Etymology From Middle English wey, weygh, wegh, weȝe, wæȝe (“little bit”), from Old English wǣġ, wǣġe (“weight”), from Proto-West Germanic *wāgu, from Proto-Germanic *wēgō (“scales, weight”) and *wēgǭ (“weight”), related to Middle English weġan (“to move, weigh”) (15c).
The beat of its wee heart held against her own, sent her intense maternity surging like the spring sap in a young tree.1907, Barbara Baynton, edited by Sally Krimmer and Alan Lawson, Human Toll (Portable Australian Authors: Barbara Baynton), St Lucia: University of Queensland Press, published 1980, page 275:
3 more examples
Was anyone hurted? Sure, they were just trailin' theirselves off the ground. Ye wud have died larfin'. There's Jimmy Hanlon was never his own man since, and I had me nose broke on me—I find it yet—and some says there was a wee girl from Tanderagee got herself killed.1915, Charles L Graves, Humours of Irish life, pages 241-242:
I had not seen a wee boy do it like that before. He was weer than me and his swimming was just like splashing about.2008, James Kelman, Kieron Smith, Boy, Penguin, published 2009, page 73:
"I suppose my first objective was to try and help a department, which was very much civil servants who are rotating around on a regular basis, to try and understand public transport a wee bit better and try and understand what was required to run a bus and rail network," muses Conway.2026 March 18, Chris Conway talks to Andy Comfort, “The RAIL Interview”, in RAIL, page 32:
Etymology From Middle English wey, weygh, wegh, weȝe, wæȝe (“little bit”), from Old English wǣġ, wǣġe (“weight”), from Proto-West Germanic *wāgu, from Proto-Germanic *wēgō (“scales, weight”) and *wēgǭ (“weight”), related to Middle English weġan (“to move, weigh”) (15c).
1
A short time or short distance.
wee
verb
Etymology Onomatopoeic for the sound of urination. The noun derives from the verb.
Yet lest wee should be Capernaitans, as wee are told there that the flesh profiteth nothing, so wee are told heer, if we be not as deaf as adders, that this union of the flesh proceeds from the union of a fit help and solace.1645, John Milton, Tetrachordon:
wee
intj
1
Alternative Alternative form of whee.
2
The squeal of a pig.
Pigling Bland became frightened and cried "Wee, wee, wee! I can't find my way home!"1913, Beatrix Potter, The Tale of Pigling Bland:
Um, by the way, make sure everyone knows if the papal envoy says "We desire to wash our hands", that means he wants to go and have a pee (laugh track)... Yes, a Royal wee (laugh track) — followed by a Royal flush (laugh track).1987 December 17, Antony Jay, Jonathan Lynn, “A Diplomatic Incident”, in Yes, Prime Minister, season 2, episode 3, spoken by Bernard Woolley (Derek Fowlds):