is

Meaning

be

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Synonyms

be
A1
are
A1
am
A1
exists
B2
yes
A1
have
A1
mean
A1

to be

there is
everything
A1
was
A1
possess
C1
exist
B1
imperfective
just
A1
like
A1
located
B2
means
A1
namely
C2
right
A1

same as

self
B2
sitting
A2
staying
A2
straight
A2
there are
very
A1

O.K.

Christmassy
49k
in the process

what is

is in the air

is on its way

is approaching

’Tis the season

as
A1
become
A1
called
A1
Christmas
A2
copula
dandy
C2
even if
fine
A1
found
A1
has
A1

he is

hunky-dory
42k
Translations

est
ist
è
es
est
sta
está
var
zijn
is
és

ye

هل
està
Frequency

A1
Pronounced as (IPA)
/ɪz/
Etymology

Inherited from Middle English
is
Inherited from Old English
is
Cognate with Western Frisian
Western Frisian
is
Cognate with Dutch
Dutch
is
Cognate with German
German
ist
Cognate with Afrikaans
is
Cognate with Old Norse
er
Cognate with Latin
Latin
sum
In summary

From Middle English is, from Old English is, from Proto-West Germanic *ist, from Proto-Germanic *isti (a form of Proto-Germanic *wesaną (“to be”)), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ésti (“is”). Cognate with West Frisian is (“is”), Dutch is (“is”), German ist (“is”), Yiddish איז (iz, “is”), Afrikaans is (“am, are, is”) Old Swedish är, er, Old Norse er, es. Further cognates include, among others, Latin est, Ancient Greek ἐστί (estí), Sanskrit अस्ति (asti), Persian است (ast), Russian есть (jestʹ), all with the same meaning.

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English