wee

See also:Wee,WEE,weè,andwêe

English

Pronunciation

• enPR:wē,IPA^(key):/wiː/

• Audio(US):

  (file)

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

Etymology 1

FromMiddle Englishwey,weygh,wegh,weȝe,wæȝe(“little bit”),fromOld Englishwǣġ,wǣġe(“weight”),fromProto-West Germanic*wāgu,fromProto-Germanic*wēgō(“scales, weight”)and*wēgǭ(“weight”),related toMiddle Englishweġan(“to move, weigh”)(15c).

Adjective

wee(comparativeweer,superlativeweest)

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

   You looked a little cold, so I lit aweefire.

   • 1907,Barbara Baynton,edited by Sally Krimmer and Alan Lawson,Human Toll(Portable Australian Authors: Barbara Baynton), St Lucia: University of Queensland Press, published1980,page275:

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

   • 2008,James Kelman,Kieron Smith, Boy,Penguin, published2009,page73:

     I had not seen aweeboy do it like that before. He wasweerthan 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:Thật nhỏ／Thật nhỏ(zh)(xìxiǎo),Nhỏ bé(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:Tiểu っちゃい(ja)(ちっちゃい, chitchai)
• Persian:کوچولو(phát)(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:چھوٹیf(čhōṭī)

Noun

wee

1. A shorttimeor shortdistance.

References

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

Etymology 2

Onomatopoeicfor the sound of urination. The noun derives from the verb.

Noun

wee(countableanduncountable,pluralwees)

1. (colloquial,uncountable)Urine.
2. (colloquial,countable)Anactofurination.

   I need to have awee.

Synonyms

• (all senses):wee-wee
• (urine):SeeThesaurus:urine
• (urination):SeeThesaurus:urination

Translations

urine—see alsourine

• 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)npl(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 alsourination

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

  Central Kurdish:میز کردن(mîz kirdin)

• Norwegian:tisse(no)

Verb

wee(third-person singular simple presentwees,present participleweeing,simple past and past participleweed)

1. (UK,colloquial)Tourinate.

   I need towee!I can't hold it any longer!

   • 2011March 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 towee.

Synonyms

• wee-wee,see alsoThesaurus:urinate

Derived terms

• bush wee
• wee-wee
• wild wee

Translations

to urinate—see alsourinate

• 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:κάνωτσίσα(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 withписать(pisát’) - towrite),попи́сать(ru)pf(popísatʹ)
• Spanish:hacer pis(es),hacer pipi(es)
• Swedish:pinka(sv),pissa(sv),kissa(sv)
• Turkish:çişyapma,işeme(tr)

Etymology 3

• seewe

Pronoun

wee(personal pronoun)

1. obsolete emphatic ofwe
   • 1645,John Milton,Tetrachordon:

     Yet lestweeshould be Capernaitans, asweeare told there that the flesh profiteth nothing, soweeare 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(autobenefactiveweyité)

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

Conjugation

Conjugation ofwee(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	wéewáyuh
	negative	wéewáytuh	wéewáyuh	wéewáytuh	wéewáynuh	wéewaytóonuh	wéewóonuh	wáankeh
conjunctive II	V-affirmative	waytánkeh	wáankeh	waytánkeh	waynánkeh	waytaanánkeh	waanánkeh	wáanke
	N-affirmative	waytánke	wáanke	waytánke	waynánke	waytaanánke	waanánke	wéewáankeh
	negative	wéewaytánkeh	wéewáankeh	wéewaytánkeh	wéewaynánkeh	wéewaytaanánkeh	wéewaanánkeh	wáay
jussive	affirmative	wáytay	wáay	wáytay	wáynay	waytóonay	wóonay	wéewáay
	negative	wéewáytay	wéewáay	wéewáytay	wéewáynay	wéewaytóonay	wéewóonay	wanniyóy
past conditional	affirmative	wannitóy	wannáy	wannáy	wanninóy	wannitóonuy	wanninóonuy	wéewóonay
	negative	wéewanniyóy	wéewannitóy	wéewannáy	wéewannáy	wéewanninóy	wéewannitóonuy	wéewanninóonuy
present conditional I	affirmative	wéek	wayték	wéek	wayték	waynék	wayteeník	weeník
	negative	wéewéek	wéewayték	wéewéek	wéewayték	wéewaynék	wéewayteeník	wéeweeník
		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 ofénorsugé present perfect affirmative perfective+imperfective ofén future perfect affirmative perfective+prospective ofsugé past progressive -k converb+imperfective ofénorsugé present progressive affirmative imperfect+imperfective ofén future progressive -k converb+prospective ofsugé immediate future affirmative conjunctive I+imperfective ofwée imperfect potential I affirmative conjunctive I+imperfective oftakké imperfect potential II affirmative imperfective+-m+takké negative wée+imperfective ofwée+-m+takké perfect potential affirmative perfective+-m+takké negative wée+perfective ofwée+-m+takké present conditional II affirmative imperfective+object pronoun+tekkék negative wée+perfective ofwée+object pronoun+tekkék perfect conditional affirmative perfective+imperfective ofsugé+-k negative perfective+sugé+imperfective ofwée-k irrealis wée+perfective ofxaaxéorraaré

References

• E. M. Parker, R. J. Hayward (1985) “wee”, inAn 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

FromOld Dutch*wē,fromProto-West Germanic*wai,fromProto-Germanic*wai.

CompareOld Englishwā(Englishwoe), Old High Germanwē(Germanweh), Old Norsevei.

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

• IPA^(key):/ʋeː/
• Rhymes:-eː

Adjective

wee(notcomparable)

1. nauseating

Declension

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

Noun

weef(pluralweeën,diminutiveweetjen)

1. contractionduringlabourorchildbirth

   Deweeënbeginnen!

   Thecontractionsare starting!

2. (archaic)sorrow,sadness,pain,woe(used in interjections ofdespairorannoyance)

   Owee,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 ofwe(“you, thou”)

Middle Dutch

Etymology

FromOld Dutch*wē,fromProto-West Germanic*wai.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):/weː/

Interjection

wêe

1. woe!

Descendants

• Dutch:wee

Adjective

wêe

1. unpleasant,painful

Inflection

This adjective needs aninflection-table template.

Descendants

• Dutch:wee

Noun

wêef

1. pain

Inflection

This noun needs aninflection-table template.

Descendants

• Dutch:wee
• Limburgish:wieë

Further reading

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

Middle English

Noun

wee

1. Alternative form ofwe(“woe”)

Scots

Etymology

InheritedfromOld Englishwēġ(e),wǣġ(unit of weight).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):/wiː/

Adjective

wee(comparativeweer,superlativeweest)

1. small,little,tiny

References

• “wee,n.1, adj., adv.”,inThe Dictionary of the Scots Language,Edinburgh:Scottish Language Dictionaries,2004–present,→OCLC,retrieved24 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

FromMiddle Englishwiþ,fromOld Englishwiþ.

Alternative forms

• wie,wi,wi',w',wough

Pronunciation

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

Preposition

wee

1. with
   • 1867,“THE WEDDEEN O BALLYMORE”, inSONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY,number 2, page94:

     Weeaar lhaung vlealès an pikkès, to waaite apan a breede.

     Withtheir long flails and picks, to wait upon the bride.

   • 1867,“THE WEDDEEN O BALLYMORE”, inSONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY,number 3, page94:

     Aar was lhaung kaayle an nettles, ee-mixtweeprasaugh buee,

     There was long kale and nettles, mingledwithyellow-weed,

   • 1867,“VERSES IN ANSWER TO THE WEDDEEN O BALLYMORE”, inSONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY,page98:

     Tibbès an crockèsweedrink war ee-felt.

     [Tubs and crocks were filledwithdrink.]

   • 1867,“VERSES IN ANSWER TO THE WEDDEEN O BALLYMORE”, inSONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY,number 2, page100:

     Craneen t' theeweeaam, thee luggès shell aake.

     Choking to theewiththem. Thy ears shall ache.

   • 1867,“VERSES IN ANSWER TO THE WEDDEEN O BALLYMORE”, inSONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY,number 3, page100:

     Risheenearès! Leth aam gaameweeaar barish-amang,

     Snack-eaters! let them game,withtheir barley-mung.

Derived terms

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

Etymology 2

Pronoun

wee

1. Alternative form ofwough(“we”)
   • 1867,GLOSSARY OF THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY,page59:

     Note willweedra aaght to-die?

     I don't know willwedraw any to-day?

   • 1867,CONGRATULATORY ADDRESS IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY,page114,lines1-3:

     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,page114,lines14-15:

     Mang ourzels——varweedwytheth an Irelonde az ure generale haime——

     Unto ourselves——forwelook on Ireland to be our common country——

   • 1867,CONGRATULATORY ADDRESS IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY,page116,lines8-9:

     weehert ee zough o'ye colure o' pace na nameo' Mulgrave.

     weheard the distant sound of the wings of the dove of peace, in the wordMulgrave.

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, published1867,page77

Yoruba

Etymology

Clippingofìwé.Cognates withYorubaèyí,Ìkálẹ̀Yorubaìyí

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”)