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
Inflection
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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

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. imperative

Gothic

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Romanization

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wis

  1. Romanization of 𐍅𐌹𐍃

Javanese

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Javanese register set
ꦏꦮꦶ (kawi): sampun
ꦏꦿꦩ​ꦲꦶꦁ​ꦒꦶꦭ꧀ (krama inggil): pun
ꦏꦿꦩꦲꦤ꧀ꦝꦥ꧀ (krama andhap): wis

Adverb

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j=ꦮꦶꦱ꧀
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wis

  1. already

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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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

Declension

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Derived terms

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Descendants

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  • Middle English: wis, wys

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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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