(used to denote oneself and another or others): We have two children. In this block we all own our own houses.
3.
(used to denote people in general): the marvels of science that we take for granted.
4.
(used to indicate a particular profession, nationality, political party, etc., that includes the speaker or writer): We in the medical profession have moral responsibilities.
5.
Also called the royal we.(used by a sovereign, or by other high officials and dignitaries, in place of I in formal speech): We do not wear this crown without humility.
6.
Also called the editorial we.(used by editors, writers, etc., to avoid the too personal or specific I or to represent a collective viewpoint): As for this column, we will have nothing to do with shady politicians.
7.
you (used familiarly, often with mild condescension or sarcasm, as in addressing a child, a patient, etc.): We know that's naughty, don't we? It's time we took our medicine.
8.
(used in the predicate following a copulative verb): It is we who should thank you.
9.
(used in apposition with a noun, esp. for emphasis): We Americans are a sturdy lot.
[Origin: bef. 900; ME, OE wé; c. D wij, G wir, ON vér, Goth weis]
O.E. ure "of us," genitive plural of the first person pronoun, from P.Gmc. *ons (cf. O.S. usa, O.Fris. use, O.H.G. unsar, Ger. unser, Goth. unsar "our"). Ours, formed c.1300, is a double possessive, originating in northern England, and has taken over the absolute function of our.Ourselves (1495), modeled on yourselves, replaced original construction we selfe, us selfum, etc.
I\ ([imac]), pron. [poss. My (m[imac]) or Mine (m[imac]n); object. Me (m[=e]). pl. nom. We (w[=e]); poss. Our (our) or Ours (ourz); object. Us ([u^]s).] [OE. i, ich, ic, AS. ic; akin to OS. & D. ik, OHG. ih, G. ich, Icel. ek, Dan. jeg, Sw. jag, Goth. ik, OSlav. az', Russ. ia, W. i, L. ego, Gr. 'egw`, 'egw`n, Skr. aham. [root]179. Cf. Egoism.] The nominative case of the pronoun of the first person; the word with which a speaker or writer denotes himself.
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, OCS azŭ, Lith aš, Skt ahám
