Wayne’s Word – wee

It’s a little nod to Wayne’s World, but instead of ‘party time, excellent’ (if you are aware of the cult nineties classic) I will be diving into one WORD each day. It could be something I learned, something bizarre that happened, a favourite word that I have rediscovered or just a thought that won’t leave me alone.

If you’re joining in on today’s word, feel free to use this tag to connect your post to the series: #WaynesWord

Today’s word is WEE.

Now this is an absolute gem of a word and very much a staple of Northern Irish culture. You will be sure to hear it in every corner of Northern Ireland, from Belfast to Ballymena, the word wee is small in size but MASSIVE in usage. It might just be the most iconic Northern Irish word of them all.

At its core, wee means small or little but in Northern Irish language, it goes far beyond size, it is used to describe things affectionately, politely, or just habitually. You will hear wee being used all the time, in pretty much every sentence. I had actually forgotten how much we use the word when we hadn’t been home for a couple of years.

I remember going into Primark (a famous Northern Ireland department store) and the cashier said to me when I was about to pay for my goods, “Just put your wee card into the wee card machine”. Then she said “Do you want a wee bag for your wee purchases?”, I actually nearly choked with the amount of times wee was said.

I do use the word a lot, especially if I’m offering you a wee cup of tea. It’s not necessarily a small cup of tea, but rather it’s just being friendly. Other examples you might hear,

“Take a wee seat” – sit down (any size will do).

“Just a wee second” – hold on, give me a moment.

“A wee message for you” – might be important, might not be short.

It’s an endearing word that definitely makes you feel at home when everyone is using it. The word adds warmth, friendliness, or politeness, even to something serious or inconvenient. It is often about tone more than literal meaning.

It’s funny how people, especially in Australia are asking me why everything is described as wee. I have absolutely no idea, I think it’s just habit and something that’s hard to break away from.

It can also be used in Ireland and Scotland but especially beloved in Northern Ireland. Have you ever heard this word being used in these contexts? I would be curious to hear…