# wij
## Dutch
### Etymology

From Middle Dutch wi, from Old Dutch wī, from Proto-West Germanic *wiʀ, from Proto-Germanic *wīz, from Proto-Indo-European *wéy, plural of *éǵh₂.
Compare Low German wi, West Frisian wy, German wir, English we, Danish vi.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: (stressed) /ʋɛi̯/, (unstressed) /ʋə/
* Audio:(file)
* Homophone: wei

### Pronoun

wij
* the first-person plural personal pronoun; refers to the speakers; we

#### Declension

| | subject | subject | object | object | possessive | possessive | possessive | reflexive | genitive$^5$ |
| singular | full | unstr. | full | unstr. | full | unstr. | pred. | | |
| 1st person | ik | 'k$^1$ | mij | me | mijn | m'n$^1$ | 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 | u, zich$^7$ | uwer, uws |
| 3rd person masculine | hij | ie$^1$ | hem | 'm$^1$ | zijn | z'n$^1$ | zijne | zich | zijner, zijns |
| 3rd person feminine | zij | ze | haar | h'r$^1$, 'r$^1$, d'r$^1$ | haar | h'r$^1$, 'r$^1$, d'r$^1$ | hare | zich | harer, haars |
| 3rd person neuter | het | 't$^1$ | het | 't$^1$ | zijn | z'n$^1$ | zijne | zich | zijner, zijns |
| plural | | | | | | | | | |
| 1st person | wij | we | ons | – | ons, onze$^2$ | – | onze | ons | onzer, onzes |
| 2nd person | jullie | je | jullie | je | jullie | je | – | je | – |
| 2nd person archaic or regiolectal$^6$ | gij | ge | u | – | uw | – | uwe | u | uwer, uws |
| 2nd person formal | u | – | u | – | uw | – | uwe | u, zich$^7$ | uwer, uws |
| 3rd person | zij | ze | hen$^3$, hun$^4$ | 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, gelle (object form elle) and variants are commonly used colloquially in Belgium. Archaic forms are gijlieden and gijlui ("you people"). | $^{1)}$ 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, gelle (object form elle) and variants are commonly used colloquially in Belgium. Archaic forms are gijlieden and gijlui ("you people"). | $^{1)}$ 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, gelle (object form elle) and variants are commonly used colloquially in Belgium. Archaic forms are gijlieden and gijlui ("you people"). | $^{1)}$ 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, gelle (object form elle) and variants are commonly used colloquially in Belgium. Archaic forms are gijlieden and gijlui ("you people"). | $^{7)}$ Zich is preferred if the reflexive pronoun immediately follows the subject pronoun u, e.g. Meldt u zich aan! 'Log in!', and if the subject pronoun u is used with a verb form that is identical with the third person singular but different from the informal second person singular, e.g. U heeft zich aangemeld. 'You have logged in.' Only u can be used in an imperative if the subject pronoun is not overt, e.g. Meld u aan! 'Log in!', where u is the reflexive pronoun. Otherwise, both u and zich are equally possible, e.g. U meldt u/zich aan. 'You log in.' | $^{7)}$ Zich is preferred if the reflexive pronoun immediately follows the subject pronoun u, e.g. Meldt u zich aan! 'Log in!', and if the subject pronoun u is used with a verb form that is identical with the third person singular but different from the informal second person singular, e.g. U heeft zich aangemeld. 'You have logged in.' Only u can be used in an imperative if the subject pronoun is not overt, e.g. Meld u aan! 'Log in!', where u is the reflexive pronoun. Otherwise, both u and zich are equally possible, e.g. U meldt u/zich aan. 'You log in.' | $^{7)}$ Zich is preferred if the reflexive pronoun immediately follows the subject pronoun u, e.g. Meldt u zich aan! 'Log in!', and if the subject pronoun u is used with a verb form that is identical with the third person singular but different from the informal second person singular, e.g. U heeft zich aangemeld. 'You have logged in.' Only u can be used in an imperative if the subject pronoun is not overt, e.g. Meld u aan! 'Log in!', where u is the reflexive pronoun. Otherwise, both u and zich are equally possible, e.g. U meldt u/zich aan. 'You log in.' | $^{7)}$ Zich is preferred if the reflexive pronoun immediately follows the subject pronoun u, e.g. Meldt u zich aan! 'Log in!', and if the subject pronoun u is used with a verb form that is identical with the third person singular but different from the informal second person singular, e.g. U heeft zich aangemeld. 'You have logged in.' Only u can be used in an imperative if the subject pronoun is not overt, e.g. Meld u aan! 'Log in!', where u is the reflexive pronoun. Otherwise, both u and zich are equally possible, e.g. U meldt u/zich aan. 'You log in.' | $^{7)}$ Zich is preferred if the reflexive pronoun immediately follows the subject pronoun u, e.g. Meldt u zich aan! 'Log in!', and if the subject pronoun u is used with a verb form that is identical with the third person singular but different from the informal second person singular, e.g. U heeft zich aangemeld. 'You have logged in.' Only u can be used in an imperative if the subject pronoun is not overt, e.g. Meld u aan! 'Log in!', where u is the reflexive pronoun. Otherwise, both u and zich are equally possible, e.g. U meldt u/zich aan. 'You log in.' | $^{7)}$ Zich is preferred if the reflexive pronoun immediately follows the subject pronoun u, e.g. Meldt u zich aan! 'Log in!', and if the subject pronoun u is used with a verb form that is identical with the third person singular but different from the informal second person singular, e.g. U heeft zich aangemeld. 'You have logged in.' Only u can be used in an imperative if the subject pronoun is not overt, e.g. Meld u aan! 'Log in!', where u is the reflexive pronoun. Otherwise, both u and zich are equally possible, e.g. U meldt u/zich aan. 'You log in.' |

#### Synonyms

* we

#### Descendants

* Jersey Dutch: wāi
* Negerhollands: wellie

#### See also

* ons, onze

## Polish
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈvij/
* Audio:(file)
* Rhymes: -ij
* Syllabification: wij

### Etymology 1

Probably related to Ukrainian вій (vij), which refers to the same creature. (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

#### Noun

wij m animal
* myriapod (arthropod belonging to the subphylum Myriapoda)
* (Slavic mythology) viy (creature with gigantic eyelids and eyelashes from hell who kills by looking at people)

##### Declension
### Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

#### Verb

wij
* second-person singular imperative present of wić

### Further reading

* wij in Polish dictionaries at PWN