Wies

Wies is a term with several uses in German-speaking regions. In modern standard German, the common noun for a meadow is Wiese; Wies appears mainly in dialectal, historical, or toponymic contexts. As a standalone word, it is uncommon in everyday language but it occurs in surnames and in the names of places or geographic features.

Its origin is linked to the same root as Wiese, derived from Proto-Germanic roots referring to grassland. In older forms such as Middle High German, Wies appeared as a variant spelling or contraction of Wiese. In toponymy, Wies functions as a component in compound place names indicating meadow-like terrain or land associated with meadows.

Today, Wies is most often encountered as a surname or within place names. It is not typically used as the standard German word for meadow, and its appearance in texts outside of historical or regional contexts is usually recognizably archaising. In literature, the term may be used to evoke pastoral scenery.

See also: Wiese, Wiesen.