# wis
## English
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /waɪs/
* Audio (US):(file)
* Rhymes: -aɪs

### Alternative forms

* wiss, ywis, iwis

### Etymology 1

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

wis (comparative more wis, superlative most wis)
* (rare, obsolete or dialectal) Certainly, surely.
** 1884, Charlotte Mary Yonge, The armourer's prentices:So I wis would the Dragon under him […]
* (rare, obsolete or dialectal) Really, truly.
* (rare, obsolete or dialectal) Indeed.
** c. 1368-1372, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Book of the Duchess:As wis God help me.

##### Derived terms

* I wis

#### Adjective

wis (comparative more wis, superlative most wis)
* (rare, obsolete or dialectal) Certain.
* (rare, obsolete or dialectal) Sure.
    He was wis on his word.
    I am wis that it will happen.

##### Derived terms

* wisly

### Etymology 2

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

wis (third-person singular simple present wis, no present participle, no simple past, past participle wist or wissed)
* (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."
* (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.
* (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

* WSI

## Afrikaans
### Verb

wis
* preterite of weet; knew

## Chuukese
### Noun

wis
* duty, responsibility

## Dutch
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ʋɪs/
* Audio:(file)
* Rhymes: -ɪs

### Etymology 1

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

#### Adjective

wis (not comparable)
* sure, certain
    een wisse dood — a certain death

##### Descendants

* Afrikaans: wis

### Etymology 2

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

#### Noun

wis f or m (plural wissen, diminutive wisje n)
* twig
* bundle, bunch
* short for wisdoek (dishcloth)

### Etymology 3
#### Verb

wis
* inflection of wissen:
** first-person singular present indicative
** (in case of inversion) second-person singular present indicative
** imperative

## Gothic
### Romanization

wis
* Romanization of 𐍅𐌹𐍃

## Javanese
### Romanization

wis
* Romanization of ꦮꦶꦱ꧀

## Kabyle
### Particle

wis (feminine tis)
* -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

* 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
### Etymology

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

### Adjective

wīs
* wise

#### Descendants

* Middle Dutch: wijs

#### Further reading

* “wīs”, in Oudnederlands Woordenboek, 2012

## Old English
### Etymology

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

* IPA: /wiːs/

### Adjective

wīs (comparative wīsra, superlative wīsest)
* 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.

#### Derived terms

* andwīs
* stæfwīs
* unwīs
* wīslīċe
* wīsnes

#### Descendants

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

## Old High German
### Etymology

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

wīs
* wise

#### Derived terms

* wīso

#### Descendants

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

## Old Saxon
### Etymology

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

wīs
* wise

#### Descendants

* Middle Low German: wīs
** Low German:
*** German Low German: wies
*** Westphalian:
    Ravensbergisch-Lippisch: wuise, wuis
    Sauerländisch: weyse, wüse, wīse, wuise
    Westmünsterländisch: wiese
** Plautdietsch: weis

## Polish
### Etymology

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

### Pronunciation

* (Lesser Poland):
** (Lasovia) IPA: /ˈvis/

### Noun

wis m inan
* (Lasovia) Synonym of tatarak
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:tatarak

### Further reading

* 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

## Scots
### Etymology

Compare West Frisian wie.

### Verb

wis
* simple past tense of be

#### Usage notes

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

### See also

* wir

## Tagalog
### Alternative forms

* wiz, wit

### Pronunciation

* (Standard Tagalog) IPA: /ˈwis/ [ˈwis]
* Rhymes: -is
* Syllabification: wis

### Pronoun

wis (Baybayin spelling ᜏᜒᜐ᜔)
* (gay slang) Alternative form of was

## West Frisian
### Etymology

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

### Adjective

wis
* certain, sure
* true
* safe, trustworthy

#### Derived terms

* jawis

#### Further reading

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