Rachel was wee [= Rachel was early?]

[destinywizard]

Wee means very early or little, but in the context: "Rachel ran in the wee hours of the morning.", it means very early.

Is it grammatically correct to say "Rachel was wee to the graduation ceremony." (Replaced: Rachel was very early to the graduation ceremony)?

I'm undecided on whether it is or isn't grammatically correct because another way of saying it is... "Rachel arrived very early to the graduation ceremony.", then replacing "very early" with "wee" would sound odd.

Thank you.

 

[PaulQ]

Wee means very early or little, but in the context: "Rachel ran in the wee hours of the morning.", it means very early.

No, wee does not mean "early" - wee (adj.) always means "small".

the wee hours of the morning. = the small hours of the morning. 'The small hours' are between midnight and about 4 o'clock. (Because the numbers of the hours - 1,2,3 - are small...)

Is it grammatically correct to say "Rachel was wee to the graduation ceremony."

Wee means small.

because another way of saying it is... "Rachel arrived very early to the graduation ceremony."

That is correct.

then replacing "very early" with "wee" would sound odd.

- not only odd - it would be wrong.

 

[sdgraham]

Is it grammatically correct to say "Rachel was wee to the graduation ceremony."

Ït is "grammatically" correct, but total nonsense. You cannot drop the "hours."

Our dictionary references here are misleading.

Sorry.

[cross-posted]

 

[destinywizard]

No, wee does not mean "early" - wee (adj.) always means "small".

the wee hours of the morning. = the small hours of the morning. 'The small hours' are between midnight and about 4 o'clock. (Because the numbers of the hours - 1,2,3 - are small...)
Wee means small.

That is correct.
- not only odd - it would be wrong.

Ït is "grammatically" correct, but total nonsense. You cannot drop the "hours."

Our dictionary references here are misleading.

Sorry.

[cross-posted]

I had a feeling that it would fail to make sense if one had said: "He was wee to the party." Thanks for the confirmation and time, cheers!

 

[natkretep]

I wouldn't understand you. I might have thought you were talking about urination. (Using wee rather than pee is common in BrE.)

 

[sdgraham]

Here, among the colonials, it takes two wees to equal a pee.

In other words, a child might have to "wee wee"

 

[natkretep]

We believe in economy of words! And it's for children and grown-ups too. And it's a noun and a verb.

(Oh, and if it was just 'Rachel was wee', I'd have thought this mean Rachel was titchy (OK that's another BrE word) or diminutive.)