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Was vs Wis - What's the difference?

was | wis |

As a determiner was

is your (plural and polite).

As an adverb wis is

(rare|obsolete|or|dialectal) certainly, surely.

As an adjective wis is

(rare|obsolete|or|dialectal) certain.

As a verb wis is

(obsolete|or|archaic) to know.

was

English

Verb

(head)
  • .
  • .
  • (proscribed, dialect) .
  • * 1913 , Arthur Conan Doyle, The Poison Belt
    • "Was you outside the Bank of England, sir?"
  • (colloquial)
  • * 2001 , Darrel Rachel, The Magnolias Still Bloom (page 104)
    • “What happened here, Hadley?” the chief asked. “We was robbed, damn it, we was robbed.”

    Derived terms

    * *

    See also

    * am * are * is * art * be * being * been * beest * wast * were * wert * woz * wuz

    Statistics

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    Anagrams

    * * 100 English basic words English auxiliary verb forms English irregular first-person singular forms English irregular simple past forms English irregular third-person singular forms English verb simple past forms English verb forms using redundant wikisyntax ----

    wis

    English

    Alternative forms

    * wiss, ywis, iwis

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) . More at ywis.

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • (rare, obsolete, or, dialectal) Certainly, surely
  • * 1884 , Charlotte Mary Yonge, The armourer's prentices :
    • So I wis would the Dragon under him [...]
  • (rare, obsolete, or, dialectal) Really, truly
  • (rare, obsolete, or, dialectal) Indeed
    • "As wis God helpe me." --Chaucer.

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (rare, obsolete, or, dialectal) Certain
  • (rare, obsolete, or, dialectal) Sure
    • He was wis on his word
    Derived terms
    * (l)

    Etymology 2

    From an incorrect division, mistaking . See ywis for more information. The German verb wissen'' appears similar, but in fact corresponds etymologically to the English verb ''wit ; both of those verbs are only indirectly related to this one.

    Verb

  • (obsolete, or, archaic) To know.
  • (obsolete, or, archaic) To think, suppose.
    • "Howe'er you wis ." --R. Browning.
  • (obsolete, or, archaic) To imagine, ween; to deem.
    • Nor do I know how long it is (For I have lain entranced, I wis ). --Coleridge.
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