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ywis |
1 definition found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Ywis \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. Note: 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.
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