We
Language: English
Part of speech: pron
Senses: examples: text: “It seems to me that we are losing sight of the fact that we are artists,” said Miss Madder to Mr. Ehrlebach one evening about a week later, during one of his calls. / “We, with a capital ‘W,’” laughed Miss Larkin, mimicking Rose’s conscious air. / “Well, Mr. Ehrlebach is, anyway, and he ought to be doing some grave artistic studying.”
ref: [1883 May, Minimum [pseudonym], “A Flying Dutchman”, in The Wheelman: An Illustrated Magazine of Cycling Literature and News, volume II, number 2, Boston, Mass.: The Wheelman Company […], →OCLC, chapter XIX (Touring), page 133, columns 1–2:
text: Yet when Diaz talks one would think he had never achieved anything. He never uses the first pronoun singular, always speaking as “we,” but not the “we” with a capital W habitual to Royalty; just simply we, meaning others in preference to himself. That is why it has been so difficult to draw his picture, to show the modesty lying behind his giant strength.
ref: [1906, Mrs. Alec Tweedie [i.e., Ethel Brilliana Tweedie], “The Legislature and a Vice-President”, in Porfirio Diaz, Seven Times President of Mexico, London: Hurst and Blackett, […], →OCLC, page 390:
text: But meanwhile, We say frankly that so far We do not have sufficient reason to regard the norms given by Pope Pius XII in this matter as surpassed and therefore not binding; they must therefore be considered valid, at least until we feel in conscience bound to modify them.
ref: 1964, Pope Paul VI, quotee, The Catholic Mind, New York, N.Y.: America Press, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 59:
text: It may be well to begin by introducing each other. Who are We? You are not, perhaps led astray by the opinion held of Us by certain contemporaries; We are a weak and little man like other men, perhaps more so than other men. Have under standing^([sic]) for Our personal littleness. But We make so bold as to présent^([sic]) Ourself to you under a twofold title: one title is Our own—it is the great love We have for Africa, for you, and for the Peoples you gövern^([sic]) and represent; the other title is not Our own—it was conferred upon Us, and it makes Us humble and bold as We come among you: you know it well, it is the title of Pope, which means Father; and We inherited it from Saint Peter, whose unworthy but authentic successor We are.
ref: 1969 August 1, “Ad honorabiles Viros e publico Legumlatorum Coetu Reipublicae Ugandensis”, in Acta Apostolicae Sedis, volume LXI (overall work in Latin), Vatican City: Typis Polyglottis Vaticanis, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 580:
text: “You mean it was luck?” replied Jason. / “Well…in a way,” replied Berger. “It really means more than that. In a sense, We with a capital “W” are favoring your undertakings. We are watching over all. God sees all. We see all.”
ref: 2000, Ronald Turco, “Book”, in Walk East on Burnside, Portland, Ore.: Imago Books, →ISBN, page 135:
text: “I too love it,” said Eddie. “Y’gotta be very delicate with cancer patients, and the ‘we’ works like a charm.” He seemed sincere. Naidoo looked worried. “I see the ‘we’ with a capital ‘W,’ the royal ‘We.’ My cancer patients can’t argue with King Eddie—”
ref: [2019 November, Samuel Shem [pseudonym; Stephen Joseph Bergman], “The Sick Empire”, in Man’s 4th Best Hospital, New York, N.Y.: Berkley, →ISBN, page 319:
glosses: Honorific alternative letter-case form of of we, sometimes used when speaking as an important figure or figures.
Related terms: He
She
They
Thou
You