Y*wis" (?), adv. [OE. ywis, iwis, AS. gewis certain; akin to D. gewis, G. gewiss, and E. wit to know. See Wit to know, and Y-.]

Certainly; most likely; truly; probably.

[Obs. or Archaic]

"Ywis," quod he, "it is full dear, I say." Chaucer.

She answered me, "I-wisse, all their sport in the park is but a shadow to that pleasure that I find in Plato." Ascham.

A right good knight, and true of word ywis. Spenser.

⇒ The common form iwis was often written with the prefix apart from the rest of the word and capitalized, as, I wis, I wisse, etc. The prefix was mistaken for the pronoun, I and wis, wisse, for a form of the verb wit to know. See Wis, and cf. Wit, to know.

Our ship, I wis, Shall be of another form than this. Longfellow.

Z.

 

© Webster 1913.

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