Advertisement
whence (adv., conj.)
early 13c., whennes, with adverbial genitive -s, from Old English hwanone, related to hwænne (see when). Spelling with -ce (1520s) reflects the voiceless pronunciation.
Entries linking to whence
when (adv.)Old English hwænne, hwenne, hwonne, from Proto-Germanic *hwan- (source also of Old Saxon hwan, Old Frisian hwenne, Middle Dutch wan, Old High German hwanne, German wann "when," wenn "if, whenever"), from pronominal stem *hwa-, from PIE root *kwo-, stem of relative and interrogative pronouns. Equivalent to Latin quom, cum. As a conjunction in late Old English. Say when "tell me when to stop pouring you this drink" is from 1889.
*kwo- also *kwi-, Proto-Indo-European root, stem of relative and interrogative pronouns.
It forms all or part of: cheese (n.2) "a big thing;" cue (n.1) "stage direction;" either; hidalgo; how; kickshaw; neither; neuter; qua; quality; quandary; quantity; quasar; quasi; quasi-; query; quib; quibble; quiddity; quidnunc; quip; quodlibet; quondam; quorum; quote; quotidian; quotient; ubi; ubiquity; what; when; whence; where; whether; which; whither; who; whoever; whom; whose; why.
It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit kah "who, which;" Avestan ko, Hittite kuish "who;" Latin quis/quid "in what respect, to what extent; how, why," qua "where, which way," qui/quae/quod "who, which;" Lithuanian kas "who;" Old Church Slavonic kuto, Russian kto "who;" Old Irish ce, Welsh pwy "who;" Old English hwa, hwæt, hwær, etc.
It forms all or part of: cheese (n.2) "a big thing;" cue (n.1) "stage direction;" either; hidalgo; how; kickshaw; neither; neuter; qua; quality; quandary; quantity; quasar; quasi; quasi-; query; quib; quibble; quiddity; quidnunc; quip; quodlibet; quondam; quorum; quote; quotidian; quotient; ubi; ubiquity; what; when; whence; where; whether; which; whither; who; whoever; whom; whose; why.
It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit kah "who, which;" Avestan ko, Hittite kuish "who;" Latin quis/quid "in what respect, to what extent; how, why," qua "where, which way," qui/quae/quod "who, which;" Lithuanian kas "who;" Old Church Slavonic kuto, Russian kto "who;" Old Irish ce, Welsh pwy "who;" Old English hwa, hwæt, hwær, etc.
Share whence
‘cite’
Page URL:
https://www.etymonline.com/word/whence
HTML Link:
<a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/whence">Etymology of whence by etymonline</a>
APA style:
Harper, D. (n.d.). Etymology of whence. Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved $(datetime), from https://www.etymonline.com/word/whence
Chicago style:
Harper Douglas, “Etymology of whence,” Online Etymology Dictionary, accessed $(datetime), https://www.etymonline.com/word/whence.
MLA style:
Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of whence.” Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/whence. Accessed $(datetimeMla).
IEEE style:
D. Harper. “Etymology of whence.” Online Etymology Dictionary. https://www.etymonline.com/word/whence (accessed $(datetime)).
Advertisement
Advertisement
Definitions of whence
whence (adv.)
from what place, source, or cause;
Dictionary entries near whence
whelk
whelm
whelp
when
whenas
whence
whenever
where
whereabout
whereabouts
whereas