wise

English has two words spelled wise: the adjective “having good judgement” and the old noun “way, manner”, now mainly in compounds such as likewise.^[1][2] They go back to the same root.^[1][3]

Pronunciation

• IPA: /waɪz/^[4]

wise¹ sage

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English wis, inherited from Old English wīs (“learned, wise, sane, prudent, experienced”),^[5][1] from Proto-Germanic *wīsaz,^[1][2] also the source of Old Frisian and Old Saxon wīs, Dutch wijs, German weise, Old Norse víss and Gothic -weis.^[5][1] It is from the past-participle form *wittos of Proto-Indo-European *weid- (“to see; to know”),^[5][2] and is related to Old English witan “to know”, the source of wit.^[1][5] It is related to wisdom and witness.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Having sound judgement: about 725 in Barnhart, in Beowulf.^[1] In Old English it also meant learned, cunning, sane and experienced.^[5]

Semantic evolution

Middle English used it of skill in a trade or in war, and a hound good at tracking by scent was wise of nese.^[5] Informed or aware, as in none the wiser, is from the 12th century.^[2] Wiseacre (1595) is from Middle Dutch wijssegger “soothsayer”, by association with wise.^[1] Get wise is by 1896, wise up by 1905,^[5] and wisecrack from 1915–1924, American English.^[1] The American wise guy is late 19th century,^[3] and also a member of the Mafia since the 1970s.^[3] Streetwise is mid 20th century.^[3]

Timeline

• c. 725 – having good judgement.^[1]
• 1595 – wiseacre.^[1]
• late 19th century – wise guy.^[3]
• 1896 – get wise.^[5]
• 1905 – wise up.^[5]
• 1915 – wisecrack.^[1]

Modern meaning

Adjective

1. Having or showing good judgement and experience.
2. Sensible or prudent: a wise decision.
3. Having great knowledge; learned.
4. wise to: aware of, especially of something dishonest.

Verb

1. wise up: to become or make aware of the truth.

Word family

• wisely
• wisdom
• wiseacre
• wisecrack
• streetwise

wise² manner

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English wise, inherited from Old English wīse (“way, manner, custom; condition”),^[5][1][2] from Proto-Germanic *wīsō, “appearance, form, manner”,^[5][2] also the source of Old Saxon wīsa, Dutch wijze, German Weise and Old Norse -vís.^[5][1] It comes from the same root as the adjective;^[1][2] Etymonline compares Greek eîdos “form, shape, kind” for the sense change from “seeing” to “way of proceeding”.^[5][6] It is related to guise.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Way of proceeding, manner: about 725 in Barnhart, in Beowulf.^[1] Old English wīse also meant a melody.^[7][6]

Semantic evolution

The noun is now archaic outside phrases such as in no wise and in this wise.^[8][9] It is most common as the element -wise, used to form adverbs since Old English, as in likewise, lengthwise (late 16th century) and clockwise (late 19th century).^[5][3]

Timeline

• c. 725 – manner, way.^[1]
• late 16th century – lengthwise.^[3]
• late 19th century – clockwise.^[3]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. (archaic) Way or manner: in no wise, in this wise.

Word family

• likewise
• otherwise
• clockwise
• lengthwise

Related words

• wit
• witness
• guise
• idea
• vision

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
2. ^ a b c d e f g Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Cresswell, Julia (2021), Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins, 3rd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ Jones, Daniel (2011), Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary, 18th ed., ed. Peter Roach, Jane Setter and John Esling, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
6. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
7. ^ Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
8. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
9. ^ Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins