wis meaning (obsolete): definition, etymology and quotations

wis

adv

/waɪs/

Etymology 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.

Dialectal, Obsolete, Rare Certainly, surely.

So I wis would the Dragon under him […]1884, Charlotte Mary Yonge, The armourer's prentices:

Dialectal, Obsolete, Rare Really, truly.

Dialectal, Obsolete, Rare Indeed.

As wis God help me.c. 1368-1372, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Book of the Duchess:

Derived terms: I wis

wis

adj

Dialectal, Obsolete, Rare Certain.

Dialectal, Obsolete, Rare Sure.

He was wis on his word.
I am wis that it will happen.

Derived terms: wisly

wis

verb

Etymology 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.

Archaic, No past, No present participle, Obsolete To know.

"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."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]:

Archaic, No past, No present participle, Obsolete To think, suppose.

Howe'er you wis.1850, Robert Browning, “(please specify the page)”, in Christmas-Eve and Easter-Day. A Poem, London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC:

Archaic, No past, No present participle, Obsolete To imagine, ween; to deem.

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!1889, Harriet McEwen Kimball, Poems, "In the Garden":
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) […]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:

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.