wis

• IPA^(key): /waɪs/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪs

• wiss, ywis, iwis

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.

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.
   • c. 1368-1372, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Book of the Duchess:

     As wis God help me.

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.

• wisly

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.

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.
   • 1850, Robert Browning, “(please specify the page)”, in Christmas-Eve and Easter-Day. A Poem, London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC:

     Howe'er you wis.

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) […]

• WSI

From Proto-Lolo-Burmese *way.

• (Myanmar) /wi˧˩/
• (Longchuan) [oi⁵⁵]
• (Luxi) [ui³¹]
• (Xiandao) [ui⁵⁵]

wis

1. to buy, purchase

• Inglis, Douglas, Sampu, Nasaw, Jaseng, Wilai, Jana, Thocha (2005) A preliminary Ngochang–Kachin–English Lexicon‎^[1], Payap University, page 136

wis

1. preterite of weet; knew

wis

1. duty, responsibility

• IPA^(key): /ʋɪs/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪs

Derived from Proto-Germanic *wissaz, past participle of *witaną.

wis (not comparable)

1. sure, certain

   een wisse dood — a certain death

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

• Afrikaans: wis

Inherited from Middle Dutch wisch, from Old Dutch *wisk, from Proto-Germanic *wiskaz (“bundle of straw, hay”).

wis f or m (plural wissen, diminutive wisje n)

1. twig
2. bundle, bunch
3. short for wisdoek (dishcloth)

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

wis

1. inflection of wissen:
   1. first-person singular present indicative
   2. (in case of inversion) second-person singular present indicative
   3. imperative

wis

1. romanization of 𐍅𐌹𐍃

wis

1. romanization of ꦮꦶꦱ꧀

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”)

• 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.

Inherited from Proto-Germanic *wīsaz, from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (“to see, to know”).

wīs

1. wise

• Middle Dutch: wijs
  • Dutch: wijs
    • Negerhollands: wies

• “wīs”, in Oudnederlands Woordenboek, 2012

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.

• IPA^(key): /wiːs/

wīs (comparative wīsra, superlative wīsest)

1. wise
   • 10th century, The Wanderer:

     forþon ne mæġ wearþan wīs · wer, ǣr hē āge
     wintra dǣl in woruldrīċe. · Wita sċeal ġeþyldiġ.

     thus a man cannot become wise, before he would own
     a part of years in world-kingdom. A wise man must be patient.

• Middle English: wis, wys
  • Scots: wis, wise
  • English: wise
    • ⇒ English: wizard

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.

wīs

1. wise

• wīso

• Middle High German: wīse
  • German: weise
• ⇒ Old High German: wīsi

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.

wīs

1. wise

• Middle Low German: wīs
  • Low German:
    • German Low German: wies
    • Westphalian:

      Ravensbergisch-Lippisch: wuise, wuis

      Sauerländisch: weyse, wüse, wīse, wuise

      Westmünsterländisch: wiese

  • Plautdietsch: weis

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

• (Lesser Poland):
  • (Lasovia) IPA^(key): /ˈvis/

wis m inan

1. (Lasovia) synonym of tatarak

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:tatarak

• Oskar Kolberg (1865) “wis”, in Lud. Jego zwyczaje, sposób życia, mowa, podania, przysłowia, obrzędy, gusła, zabawy, pieśni, muzyka i tańce. Serya II. Sandomierskie (in Polish), page 266

Compare West Frisian wie.

wis

1. simple past tense of be
   • 1983, William Lorimer, transl., The New Testament in Scots, Edinburgh: Canongate, published 2001, →ISBN, →OCLC, John 8:58, page 177:

     "Trowth an atweill, I tell ye," Jesus answert, "afore iver Abraham wis born, I am."

     "Undoubtedly, I tell you," Jesus answered, "even before Abraham was born, I existed."

Wis is used with singular pronouns and plural nouns, and wis, war or wir are used with plural pronouns.

• wir

• wiz, wit

From alteration of was.

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /ˈwis/ [ˈwɪs]
• Rhymes: -is
• Syllabification: wis

wis (Baybayin spelling ᜏᜒᜐ᜔) (gay slang)

1. alternative form of was

See witte (“to know, be sure”). Cognate with English wis.

wis

1. certain, sure
2. true
3. safe, trustworthy

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	—

• jawis

• “wis (I)”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011