dees
English
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈdiːz/
- Rhymes: -iːz
Noun
dees
- plural of dee, the name of the letter D.
- Something shaped like the letter D.
- The pommel is furnished with dees.
- (colloquial) Police detectives.
- The dees are about.
Catalan
Dutch
Etymology
Attested from the sixteenth century, possibly earlier.
Determiner
dees
- (nonstandard) Alternative form of deze
- Ik wil dees hebben, mag ik er een? ― I want to have this one, can I have one?
Usage notes
- Historically not uncommonly encountered even in writing, but today considered typical of spoken language, especially that of children.
Latin
Luxembourgish
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /deːs/
- Rhymes: -eːs
Etymology 1
Possibly from Middle High German deist (“that is”), contraction of daz or dat + ist. Compare German es sei denn (literally “it be then”) and the use of English that is to introduce a specification or additional requirement.
Alternatives include some formation with Luxembourgish ees (“once, sometime”), from Middle High German eins, or possibly a contraction similar to Dutch tenzij, based on Middle High German et en sī (“it be not”), where the loss of the stressed final syllable would be unexpected, however.
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Synonyms
Etymology 2
Inflected form of doen (“to do, to make”).
Middle Dutch
Determiner
dēes
- inflection of dese:
- masculine nominative singular
- feminine nominative/accusative singular
- nominative/accusative plural
Middle English
Etymology 2
From Old French des, plural of de. Owing to the noun's frequent use in the plural, sometimes, as in Modern English, reinterpreted as a singular.
Alternative forms
Semai
Etymology
From Proto-Mon-Khmer [Term?]. Compare Koho dous (“debt; fine”).
Synonyms
- (bad): nèc, nic
References
- Basrim bin Ngah Aching (2008) Kamus Engròq Semay – Engròq Malaysia, Kamus Bahasa Semai – Bahasa Malaysia, Bangi: Institut Alam dan Tamadun Melayu, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia