English
iwis
Iwis comes from Middle English iwis ‘certain, sure’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *weyd- ‘to know’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*weyd-‘to know’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*gawissaz‘known, certain, sure’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*gawiss‘certain, sure’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150ġewiss‘certain, sure’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500iwis‘certain, sure’
- Englishearliest quotation 1842same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*weyd-‘to know’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*gawissaz‘known, certain, sure’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*gawiss‘certain, sure’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150ġewiss‘certain, sure’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500iwis‘certain, sure’
- Englishearliest quotation 1842same form
Earliest quotation: 1842, Thomas Macaulay: “Iwis, in all the Senate There was no heart…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *weyd- ‘to know’
story, video, guy, idea, provide, evidence, review, advice, interview, guide, visit, vision, witness, historic, evident, idol, invisible, advise, visa, wise, wisdom, historian, wizard, visibility, wit, prudent, vista, steroid, tabloid, envious, witty, revise, guise, prudence, revue, druid, vide, purview, improvise, voyeur, 120 more
through Old English ġewiss ‘certain, sure’
Today it means
adv Certainly, surely, indeed.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *weyd- / iwis