wis

• IPA^(key): /waɪs/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪs

• wiss, ywis, iwis

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, akin to Icelandic viss (“certain”). 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 606515358, [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 1028748619:

     Howe'er you wis.

3. (obsolete or archaic) To imagine, ween; to deem.
   • 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 1380031, 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

wis

1. preterite of weet; knew

wis

1. duty, responsibility

• IPA^(key): /ʋɪs/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪs

From Proto-Germanic *wissaz, past participle of *witaną. See gewis.

wis (not comparable)

1. sure, certain

   een wisse dood — a certain death

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)

wis

1. first-person singular present indicative of wissen
2. imperative of wissen

wis

1. Romanization of 𐍅𐌹𐍃

wis

1. already

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.

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

wīs

1. wise

• Middle Dutch: wijs

• “wīs”, in Oudnederlands Woordenboek, 2012

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

1. wise

• andwīs
• stæfwīs
• unwīs
• wīslīċe
• wīsnes

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

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

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

Compare West Frisian wie.

wis

1. simple past tense of be

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

• wir

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

wis

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

• jawis

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