Wiktionary

we

See also: Appendix:Variations of "we"

EnglishEdit

 
English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Etymology 1Edit

From Middle English we, from Old English wē (“we”), from Proto-West Germanic *wiʀ, 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, possessive determiner our, possessive pronoun ours, reflexive ourselves, reflexive singular ourself)

  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 institution upon which the speaker/writer is acting. (This is the editorial we, used by writers and others when speaking with the authority of their publication or organisation.)
    • 2021, Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau, “Paper No. CMAB C4/9/1”, in Documents of the Hong Kong Legislative Council‎[2], page 1:
      In light of the promulgation of the aforementioned laws and decisions, we (the administration) propose to make the following amendments to local legislation to implement the relevant requirements on oath taking by public officers.
  4. (personal, royal) The sovereign alone in their capacity as monarch. (This is the royal we. The reflexive case of this sense of we is ourself.)
  5. (personal) The plural form of you, including everyone being addressed.
    How are we all tonight?
  6. (personal, often considered patronising) A second- or third-person pronoun for a person in the speaker's care.
    • 2008 May 13, Tom Armstrong, Marvin (comic):
      Are we ready to go to bed, sweetie?
    How are we feeling this morning?
  7. (proscribed) The speaker or writer, used to imply connection between the speaker's experiences and a group of listeners.
    • 2021 January 6, Rally on Electoral College Vote Certification‎[3], Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network (C-SPAN), spoken by Donald Trump, 3:38:03 from the start:
      All Vice President [Mike] Pence has to do is send it back to the states to recertify and we become president and you are the happiest people.
    • 2021 June 24, “Far from Home”, in Alone‎[4], season 9, episode 4, HISTORY Channel, spoken by Theresa Emmerich Kamper, 3:07 from the start:
      [Today is] not a day to think about fishing so we will get back to working on the shelter. [cut in video] Cool, so I guess the best analogy for this, then, is that we've basically framed the house, and now we get to shingle.
    • 2022 October 25, Joseph Camp, director, PBS NewsHour‎[5], Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), archived from the original on 2022-10-25, spoken by John Fetterman, 32:11 from the start, Vote 2022:
      The elephant in the room, you know, we had a stroke back in May.
    Hey guys, how's it going? Today we are going to be playing a new game.
Derived termsEdit
DescendantsEdit
  • Jamaican Creole: wi
  • Sranan Tongo: wi
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.

Etymology 2Edit

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

PronunciationEdit

PronounEdit

we

  2. (Tyneside) Us.
    He was a propa gadgie, and always bought we drinks after a long shift.
    And what have you done for we since? Nowt!
Usage notesEdit

Not to be confused with Tyneside us (“me”).

AnagramsEdit

AbinomnEdit

NounEdit

we (dual werom, plural wekon)

  1. tree kangaroo

ReferencesEdit

  • Newguineaworld, citing Donohue and Musgrave, Abinomn nominal number (2007: 365)

AnguthimriEdit

NounEdit

we

  1. (Mpakwithi) owl

ReferencesEdit

  • Terry Crowley, The Mpakwithi dialect of Anguthimri (1981), page 189

CaacEdit

DeterminerEdit

we

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

ReferencesEdit

Cameroon PidginEdit

Alternative formsEdit

EtymologyEdit

From English we.

PronunciationEdit

PronounEdit

we

  1. we, us 1st person plural subject and object personal pronoun

See alsoEdit

Cameroonian Pidgin personal pronouns
Subject personal pronouns
singular plural
1st person I we, wu
2nd person you wuna
3rd person i dey
Object and topic personal pronouns
1st person me we
2nd person you wuna
3rd person yi, -am dem, -am

DeterminerEdit

we

  1. our, 1st person plural possessive determiner

See alsoEdit

Cameroonian Pidgin possessive determiners
singular plural
1st person my we
2nd person your wuna
3rd person yi dia

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

DescendantsEdit

  • Jersey Dutch: wê

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

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

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)

KikuyuEdit

Etymology 1Edit

PronunciationEdit

PronounEdit

we (second person singular)

  1. you, thou
Related termsEdit
  • -aku (“your, thy”)

Etymology 2Edit

PronunciationEdit

PronounEdit

we (third person singular)

  1. s/he
Related termsEdit
  • -ake (“his/her”)

See alsoEdit

Independent personal pronouns in Kikuyu
singular plural
1st person niĩ ithuĩ
2nd person we /wɛ(ː)/ inyuĩ
3rd person we /wɛ/ o

ReferencesEdit

  • “we” in Benson, T.G. (1964). Kikuyu-English dictionary, p. 561. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

LaboyaEdit

NounEdit

we

  1. water

ReferencesEdit

Lower SorbianEdit

PronunciationEdit

PrepositionEdit

we (with locative)

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

MapudungunEdit

AdjectiveEdit

we (Raguileo spelling)

  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-West Germanic *wiʀ, from Proto-Germanic *wīz, *wiz (“we”), from Proto-Indo-European *wéy (“we (plural)”). Compare wit (first person dual pronoun).

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
Middle English personal pronouns
nominative accusative dative genitive possessive
singular 1st-person I, ich, ik me min
mi1		 min
2nd-person þou þe þin
þi1		 þin
3rd-person m he him
hine2		 him his his
hisen
f sche, heo hire
heo 		hire hire
hires, hiren
n hit hit
him2		 his, hit —
dual3 1st-person wit unk unker
2nd-person ȝit inc inker
plural 1st-person we us, ous oure oure
oures, ouren
2nd-person4 ye yow your your
youres, youren
3rd-person inh. he hem
he2		 hem here here
heres, heren
bor. þei þem, þeim þeir þeir
þeires, þeiren

1Used preconsonantally or before h.
2Early or dialectal.
3Dual pronouns are only sporadically found in Early Middle English; after that, they are replaced by plural forms. There are no third-person dual forms in Middle English.
4Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

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-West Germanic *hwaʀ, 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, in the 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

EtymologyEdit

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

PronunciationEdit

PrepositionEdit

we (used instead of w mostly before words that begin with consonant clusters)

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

Further readingEdit

  • we in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
  • we in Polish dictionaries at PWN

SpanishEdit

EtymologyEdit

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

PronunciationEdit

  • IPA(key): /ˈwe/ [ˈwe]
  • Rhymes: -e
  • Syllabification: we

NounEdit

we m or f (plural wees)

  1. (colloquial) dude, guy, buddy
    Synonyms: carnal, cuate, tonto, bato
  2. (Mexico, colloquial slang) chump, punk, dumbass, idiot, jerk

Tocharian AEdit

cardinal numbers
Previous: sas
Next: tre

EtymologyEdit

From Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁. Compare Tocharian B wi.

NumeralEdit

we f

  1. two

Related termsEdit

Tok PisinEdit

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.

EtymologyEdit

From English where.

AdverbEdit

we

  1. where

TurkmenEdit

Etymology 1Edit

Borrowed from Persian وَ‎ (va).

ConjunctionEdit

we

  1. and

Etymology 2Edit

NounEdit

we (definite accusative [[{{{1}}}#Turkmen|?]], plural [[{{{2}}}#Turkmen|?]])

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

UyghurEdit

NounEdit

we

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

VamaleEdit

NounEdit

we

  1. water

ReferencesEdit

WelshEdit

PronunciationEdit

NounEdit

we

  1. Soft mutation of gwe.

MutationEdit

Welsh mutation
radical soft nasal aspirate
gwe we ngwe unchanged
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

West MakianEdit

PronunciationEdit

NounEdit

we

  1. leaf

ReferencesEdit

  • Clemens Voorhoeve (1982) The Makian languages and their neighbours‎[7], Pacific linguistics

YolaEdit

PronounEdit

we

  1. Alternative form of wough
    • 1867, CONGRATULATORY ADDRESS IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, line 8:
      and whilke we canna zei, albeit o' 'Governere,' 'Statesman,' an alike.
      and for which we have no words but of 'Governor,' 'Statesman,' &c.
    • 1867, CONGRATULATORY ADDRESS IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, line 21:
      Ye pace——yea, we mai zei,
      The peace——yes, we may say

ReferencesEdit

  • Jacob Poole (1867), 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, page 114

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

ZaghawaEdit

PronunciationEdit

NounEdit

we

  1. head lice

NumeralEdit

we

  1. three

ReferencesEdit

ZuluEdit

PronounEdit

-we

  1. Combining stem of wena.
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