wee

See also: Wee, WEE, weè, and wêe

English

Pronunciation

• enPR: wē, IPA^(key): /wiː/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iː
• Homophones: oui, we, Wii; whee (wine–whine merger)

Etymology 1

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).

Adjective

wee (comparative weer, superlative weest)

1. (Scotland, Ireland, Northern England, New Zealand, Ottawa Valley, Mid-Ulster) Small, little.

   You looked a little cold, so I lit a wee fire.

   • 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:

     The beat of its wee heart held against her own, sent her intense maternity surging like the spring sap in a young tree.

   • 2008, James Kelman, Kieron Smith, Boy, Penguin, published 2009, page 73:

     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.

Derived terms

• wee folk
• Wee Free
• wee heavy
• wee hour
• wee hours
• wee small hour
• wee small hours

Translations

small, little

• Bashkir: бәләкәй (bələkəy), бәләкәс (bələkəs), кесе (kese), кескәй (keskəy)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 細小／细小 (zh) (xìxiǎo), 微小 (zh) (wēixiǎo)

• Czech: malý (cs)
• Danish: lille (da)
• Dutch: klein (nl), petieterig (nl), pietepeuterig (nl)
• Finnish: pikkuruinen (fi)
• French: petit (fr)
• Georgian: პაწაწა (ṗac̣ac̣a), პაწაწინა (ṗac̣ac̣ina), პაწაწკინტელა (ṗac̣ac̣ḳinṭela), ციცქნა (cickna), პატარა (ka) (ṗaṭara), მცირე (mcire)
• German: winzig (de), klein (de)
• Greek: μικρούτσικος (el) (mikroútsikos), τοσοσδά (tososdá)
• Hebrew: קטן (he) m (katán)
• Hungarian: apró (hu), csöpp (hu), hangyányi
• Irish: beag
• Italian: piccolo (it)
• Japanese: 小っちゃい (ja) (ちっちゃい, chitchai)
• Persian: کوچولو (fa) (kučulu)
• Polish: drobny (pl), mały (pl)
• Portuguese: pequeno (pt), miúdo (pt)
• Russian: кро́шечный (ru) (króšečnyj), кро́хотный (ru) (króxotnyj), малю́сенький (ru) (maljúsenʹkij), ма́ленький (ru) (málenʹkij), ничто́жный (ru) (ničtóžnyj) (of quantity)
• Serbo-Croatian: mali (sh), sićušan
• Spanish: pequeño (es)
• Swedish: liten (sv)
• Turkish: küçük (tr)
• Urdu: چھوٹی f (čhōṭī)

Noun

wee

1. A short time or short distance.

References

• Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary: Tenth Edition (1997)

Etymology 2

Onomatopoeic for the sound of urination. The noun derives from the verb.

Noun

wee (countable and uncountable, plural wees)

1. (colloquial, uncountable) Urine.
2. (colloquial, countable) An act of urination.

   I need to have a wee.

Synonyms

• (all senses): wee-wee
• (urine): See Thesaurus:urine
• (urination): See Thesaurus:urination

Translations

urine — see also urine

• Czech: moč (cs) f, čuránky, chcanky (cs)
• Dutch: pis (nl) m, urine (nl) f
• Finnish: pissa (fi)
• French: pipi (fr) m
• German: Pipi (de) n
• Greek: τσίσα (el) n pl (tsísa), πιπί (el) n (pipí)
• Hungarian: pisi (hu)
• Italian: pipì (it) f
• Japanese: おしっこ (ja) (oshikko)
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: میز (mîz)

• Norwegian: tiss (no) n
• Ottoman Turkish: سیدك (sidik)
• Portuguese: (Portugal) chichi (pt) m, (Brazil) xixi (pt) m
• Spanish: orina (es), pis (es) m, pipí (es) m
• Swedish: kiss (sv), pink (sv), piss (sv), urin (sv)
• Turkish: çiş (tr), sidik (tr)

act of urination — see also urination

• Czech: čůrání n
• Dutch: plas (nl) m
• Finnish: pissaaminen (fi)
• Greek: τσίσα (el) n pl (tsísa), πιπί (el) n (pipí)
• Hungarian: pisilés
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: میز کردن (mîz kirdin)

• Norwegian: tisse (no)

Verb

wee (third-person singular simple present wees, present participle weeing, simple past and past participle weed)

1. (UK, colloquial) To urinate.

   I need to wee! I can't hold it any longer!

   • 2011 March 15, Tom Armstrong, Marvin (comic):

     When I was young, I was up every night until the wee hours. Now I'm up every hour at night to wee.

Synonyms

• wee-wee, see also Thesaurus:urinate

Derived terms

• bush wee
• wee-wee
• wild wee

 

Translations

to urinate — see also urinate

• Czech: čůrat (cs) impf, chcát (cs) impf
• Dutch: plassen (nl), pipi doen (nl), wateren (nl), pissen (nl), urineren (nl)
• Finnish: pissata (fi), pissiä (fi)
• French: faire pipi (fr)
• German: pinkeln (de), pissen (de), Pipi machen (de)
• Greek: κάνω τσίσα (káno tsísa), κατουράω (el) (katouráo)
• Italian: fare la pipì (it)
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: میز کردن (mîz kirdin)

• Portuguese: fazer xixi
• Russian: пи́сать (ru) impf (písatʹ) (homograph with писать (pisát’) - to write), попи́сать (ru) pf (popísatʹ)
• Spanish: hacer pis (es), hacer pipi (es)
• Swedish: pinka (sv), pissa (sv), kissa (sv)
• Turkish: çiş yapma, işeme (tr)

Etymology 3

• see we

Pronoun

wee (personal pronoun)

1. obsolete emphatic of we
   • 1645, John Milton, Tetrachordon:

     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.

See also

etymologically unrelated terms containing the word "wee"

• ooh-wee
• peewee
• wee juggler
• wee woo

 

Anagrams

• EWE, eew, Ewe, ewe

Afar

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈweː/ [ˈweː]
• Hyphenation: wee

Verb

wée (autobenefactive weyité)

1. (transitive) lack
2. (transitive) miss
3. (auxiliary) Used to form the negative of some moods and aspects.

Conjugation

Conjugation of wee (irregular)
		1st singular	2nd singular	3rd singular		1st plural	2nd plural	3rd plural
				m	f
perfective	V-affirmative	wéeh	waytéh	wéeh	waytéh	waynéh	wayteeníh	weeníh
	N-affirmative	wée	wayté	wée	wayté	wayné	waytén	wéen
	negative	máwanniyo	máwannito	máwanna	máwanna	máwannino	máwanniton	máwannon
imperfective	V-affirmative	wáah	waytáh	wáah	waytáh	waynáh	waytaanáh	waanáh
	N-affirmative	wáa	waytá	wáa	waytá	waytán	wáan	máwaa
	negative	máwayta	máwaa	máwayta	máwayna	máwaytan	máwaan	wéeliyoh, wéeyyoh
prospective	V-affirmative	wéelitoh, wéettoh	wéeleh	wéeleh	wéelinoh, wéennoh	wéelitoonuh, wéettoonuh	wéeloonuh	wéeliyo, wéeyyo
	N-affirmative	wéelito, wéetto	wéele	wéele	wéelino, wéenno	wéeliton, wéetton	wéelon	wáyuh
conjunctive I	V-affirmative	wáytuh	wáyuh	wáytuh	wáynuh	waytóonuh	wóonuh	wáyu
	N-affirmative	wáytu	wáyu	wáytu	wáynu	wáytoonu	wóonu	wée wáyuh
	negative	wée wáytuh	wée wáyuh	wée wáytuh	wée wáynuh	wée waytóonuh	wée wóonuh	wáankeh
conjunctive II	V-affirmative	waytánkeh	wáankeh	waytánkeh	waynánkeh	waytaanánkeh	waanánkeh	wáanke
	N-affirmative	waytánke	wáanke	waytánke	waynánke	waytaanánke	waanánke	wée wáankeh
	negative	wée waytánkeh	wée wáankeh	wée waytánkeh	wée waynánkeh	wée waytaanánkeh	wée waanánkeh	wáay
jussive	affirmative	wáytay	wáay	wáytay	wáynay	waytóonay	wóonay	wée wáay
	negative	wée wáytay	wée wáay	wée wáytay	wée wáynay	wée waytóonay	wée wóonay	wanniyóy
past conditional	affirmative	wannitóy	wannáy	wannáy	wanninóy	wannitóonuy	wanninóonuy	wée wóonay
	negative	wée wanniyóy	wée wannitóy	wée wannáy	wée wannáy	wée wanninóy	wée wannitóonuy	wée wanninóonuy
present conditional I	affirmative	wéek	wayték	wéek	wayték	waynék	wayteeník	weeník
	negative	wée wéek	wée wayték	wée wéek	wée wayték	wée waynék	wée wayteeník	wée weeník
		singular	plural			singular	plural
consultative	affirmative	wayóo	waynóo	imperative	affirmative	wáy	wáya
	negative	mawayóo	mawaynóo		negative	máwan	máwana
-h converb	-i form	-k converb	-in(n)uh converb	-innuk converb	infinitive	indefinite participle
						V-focus	N-focus
wáah	wáyi	wáak	wayínnuh	wayínnuk	wayíyya	wannáanih	wannáan
Compound tenses past perfect affirmative perfective perfective of én or sugé present perfect affirmative perfective imperfective of én future perfect affirmative perfective prospective of sugé past progressive -k converb imperfective of én or sugé present progressive affirmative imperfect imperfective of én future progressive -k converb prospective of sugé immediate future affirmative conjunctive I imperfective of wée imperfect potential I affirmative conjunctive I imperfective of takké imperfect potential II affirmative imperfective -m takké negative wée imperfective of wée -m takké perfect potential affirmative perfective -m takké negative wée perfective of wée -m takké present conditional II affirmative imperfective object pronoun tekkék negative wée perfective of wée object pronoun tekkék perfect conditional affirmative perfective imperfective of sugé -k negative perfective sugé imperfective of wée -k irrealis wée perfective of xaaxé or raaré

References

• E. M. Parker, R. J. Hayward (1985) “wee”, in An Afar-English-French dictionary (with Grammatical Notes in English), University of London, →ISBN
• Mohamed Hassan Kamil (2015) L’afar: description grammaticale d’une langue couchitique (Djibouti, Erythrée et Ethiopie)‎^[1], Paris: Université Sorbonne Paris Cité (doctoral thesis)

Dutch

Etymology

From Old Dutch *wē, from Proto-West Germanic *wai, from Proto-Germanic *wai.

Compare Old English wā (English woe), Old High German wē (German weh), Old Norse vei.

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

• IPA^(key): /ʋeː/
• Rhymes: -eː

Adjective

wee (not comparable)

1. nauseating

Declension

Declension of wee
uninflected	wee
inflected	weeë
comparative	—
		positive
predicative/adverbial		wee
indefinite	m./f. sing.	weeë
	n. sing.	wee
	plural	weeë
definite		weeë
partitive		wees

Noun

wee f (plural weeën, diminutive weetje n)

1. contraction during labour or childbirth

   De weeën beginnen!

   The contractions are starting!

2. (archaic) sorrow, sadness, pain, woe (used in interjections of despair or annoyance)

   O wee, wat zal er van ons worden.

   Oh woe, what shall become of us.

Derived terms

• (sorrow): o wee, ach en wee, heimwee

Descendants

• Afrikaans: wee

Anagrams

• Ewe

Kikuyu

Pronoun

wee (second person singular)

1. Alternative spelling of we (“you, thou”)

Middle Dutch

Etymology

From Old Dutch *wē, from Proto-West Germanic *wai.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /weː/

Interjection

wêe

1. woe!

Descendants

• Dutch: wee

Adjective

wêe

1. unpleasant, painful

Inflection

This adjective needs an inflection-table template.

Descendants

• Dutch: wee

Noun

wêe f

1. pain

Inflection

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

Descendants

• Dutch: wee
• Limburgish: wieë

Further reading

• “wee”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “wee (I)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN, page I

Middle English

Noun

wee

1. Alternative form of we (“woe”)

Scots

Etymology

Inherited from Old English wēġ(e), wǣġ (unit of weight).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wiː/

Adjective

wee (comparative weer, superlative weest)

1. small, little, tiny

References

• “wee, n.1, adj., adv.”, in The Dictionary of the Scots Language, Edinburgh: Scottish Language Dictionaries, 2004–present, →OCLC, retrieved 24 May 2024, reproduced from W[illiam] Grant and D[avid] D. Murison, editors, The Scottish National Dictionary, Edinburgh: Scottish National Dictionary Association, 1931–1976, →OCLC.

Yola

Etymology 1

From Middle English wiþ, from Old English wiþ.

Alternative forms

• wie, wi, wi', w', wough

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wiː/, /w/, /wuː/
• Homophone: wye

Preposition

wee

1. with
   • 1867, “THE WEDDEEN O BALLYMORE”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 2, page 94:

     Wee aar lhaung vlealès an pikkès, to waaite apan a breede.

     With their long flails and picks, to wait upon the bride.

   • 1867, “THE WEDDEEN O BALLYMORE”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 3, page 94:

     Aar was lhaung kaayle an nettles, ee-mixt wee prasaugh buee,

     There was long kale and nettles, mingled with yellow-weed,

   • 1867, “VERSES IN ANSWER TO THE WEDDEEN O BALLYMORE”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, page 98:

     Tibbès an crockès wee drink war ee-felt.

     [Tubs and crocks were filled with drink.]

   • 1867, “VERSES IN ANSWER TO THE WEDDEEN O BALLYMORE”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 2, page 100:

     Craneen t' thee wee aam, thee luggès shell aake.

     Choking to thee with them. Thy ears shall ache.

   • 1867, “VERSES IN ANSWER TO THE WEDDEEN O BALLYMORE”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 3, page 100:

     Risheenearès! Leth aam gaame wee aar barish-amang,

     Snack-eaters! let them game, with their barley-mung.

Derived terms

• w'aam
• w'aare
• w'all
• w'eeme
• w'ous
• wi'oute

 

Etymology 2

Pronoun

wee

1. Alternative form of wough (“we”)
   • 1867, GLOSSARY OF THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, page 59:

     Note will wee dra aaght to-die?

     I don't know will we draw any to-day?

   • 1867, CONGRATULATORY ADDRESS IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, page 114, lines 1-3:

     Wee, Vassalès o' 'His Most Gracious Majesty,' Wilyame ee Vourthe,

     We, the subjects of his Most Gracious Majesty, William IV.,

   • 1867, CONGRATULATORY ADDRESS IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, page 114, lines 14-15:

     Mang ourzels——var wee dwytheth an Irelonde az ure generale haime——

     Unto ourselves——for we look on Ireland to be our common country——

   • 1867, CONGRATULATORY ADDRESS IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, page 116, lines 8-9:

     wee hert ee zough o'ye colure o' pace na name o' Mulgrave.

     we heard the distant sound of the wings of the dove of peace, in the word Mulgrave.

References

• Jacob Poole (d. 1827) (before 1828) William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, published 1867, page 77

Yoruba

Etymology

Clipping of ìwé. Cognates with Yoruba èyí, Ìkálẹ̀ Yoruba ìyí

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wèé/

Determiner

wèé

1. (Ijebu) this

Related terms

• ìwé (“this”)
• ọ̀wọ̀nwé (“these”)
• wọ̀nwé (“this”)
• ọ̀wọ̀nyẹ̀n (“those”)
• wọ̀nyẹ̀n (“those”)
• ìyẹ̀n (“that”)
• yẹ̀n (“that”)