Definition of wee

weeadjective

Mạnh

/wiː//wiː/

The word "wee" is a Scottish and Northern English dialect term that refers to something small or little. The origin of this word can be traced back to the Old English word "wygan," which meant "small" or "little." This word was later replaced by the Middle English term "wyne," which also meant "small" or "little." In Scots, a dialect of the English language spoken in Scotland, the word "wee" came into use in the 16th century, when it replaced the earlier Scots term "wyne" for "small." This change was likely due to the influence of Old Norse, which had also used a similar-sounding word, "vígligr," as a term for "little" or "small." Over time, the Scots term "wee" began to spread beyond Scotland and into neighboring English-speaking regions, where it gradually became incorporated into the local dialects. Its popularity was no doubt also fueled by its similarity in sound and meaning to other words in the area, such as the Welsh "hyw" and the Cornish "hwee." Today, the word "wee" is still used in Scottish and Northern English dialects, as well as in other English-speaking regions where these dialects have spread, such as the United States (particularly in Appalachia) and Australia. Its popularity and versatility have also led to its incorporation into other languages, such as Dutch (where it is transliterated as "wé" or "wéé") and Afrikaans (where it is known as "wê").

Summary
type tính từ
meaningrất nhỏ, nhỏ xíu
meaninghi, hi hi
namespace

very small in size

kích thước rất nhỏ

Example:
  • a wee girl

    một cô gái nhỏ

  • Who was that wee lassie who was here last night?

    Cô gái nhỏ đã ở đây tối qua là ai?

  • Let's head to the wee pub down the road for a pint or two.

    Chúng ta hãy đến quán rượu nhỏ cuối đường để uống một hoặc hai cốc bia nhé.

  • Our cat ate a whole can of wee cat food for breakfast.

    Con mèo của chúng tôi đã ăn hết một hộp thức ăn dành cho mèo vào bữa sáng.

  • Excuse me, miss, is that wee girl lost?

    Xin lỗi cô, cô bé kia có bị lạc không?

small in amount; little

số lượng nhỏ; nhỏ bé

Example:
  • Just a wee drop of milk for me.

    Chỉ một giọt sữa nhỏ cho tôi thôi.

  • I felt a wee bit guilty about it.

    Tôi cảm thấy hơi tội lỗi về điều đó.

Extra examples:
  • I might be a wee bit late.

    Có thể tôi sẽ đến muộn một chút.

  • Come inside for a wee dram.

    Hãy vào trong để xem một vở kịch nhỏ.

Idioms

the wee small hours
the period of time very early in the morning, soon after midnight
  • We danced into the wee small hours of the morning.
  • I woke in the wee hours.