वे

Etymology

Inherited from Old Hindi वे (ve), वै (vai), from Apabhramsa ओइ (oi), perhaps ultimately from Sanskrit *अव (ava), attested in अवोष् (avoṣ), अवोर् (avor, “of you both”, gen. du.), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *avá. Compare Avestan 𐬀𐬬𐬀 (ava).^[1][2]

Pronunciation

• (Delhi) IPA^(key): /ʋeː/

• Audio:

  (file)

  • Homophones: वह (vah), वो (vo)

Pronoun

वे • (ve) m pl or f pl by sense (Urdu spelling وے) (demonstrative)

1. direct plural of वह (vah); they, those, he (honorific), she (honorific)

   वे अच्छे लोग हैं। ― ve acche log ha͠i. ― They are good people.

   उन मकानों में छह कमरे हैं।

   un makānõ mẽ chah kamre ha͠i.

   In those houses there are six rooms.

References

Further reading

• McGregor, Ronald Stuart (1993) “वे”, in The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary, London: Oxford University Press
• Platts, John T. (1884) “वे”, in A dictionary of Urdu, classical Hindi, and English, London: W. H. Allen & Co.

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /ʋɐ́j/
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /ʋeː/

Noun

वे • (vé)

1. vocative singular of वि (ví, “bird”)