ws

See also: WS, Ws, ws., ws-, w's, .ws, W's, and wš

English

Noun

ws

1. plural of w

Usage notes

• Opinions vary regarding the use of apostrophes when forming the plurals of letters of the alphabet. New Fowler's Modern English Usage, after noting that the usage has changed, states on page 602 that "after letters an apostrophe is obligatory." The 15th edition of The Chicago Manual of Style states in paragraph 7.16, "To avoid confusion, lowercase letters ... form the plural with an apostrophe and an s". The Oxford Style Manual on page 116 advocates the use of common sense.

Anagrams

• S&W, SW, Sw., sw.

Dutch

Alternative forms

• wrs, wss, wrsch, wrslk

Adverb

ws

1. (Internet slang, text messaging) Abbreviation of waarschijnlijk (“probably”).

Egyptian

Pronunciation

• (modern Egyptological) IPA^(key): /wɛs/
  • Conventional anglicization: wes

Verb

 2-lit.

1. (intransitive) to lack [since the 22nd Dynasty]
   1. (with m) to lack (something)
2. to withhold, to leave without [Greco-Roman Period]

Inflection

Conjugation of ws (biliteral / 2-lit. / 2rad.) — base stem: ws, geminated stem: wss

infinitival forms imperative infinitive negatival complement complementary infinitive1 singular plural ws wsw, ws wst ws, j.ws ws, j.ws ‘pseudoverbal’ forms stative stem periphrastic imperfective2 periphrastic prospective2 ws ḥr ws m ws r ws suffix conjugation aspect / mood active passive contingent aspect / mood active passive perfect ws.n wsw, ws consecutive ws.jn active + .tj1, .tw2 active + .tj1, .tw2 terminative wst perfective3 ws active + .tj1, .tw2 obligative1 ws.ḫr active + .tj1, .tw2 imperfective ws, j.ws1 active + .tj1, .tw2 prospective3 ws wss potentialis1 ws.kꜣ active + .tj1, .tw2 active + .tj1, .tw2 subjunctive ws, j.ws1 active + .tj1, .tw2 verbal adjectives aspect / mood relative (incl. nominal / emphatic) forms participles active passive active passive perfect ws.n active + .tj1, .tw2 — — perfective ws active + .tj1, .tw2 ws wss, wssj6, ws2, wsw2 5, wsy2 5 imperfective j.ws1, ws, wsy, wsw5 active + .tj1, .tw2 j.ws1, j.wsw1 5, ws, wsj6, wsy6 ws, wsw5 prospective ws, wstj7 — wstj4, wst4 1 Used in Old Egyptian; archaic by Middle Egyptian. 2 Used mostly since Middle Egyptian. 3 Archaic or greatly restricted in usage by Middle Egyptian. The perfect has mostly taken over the functions of the perfective, and the subjunctive and periphrastic prospective have mostly replaced the prospective. 4 Declines using third-person suffix pronouns instead of adjectival endings: masculine .f/.fj, feminine .s/.sj, dual .sn/.snj, plural .sn. 5 Only in the masculine singular. 6 Only in the masculine. 7 Only in the feminine.

Alternative forms

Alternative hieroglyphic writings of ws  

ws	ws	ws
		[Late Period]

Derived terms

• jrj ws m
• n ws

Noun

 m

1. (only used in the phrase pr-m-ws) The meaning of this term is uncertain. Possibilities include:
   1. height (of a pyramid)
   2. crack or some other reference point from which the height of a pyramid is measured

Inflection

Declension of ws (masculine)

singular	ws
dual	wswj
plural	wsw

References

• Erman, Adolf, Grapow, Hermann (1926–1961) Wörterbuch der ägyptischen Sprache, Berlin: Akademie-Verlag, →ISBN
• Vafea, Flora (2002) The Mathematics of Pyramid Construction in Ancient Egypt.