transcription of ۋە‎ (we)

VamaleEdit

NounEdit

we

  1. water

ReferencesEdit

WelshEdit

NounEdit

we

  1. Soft mutation of gwe.

YuagaEdit

EtymologyEdit

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

NounEdit

we

  1. water (clear liquid H₂O)

ReferencesEdit

  • Jim Hollyman, K. J. Hollyman, Études sur les langues du Nord de la Nouvelle-Calédonie (1999), page 81

ZuluEdit

PronounEdit

-we

  1. Combining stem of wena.
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