Wis

/wɪs/ verb

Definition

An archaic verb meaning 'to know' or 'to be aware of something.'

Etymology

From Old English witan meaning 'to know,' related to German wissen and Dutch weten. This root also gives us 'wit,' 'wisdom,' and 'witness.' Largely obsolete except in dialectal use.

Kelly Says

This tiny word is the ancestor of many modern English words about knowledge and intelligence! You can still hear echoes of 'wis' in phrases like 'to wit' meaning 'that is to say,' and it survives in some rural dialects where people might say 'I wis' instead of 'I know.'

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