we

Meanings

1. 1
   pron

   first person singular pronoun, for a monarch or person of high status

   We welcome you to the royal banquet, even though I'm just a singular Queen.

2. 2
   verb

   to be, plural; replaceable with 'we are' or 'we be'

   We working.

3. 3
   pron

   first person plural, typically

   We are glad you are here, because there is more than one of us.

4. 4
   pron

   Two or more people including or consisting of the speaker(s)/writer(s).

   We are here to arrest you.

5. 5
   pron

   The institution which the speaker/writer is acting for. (This is the editorial we, used by writers and others when speaking with the authority of their publication or organisation.)

   We will in due course state our reasons for publishing the name of the accused.

6. 6
   pron

   Any other entity that the speaker is a part of or identifies with, such as place of employment or education, nation, region, language, etc.

   I went to watch our school football match against Puddletown High. We lost 2-0.

7. 7
   pron

   People in general.

   We live and learn.

8. 8
   pron

   The sovereign alone in his or her capacity as monarch. (This is the royal we. The reflexive case of this sense of we is ourself.)

   We are Queen of all these Isles.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *wéyder. Proto-Germanic *wīz Proto-West Germanic *wiʀ Old English wē Middle English we English we From Middle English we, from Old English wē (“we”), from Proto-West Germanic *wiʀ, from Proto-Germanic *wīz, *wiz (“we”), from Proto-Indo-European *wéy (“we (plural)”). Cognate with Scots wee, we (“we”), North Frisian we (“we”), West Frisian wy (“we”), Low German wi (“we”), Dutch we, wij (“we”), German wir (“we”), Danish, Swedish and Norwegian vi (“we”), Icelandic vér, við (“we”), Avestan 𐬬𐬀𐬉𐬨 (vaēm), Sanskrit वयम् (vayám).