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单词 what
释义

whatpron.adv.int.adj.1conj.n.

Brit. /wɒt/, U.S. /(h)wət/, /(h)wɑt/
Forms:

α. early Old English huaet, Old English chuæt (Northumbrian), Old English hæd (Northumbrian), Old English hæt (probably transmission error), Old English huæd (Northumbrian), Old English huædd (Northumbrian), Old English huædt (Northumbrian), Old English huæt (Anglian and early), Old English huætd (Northumbrian), Old English huæð (Northumbrian), Old English huætt (Northumbrian), Old English huaex (Northumbrian, transmission error), Old English huęd (Northumbrian), Old English hwæf (transmission error), Old English hwætd (Northumbrian), Old English hwæð, Old English hwætt, Old English hwęt, Old English (Mercian) early Middle English huat, Old English (rare) early Middle English (south-west midlands) whæt, Old English–early Middle English hwæt, Old English–early Middle English wæt, Old English (Northumbrian)–Middle English (south-eastern) huet, Old English (Mercian and late)–Middle English hwat, Old English (chiefly non-West Saxon and late)–Middle English (chiefly south-west midlands) hwet, late Old English hæwæt, late Old English hæwet, late Old English hwæd, late Old English hweð, late Old English–Middle English wat, late Old English (Kentish)–Middle English (south-west midlands and southern) wet, early Middle English ȝwat, early Middle English hweat (south-west midlands), early Middle English ihwat (in a copy of an Old English charter), early Middle English wæht (south-west midlands), early Middle English waet (south-west midlands), early Middle English weht (south-west midlands), early Middle English whæht (south-west midlands), Middle English ȝat, Middle English hyet (transmission error), Middle English þwat (transmission error), Middle English vat, Middle English vhat, Middle English wad, Middle English waȝt, Middle English waht, Middle English was (transmission error), Middle English wate, Middle English wath, Middle English watt, Middle English watte, Middle English wȝat, Middle English wha (transmission error), Middle English whad, Middle English whath, Middle English whed (south-west midlands), Middle English whet (chiefly west midlands), Middle English whett, Middle English whot, Middle English whote, Middle English–1500s whatte, Middle English–1600s whate, Middle English–1600s whatt, Middle English– what, 1800s– w'at (regional or nonstandard), 1800s– wha' (regional or nonstandard), 1800s– whut (Irish English), 1800s– wot (regional or nonstandard), 1900s– whaat (Irish English (northern)); English regional 1800s whad, 1800s whoat (Cornwall), 1800s whod (Lancashire), 1800s whot (Lancashire), 1800s wod (Lancashire), 1800s wut, 1800s– whaat; U.S. regional 1900s whut, 1900s– hwa, 1900s– wuh (in African-American usage); Scottish pre-1700 uhat, pre-1700 whatt, pre-1700 wuhat, 1700s whate, 1700s 1700s– what, 1900s– whaat (Shetland), 1900s– whit, 1900s– whut; also (in early use) represented by the abbreviation wt.

β. Chiefly northern, north midlands and East Anglian Middle English qhat, Middle English qhatt, Middle English quad, Middle English quat, Middle English quatt, Middle English quuat, Middle English qwaht, Middle English qwat, Middle English qwate, Middle English qwath, Middle English qwatt, Middle English qwatte, Middle English qwhat, Middle English qwhate, Middle English qwhatt; Scottish pre-1700 qhat, pre-1700 quhait, pre-1700 quhaitt, pre-1700 quhate, pre-1700 quhatt, pre-1700 quhet, pre-1700 quhit, pre-1700 quhot, pre-1700 qvhat, pre-1700 qwat, pre-1700 qwhait, pre-1700 qwhat, pre-1700 1700s (1800s–1900s archaic) quhat, pre-1700 (1900s– Shetland) quat; also (in early use) represented by the abbreviations qat, qt.

γ. Scottish (chiefly north-eastern) pre-1700 1700s– fat, 1800s faht, 1800s fut, 1800s phat, 1900s– fit; Irish English 1700s f'ad (Wexford), 1700s fade (Wexford), 1800s faade (Wexford), 1800s– fat.

δ. English regional (south-western) 1700s–1800s hot.

ε. English regional (northern and north midlands) 1800s whor, 1800s whorr, 1800s wor, 1900s whau.

ζ. English regional (Devon) 1800s ott; Scottish (north-eastern) 1900s at.

Origin: A word inherited from Germanic.
Etymology: Cognate with Old Frisian hwet , wet , hwat , wat , etc. (West Frisian wat ), Old Dutch uuat , uuad (Middle Dutch, Dutch wat ), Old Saxon huat (Middle Low German wat ), Old High German hwaz , waz (Middle High German waz , German was ), Old Icelandic hvat (Icelandic hvað ), Old Swedish hvat , hvadh (Swedish vad ), Old Danish hwat (Danish hvad ), Gothic hwa , showing the reflex of a neuter singular pronoun formed on the same Indo-European stem as who pron.For cognate forms in other branches of Indo-European see note at who pron. and n. Gothic hwa shows (apparently analogical) loss of the ending. The Middle English form ihwat at α. forms (in a late copy of an Old English charter) is after prefixed forms in y- prefix.
The main classification of the uses of this word is (as usual) according to part of speech. Within these divisions senses are arranged according to the major functions, as follows: interrogative uses, A. I., B. I., D. I.; exclamatory uses, A. IV., B. III., C., D. III.; relative uses, A. III., D. II., E. 1, E. 2; indefinite (non-relative) uses, A. II., B. II.
A. pron.In Old English hwæt functions as the nominative and accusative singular of the neuter pronoun (for other case forms of the neuter, cf. whon pron., and the discussion at whom pron., whose pron.). The original neuter gender is reflected by later use with reference to things rather than persons (compare e.g. sense A. 1), except in specific senses (compare e.g. sense A. 2).
I. As interrogative pronoun (originally of neuter gender).
1. Used in asking the identity or name of a thing or (later) things, specified, indicated, or understood.
a. In direct questions.
ΚΠ
OE Blickling Homilies 15 Hwæt wilt þu þæt ic þe do?
c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 10970 Whatt wass þatt te faderr sellf. Þær off hiss sune seȝȝde?
a1225 (?OE) MS Vesp. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1868) 1st Ser. 233 Unwraste man wat lacede ȝeu an alle mire rice.
?c1250 (?c1175) Poema Morale (Egerton) l. 92 in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1868) 1st Ser. 290 Wet sulle hi segge oþer don at þe muchele dome.
c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1978) l. 14784 Whæt [c1300 Otho Wat] þenchest þu Austin what þenchest þu leof min.
1340 Ayenbite (1866) 265 Sleȝþe zayþ, ‘God wet ssolle we do.’
c1390 Pistel of Swete Susan (Vernon) l. 287 What signefyes, gode sone, þese sawus þat þou seis?
c1450 Alphabet of Tales (1904) I. 50 Þe furste question was þis, What was þe grettest mervayle & fayrest þing þat evur God made in leste rowme?
a1470 T. Malory Morte Darthur (Winch. Coll. 13) (1990) I. 279 What is your brothirs name?
1560 Bible (Geneva) Ezra v. 4 What are the names of the men..?
1560 Bible (Geneva) Zech. xiii. 6 What are these woundes in thine hands?
1582 W. Allen Briefe Hist. Glorious Martyrdom sig. A8v One demaunded, what do you meane by Catholike religion?
1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Æneis x, in tr. Virgil Wks. 526 What will they say of their deserting Chief?
1749 H. Fielding Tom Jones III. viii. xii. 260 ‘Nubbing Cheat’, cries Partridge, ‘Pray, Sir, what is that?’ View more context for this quotation
1782 F. Burney Cecilia IV. vii. ii. 29 Odd people? and in what are we so very odd?
1853 C. M. Yonge Heir of Redclyffe II. iii. 41 What has come to you?
1863 W. M. Thackeray Roundabout Papers xxviii, in Cornhill Mag. Feb. 262 What are the technical words, and how do I know?
1884 W. S. Gilbert Princess Ida ii Flo. But what are these? Hil... Why, Academic robes, Worn by the lady undergraduates, When they matriculate.
1924 Sun-Herald (Lime Springs, Iowa) 7 Feb. 1/2 What should be done to treat roup in poultry?
2015 ‘L. Child’ Make Me xxviii. 174 She called his cell, but he didn't answer... What are the possible reasons for not answering a cell phone call?
b. In indirect questions, and clauses of similar meaning.The interrogative force varies according to the nature of the main clause; after verbs or phrases of asking, wondering, etc., the subordinate clause is more or less explicitly an indirect question (e.g. I asked him what he meant = ‘I asked him “What do you mean?”’); after verbs or phrases of knowing, saying, etc., it is only implicitly so, but the sense is essentially the same, and is to be distinguished from the nominal relative (where what means ‘that which’: see sense A. III.*), which however it sometimes closely approaches, the construction being often identical; cf. I did not know what he meant (which implies the mental question ‘What did he mean?’) with I did not hear what he said (where what simply = ‘that which’).
The subordinate clause may function as the subject of a sentence; e.g. What he meant was unknown to me = ‘I did not know what he meant’: cf. quot. 1766 at how adv. 13.
(a) In a finite clause. Also with the main verb or other elements implied.
ΚΠ
eOE King Ælfred tr. Gregory Pastoral Care (Hatton) (1871) lii. 405 He..him getæhte hwæt hi on ðæm [sc. frioum anwalde] don sceolden, hwæt ne scolden.
?a1160 Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Laud) (Peterborough contin.) anno 1137 Nu we willen sægen sumdel wat belamp on Stephnes kinges time.
c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 2904 Iosæp..mikell ummbeþohhte. Off whatt himm wære bettst to don.
a1225 (?c1175) Poema Morale (Lamb.) l. 79 in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1868) 1st Ser. 165 He wat wet þenkeð and hwet doð alle quike wihte.
c1275 (?c1250) Owl & Nightingale (Calig.) (1935) l. 1441 Hit nuste neauer hwat hit was.
c1300 Holy Cross (Laud) l. 350 in C. Horstmann Early S.-Eng. Legendary (1887) 11 He..Axede heom of þe croyz ȝwat were þe tokningue.
c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) l. 9249 To loke wat were best to do.
1340 Ayenbite (1866) 264 Me him acseþ, ‘huo he ys, huannes he comþ, huet he heþ ysoȝe.’
a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) Prol. l. 26 What schal befalle hierafterward God wot.
?1449 M. Paston in Paston Lett. & Papers (2004) I. 235 Qhat þe cawse is I wote nott.
1533 J. Gau tr. C. Pedersen Richt Vay 7 It is neidful first to ane seik man to knaw quhat is his seiknes.
?1553 (c1501) G. Douglas Palice of Honour (London) i. l. 682 in Shorter Poems (1967) 48 He demandit myn answere quhat I sayd?
1569 R. Grafton Chron. II. 89 Demaunding of them what the matter was.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Twelfth Night (1623) iii. iii. 8 Iealousie, what might befall your trauell [printed rravell] . View more context for this quotation
1671 J. Milton Samson Agonistes 1346 I am sorry what this stoutness will produce. View more context for this quotation
1749 H. Fielding Tom Jones V. xv. vii. 244 Ay, to be sure... It signifies nothing what becomes of them. View more context for this quotation
1773 O. Goldsmith She stoops to Conquer ii. 26 I believe they are in actual consultation upon what's for supper.
1782 F. Burney Cecilia V. x. ii. 222 Something strange..must have happened, but what, she had no means to know.
1849 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. v. 540 What such a force..could effect..was proved, a few years later, at Killiecrankie.
1850 Househ. Words 15 June 285/1 It will be time enough then to think what next.
1889 R. L. Stevenson Master of Ballantrae vi. 186 Has it never come in upon your mind what you are doing?
1930 J. B. Priestley Good Companions i. vi. 232 ‘Oh, put a sock in it,’ he said to the ripe gentleman, who immediately and very loudly asked him what he meant by it.
1976 J. R. Smythies & L. Corbett Psychiatry Students of Med. xvii. 291 Most psychotherapists refuse to give specific advice as to what their patient's conduct should be in cases where ethical problems are concerned.
2002 S. McKay Northern Protestants (new ed.) 275 I asked her what the drugs were. ‘I dinny know,’ she said.
(b) As the object of a following infinitive (cf. to 16), esp. with know as the main verb.
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c1225 (?c1200) St. Katherine (Bodl.) (1981) l. 563 Þe king..bigon to cwakien ant nuste hwet seggen.
c1300 (?c1225) King Horn (Cambr.) (1901) l. 276 Þe stuard was in herte wo, For he nuste what to do.
1485 W. Caxton tr. Thystorye & Lyf Charles the Grete sig. kvv/2 Charles knewe not what to do but to praye god and saynt Iames for whom he went that in the vertu of hys name he myght take that cyte.
1624 J. Smith Gen. Hist. Virginia i. 16 We tooke more Cod then we knew what to doe with.
1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Æneis iv, in tr. Virgil Wks. 309 Jove will inspire him, when, and what to say.
1713 G. Berkeley Three Dialogues Hylas & Philonous i. 47 I know not what to think of it.
1883 D. C. Murray Hearts ii Cousin Mark was not burdened with more money than he knew what to do with.
1993 N.Y. Times Bk. Rev. 27 June 13/3 One of Gilbert Murray's successors..asked what to read to gain an insight into the Hellenic world, had replied, ‘Oh Mary Renault every time.’
2005 N. Brooks My Name is Denise Forrester 278 And Denise was wondering what to tell her but then couldn't think how to begin.
2. Originally: †used in asking the identity or name of a person or persons specified, indicated, or understood (and thus equivalent to who) (obsolete). Subsequently: used in asking the character, function, etc., of a person or persons specified, indicated, or understood. Only in predicative use (cf. that pron.1 1b(a)).Formerly also as complement of the intransitive verb hight (cf. hight v.1 4).
a. In direct questions.For the Old English construction with a partitive genitive see sense D. 1.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > relationship > [noun] > which, what, or who
whatOE
whichlOE
wh-c1858
OE Old Eng. Hexateuch: Gen. (Claud.) xxvii. 32 Ða cwæð Isaac: Hwæt eart þu? He andwyrde & cwæð: Ic eom Esau.
OE King Ælfred tr. Psalms (Paris) (2001) xxiii. 10 Hwæt is se gewuldroda kyning [L. quis est iste rex gloriae]?
a1200 MS Trin. Cambr. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1873) 2nd Ser. 167 Hwat is þis þe astihȝð alse dai rieme?
c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1978) l. 13662 What [c1300 Otho Wat] beoð þeos ut-laȝen.
c1390 (a1376) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Vernon) (1867) A. ii. l. 15 ‘What is þis wommon,’ quod I, ‘þus wonderliche A-tyret?’
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 13592 ‘Quat haldes þou þat man?’ said þai. ‘A prophet,’ said he.
a1450 York Plays (1885) 229 (MED) What hytist þou?
c1450 (c1400) Sowdon of Babylon (1881) l. 1623 What be ye, That make here this ruly moone?
1490 W. Caxton tr. Foure Sonnes of Aymon (1885) iv. 120 What ben ye, lordes, that are soo countrefayt, are ye paynemes, or of what countrey ben ye?
1526 Bible (Tyndale) Rev. vii. 13 What are these which are arayed in longe whyte garmentes?
a1596 Sir Thomas More (1911) i. i. 47 What art thou that talkest of reuendge?
a1616 W. Shakespeare Taming of Shrew (1623) iv. ii. 63 Tra. What is he Biondello? Bion. Master, a Marcantant, or a pedant, I know not what. View more context for this quotation
a1616 W. Shakespeare Othello (1622) i. i. 94 Bra... What are you? Rod. My name is Roderigo. View more context for this quotation
1753 S. Foote Englishman in Paris i. 18 Buck... And what are you, hey? Barb. Je suis Peruquier, Monsieur.
1782 W. Cowper Hope in Poems 166 What were they?—what some fools are made by art, They were by nature, atheists.
1860 C. Dickens Uncommerc. Traveller in All Year Round 10 Mar. 466/1 ‘You noticed that young man, sir, in at Darby's?’ ‘Yes. What is he?’ ‘Deserter, sir.’
1872 Ld. Tennyson Last Tournament in Gareth & Lynette 136 About his feet A voice clung sobbing till he question'd it, ‘What art thou?’
1939 W. Saroyan Peace, it's Wonderful 147 If you ain't a hero, what are you? Joe said. I'm a loafer and a Presbyterian, Pete said. What are you?
2002 E. Wooff Mud Puppy iv. 42 First she's a teacher and now she's living in our old school. What is she, a glutton for punishment?
b. In indirect questions.
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eOE King Ælfred tr. Gregory Pastoral Care (Hatton) (1871) xxi. 159 Donne eow misliciað ða mettrumnessa ðe ge on oðrum monnum geseoð, ðonne geðence ge hwæt ge sien & hwelce ge sien.
c1300 St. Brendan (Laud) l. 627 in C. Horstmann Early S.-Eng. Legendary (1887) 237 Ich eschte him ȝwat he were. He seide, ‘ich am þin Abbot.’
c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) l. 919 Þe king eschte wat hii were.
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 4931 Þe folk asked quat þai suld be, ‘Theues,’ coth ioseph.
c1405 (c1395) G. Chaucer Canon's Yeoman's Tale (Ellesmere) (1875) l. 616 Is he a clerk or noon? telle what he is.
1490 Caxton's Blanchardyn & Eglantine (1962) xxvi. 99 The kynge, that gretli desired to knowe of his estate, asked of hym what he was, of what lande and of what lynage.
1542 N. Udall tr. Erasmus Apophthegmes Table X iij Athlete [= Athletæ], what they be that are so called.
1605 in W. H. Dixon Her Majesty's Tower (1870) II. xi. 104 To ansoure to formall interrogatours..as quhat he is, for I can neuer yett heare of any man that knowis him.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Taming of Shrew (1623) iv. ii. 64 Tra. What is he..? Bio. Master, a Marcantant, or a pedant, I know not what.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Othello (1622) iv. i. 72 And knowing what I am, I know what she shall be. View more context for this quotation
1697 W. Dampier New Voy. around World x. 301 To write a Letter to the Governor, to inform him what we were, and on what account we came.
1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Æneis vi, in tr. Virgil Wks. 397 He..ask'd his airy Guide, What, and of whence was he.
1832 B. Disraeli Contarini Fleming I. i. vii. 65 I was to be something great, and glorious, and dazzling, but what, we could not determine.
1843 R. S. Surtees Handley Cross I. ii. 33 Who, or what he was,..no one ever cared to inquire.
1939 W. Saroyan Peace, it's Wonderful 147 To tell you the truth, Joe said, that's what I am too.
2011 Daily Tel. 21 Feb. 27/2 The heroine (if that's what she is) passes from small-town Texas to billionaire's ranch and back to rock bottom.
3. In rhetorical questions.
a. Implying an emphatic contrary assertion.what am I but..?, what did he (do) but..?, what can he not do?, etc., are equivalent respectively to ‘I am nothing but..’, ‘he actually did..’, ‘he can do anything’, etc.See also what does (also would) (a person) know? at know v. Phrases 18a, what's not to like? at Phrases 1h(e)(i).
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OE Ælfric Catholic Homilies: 1st Ser. (Royal) (1997) xxiv. 375 Hwæt sind þas buton þrymsetl heora scyppendes, on þam þe he wuniende mannum demð?
1340 Ayenbite (1866) 137 Huet am ich bote esssse and spearken.
c1450 (c1380) G. Chaucer House of Fame (Fairf. 16) (1878) l. 1636 What did this Eolus but he Toke out hys blake trumpe of bras.
a1500 (?c1440) J. Lydgate Horse, Goose & Sheep (Lansd.) l. 420 in Minor Poems (1934) ii. 556 What but thi wolle was cause of al this striff?
a1500 (?a1450) Gesta Romanorum (Harl. 7333) (1879) 159 What dude he but purveyde him of so muche mony.
1594 W. Shakespeare Lucrece sig. D3 What could he see but mightily he noted? What did he note, but strongly he desired? View more context for this quotation
1599 T. Nashe Lenten Stuffe 48 What did me he, but..chopt aloft.
1611 Bible (King James) Judges xiv. 18 What is sweeter then honie? and what is stronger then a Lion? View more context for this quotation
1681 J. Dryden Absalom & Achitophel 10 What cannot Praise effect in Mighty Minds..?
1780 Mirror No. 96. ⁋6 Give a young woman admiration, and what more can she wish for?
1798 W. Wordsworth We are Seven in W. Wordsworth & S. T. Coleridge Lyrical Ballads 110 A simple child,..That lightly draws its breath,..What should it know of death?
1868 ‘G. Eliot’ in Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. Jan. 4 For what else is the meaning of our Trades-unions?
1952 Kenyon Rev. 14 76 What more could you ask in a letter of recommendation?
2005 Toronto Sun (Nexis) 16 Jan. (Travel section) t10 What could be better on a hot summer day than a refreshing plunge in a pool at the base of a small waterfall?
b. Used predicatively: of what account, consequence, value, or force?
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > importance > [adjective] > of what importance
whateOE
eOE (Mercian) Vespasian Psalter (1965) cxliii. 4 (3) Domine, quid est homo quod innotuisti ei : dryhten hwet is monn ðæt ðu cuðades him?
OE King Ælfred tr. Psalms (Paris) (2001) viii. 5 Drihten, hwæt is se mann, þe þu swa myclum amanst?
a1425 (c1395) Bible (Wycliffite, L.V.) (Royal) (1850) 2 Kings vii. 18 Who am Y, my Lord God, and what is myn hows [E.V. a1382 Bodl. 959 what my hous], that thou brouȝtist me hidur to?
1546 J. Heywood Dialogue Prouerbes Eng. Tongue ii. ix. sig. Lv What is a workeman, without his tooles.
1734 A. Pope Ess. Man: Epist. IV 227 What's Fame? a fancy'd Life in others breath.
1781 W. Cowper Truth 107 Your sentence and mine differ. What's a name?
1841 R. Browning Pippa Passes iii, in Bells & Pomegranates No. I 13/2 What's death?—You'll love me yet!
1851 Househ. Words 6 Sept. 553/1 What are my strength and weight compared with that one pillar?
1885 ‘Mrs. Alexander’ At Bay ix. 146 I am an Englishman of unblemished character. What would your assertions be against mine?
1912 C. Mathewson Pitching in Pinch xi. 233 But what's a new hat against a losing streak or a batting slump?
1998 J. Kay Trumpet (1999) 198 We have..black pudding (What's a breakfast without some sheep's blood? Joss says to make Colman squirm).
4. With reference to quantity, amount, or price: how much, how many.In Old English with partitive genitive. Later sometimes †with partitive of-construction (obsolete).Also used in asking the time of day, as in what o'clock is it (see o'clock adv. 1b), what's the time (see time n. 14b(a)).
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OE Paris Psalter (1932) cxviii. 84 Hwæt synt þinum esne ealra dagena, þe þu mine ehtend for me ealle gedeme?
?c1425 Crafte Nombrynge in R. Steele Earliest Arithm. in Eng. (1922) 29 Yf þou wold wete qwat is 4 hundryth tymes 4 [emended in ed. to 4 hundryth tymes two hundryth].
c1475 (?c1425) Avowing of King Arthur (1984) l. 515 Quat is þi rawunsun, opon ryȝte?
1508 W. Dunbar Goldyn Targe (Chepman & Myllar) in Poems (1998) I. 192 I knaw quhat thou of rethorike may spent.
1669 S. Sturmy Mariners Mag. i. ii. 34 As 16 to 7: So is 8 to what?
1690–1700 Order of Hospitalls sig. Cviiv That there be geven Warrants..what shall be paid to any such Pencioner wekly.
1814 Moore's Pract. Navigator (ed. 19) 130 What is Greenwich Time when it is Noon 75°, or Five Hours, West of Greenwich?
1816 W. Scott Black Dwarf ix, in Tales of my Landlord 1st Ser. I. 179 But I'll see what o' them can be gotten back.
1859 Habits Good Society xi. 305 What of that essential harmony..can there possibly be between a hundred..people?
1904 H. Hawkins Reminisc. II. 2 Lloyd must have made £20,000 a year..; what I made is of no consequence.
1960 Sunday Express 3 July 19/2 What does it cost to water ski?
2014 A. Brodie Let's do Handwriting for Ages 9–10 34 ‘What is six times nine?’ asked the teacher.
5. In elliptical uses.See also Phrases 1g.
a. With omission of part or all of the remainder of the question. Hence (colloquial) short for ‘What did you say?’ or ‘What is it?’
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?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 62 Hwat michte wes icud ed þeose wordes? hwet?
c1330 Seven Sages (Auch.) (1933) l. 2059 ‘On þe falle..swich a maner vileynie, As hadde þe burgeis for his pie.’ ‘O maister, he saide, what, what? I þe praie, tel me þat!’
a1500 (a1460) Towneley Plays (1994) I. iv. 53 Isaac. A, good syr, abide! Fader! Abraham. What, son? Isaac. To do youre will I am redy.
a1535 T. More Dialoge of Comfort (1553) iii. xi. sig. P.ii Why wife quod her husband, what woulde you doe? What? by god goe foreward with ye beste.
1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost ii. 165 What when we fled amain,..and besought The Deep to shelter us? View more context for this quotation
1769 M. Minifie & S. Gunning Hermit II. xvii. 54 ‘It shall be so,’ said Lavinia, for a moment lost in thought. ‘What?’ asked her mother.
1836 C. Dickens Sketches by Boz 1st Ser. II. 303 ‘Oh! oh!—I'm so frightened.’ ‘What at, dear?—what at?’ said the mother.
1836 C. Dickens Pickwick Papers (1837) xix. 196 ‘What's your name?’ ‘Cold punch,’ murmured Mr. Pickwick, as he sunk to sleep again. ‘What?’ demanded Captain Boldwig. No reply.
1898 M. M. Dowie Crook of Bough i ‘That's a queer start o' young Sam's’, said one voice. ‘Wot is?’ said another.
1917 P. G. Wodehouse Uneasy Money ix. 99 ‘Nutty, he's bitten.’.. ‘Good gracious! What by?’
1972 J. Wilson Hide & Seek iii. 61 What? I can't hear you. It's a terrible line.
2013 M. Lawson Deaths xiii. 457 ‘Becca, you wouldn't do anything silly, would you?’.. ‘What? Top myself, you mean?’
b. British colloquial. Used as an interrogative expletive (sometimes with eh) usually at the end of a sentence. Now somewhat dated and rare.Often regarded as affected.
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1548 H. Reginald tr. C. Hegendorphinus Domestycal or Househ. Serm. sig. Ev No man wyll knowe in hym selfe, yt he is a manqueller, what? What manquellers be those, which do abound in ryches, and do suffer their neighbour to perysshe withe famyne, thyrste, and cold.
1785 F. Burney Diary 19 Dec. (1842) II. 398 He [sc. George III] said,—‘What? what?’—meaning, what say you?.. ‘..it is not possible. Do you think it is?—what?’
1850 Househ. Words 16 Nov. 177/2 What is all that about the—eh—what—law of ex—what?—pansion—eh?
1891 ‘J. S. Winter’ Lumley xv. 110 But then, she's so beastly chic, dontcherknow—eh, what!
1906 C. Mansfield Girl & Gods xvi Good-bye, Miss Thornton, awfully jolly evening—what?
1914 A. M. N. Lyons Simple Simon i. i. 16 Can't say I've read it. It's a bit too literary for me. What? But they say it's jolly clever. You had it at school, I dare say. What?
1990 D. Walcott Omeros liv. 269 ‘Been travellin' a bit, what?’... He knew the ‘what?’ was a farce, I knew it was not officer-quality, a strutting R.S.M.
c. Standing for the word or phrase of which an explanation is asked.
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1604 N. Breton Grimellos Fortunes sig. B Gan. What? are you so sure of it? Gri. Sure, of what sir?
1676 T. Shadwell Virtuoso i. 11 Sir Sam. Gad I'll do't instantly, in the twinkling of a Bed-staff... Bruce. In the twinkling of what?
1795 F. Lathom All in Bustle i. ii. 18 Smatt...What colour shall the pantaloons be? Sir George. The what? Smatt. Trowser breeches, trowser breeches, sir George.
1814 Manœuvring i. i, in J. Galt New Brit. Theatre II. 78 Sure enough, my lady's the greatest policizer under the sun. Kit. Polly what?
1825 T. Hook Sayings & Doings 2nd Ser. III. 218 ‘Here, Sir, take away the Tiffin,’ ‘The what, Sir Frederick?’ said the principal waiter. ‘The Tiffin, Sir,’ repeated his Excellency, in a voice of thunder.
1837 C. Dickens Pickwick Papers xli. 447 ‘Your chummage ticket will be on twenty-seven, in the third.’ ‘Oh,’ said Mr. Pickwick. ‘My what, did you say?’
1880 L. Parr Adam & Eve II. 47 ‘Because—’ ‘Because what?’.. ‘Because you've—’ but before the sentence could be finished, Eve had flown upstairs.
1977 E. Reimer I'm going to order Lion 26 Jack. Well, she gave him the green wienie. Bob. The what? Jack... The green wienie. She broke up with him.
2005 A. Smith Accidental 122 I lost it, Astrid says. You what? her mother says.
6. Preceded by or: representing the unknown final alternative in a set of proposed options, or (in later use) as a more general emphatic extender. Formerly also †followed by else (obsolete). Now chiefly colloquial.
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1540 J. Palsgrave tr. G. Gnapheus Comedye of Acolastus i. i. sig. E Pelar. What? supposest thou therfore money to be told, wherwith he may be put out of my house or family..that he shuld or might be sent away quite from me with, or sent away from me for euer? Evb. Ye mary, or what els, or what a question is that?
1607 J. Cowell Interpreter sig. Aaaa3v/2 So long as A. himselfe liueth, he is liable to this couenant, and none els: after his discease his heire is subiect vnto it, be he his sonne, brother, vncle, or what els.
1766 J. Adams Diary 29 July (1961) I. 317 In what is this Man conspicuous? in Reasoning? in Imagination? in Painting? in the Pathetic? or what?
1769 G. White Let. 28 Feb. in Nat. Hist. Selborne (1789) 65 Is it owing to the vast massy buildings of that place, to the many waters round it, or to what else?
1842 E. FitzGerald Let. 16 Sept. (1894) I. 132 Have you supposed me dead or what?
1884 tr. H. Lotze Logic 341 We shall further discover whether the true path is a circle, an ellipse, an oval, or what.
1936 H. Channon Diary 1 Aug. (2021) I. 554 One of the young pilots whispered to me.., ‘Is Duff Cooper off his rocker, or what?’
2003 R. Williams Fallout 94 Are you going to man up or what?
II. Indefinite uses.For other indefinite (non-relative) uses see what else at Phrases 1g(c) and sense D. 5c.
7. Something, anything.
a. In general use. After Old English chiefly in phrases and compounds in which what is modified by a quantitative or identifying determiner (sometimes in the genitive), e.g. anywhat pron. and adv., elsewhat pron., little what n., little's what at little pron. and n. 2, what little's at little pron. and n. 2, many-what n., mostwhat adv. and adj., muchwhat n. and adv. (also mickle-what n. at mickle adj., pron., and adv. Compounds), nowhat n. and adv.1, otherwhat pron.; now chiefly in somewhat n. and adv. Hence occasionally with other adjectives as the head of a noun phrase, with the sense ‘thing’, ‘things’, ‘stuff’. Also in † all what: all sorts of things (obsolete).In Old English also frequently with the partitive genitive of a noun derived from other adjectives (cf. quot. eOE).
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the world > relative properties > kind or sort > generality > [noun] > state of being non-specific > unspecified thing(s) > anything
whateOE
aughtOE
anywhata1400
what-not1540
anything1607
eOE King Ælfred tr. Gregory Pastoral Care (Hatton) (1871) xxxviii. 275 Se ðe ðonne hwæt yfeles ongiet on his nihstan, & hit forswugað.
OE Form of Confession (Royal 2 B.v) in Anglia (1889) 11 113 Ic..swiðor ceorude þonne min sawul behofode þa ða ic æhta forleas oððe leofne freond oððe me hwæt mislamp on þises lifes ryne.
c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 18553 Þatt all þatt strenedd iss off godd. Off godess aȝhenn kinde All iss itt all þatt illke whatt. Þatt godd iss inn himm sellfenn.
a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) i. l. 1676 Florent..syh this vecke wher sche sat, Which was the lothlieste what That evere man caste on his yhe.
c1450 (?a1400) Wars Alexander (Ashm.) l. 3046 (MED) So felle..fliȝt was of flanys..Of arrows, & of all quat þat al þe aire blindid.
1596 E. Spenser Second Pt. Faerie Queene vi. ix. sig. Gg3v They..gaue him for to feed Such homely what, as serues the simple clowne. View more context for this quotation
†b. In a subordinate clause introduced by but, if, or though. Obsolete.
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OE Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Tiber. B.i) anno 1010 Man sceolde þonne rædan hu man þisne eard werian sceolde, ac þeah mon þonne hwæt rædde þæt ne stod furðon ænne monað.
OE Laws of Cnut (Nero) ii. lxxiv. 360 Na nyde man naðer ne wif ne mæden to þam, þe hyre sylfre mislicie, ne wið sceatte ne sylle, butan he hwæt agenes ðances gyfan wylle.
c1175 ( Ælfric Homily (Bodl. 343) in S. Irvine Old Eng. Homilies (1993) 71 Gif we hwæt tobrecon, beton þæt ȝeorne.
III. As a relative pronoun.In early use often followed by that (see that conj. 7), rarely as (cf. quots. a1393 at sense A. 9b, 1535 at sense A. 9a(a)).
* As a nominal relative pronoun (combining antecedent and relative).
†8. In indefinite use introducing a clause specifying a future purpose or hypothetical requirement: something that, (in negative contexts) anything that (fulfils the requirement or purpose specified in the clause). Obsolete.Usually with verbs such as have or find in the main clause and subjunctive or equivalent modal in the subordinate clause. Cf. sense A. 7.
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eOE Laws of Ælfred (Corpus Cambr. 173) Introd. xxiv. 34 Gif he næbbe hwæt he selle, sie he self beboht wið ðam fio.
OE Ælfric Catholic Homilies: 2nd Ser. (Cambr. Gg.3.28) xxv. 230 Me ofhreowð þissere menigu, forðan þe hi..nabbað hwæt hi etað.
OE West Saxon Gospels: Luke (Corpus Cambr.) xi. 6 Læn me þry hlafas, forþam min freond com of wege to me, & ic næbbe hwæt [c1200 Hatton hwæt] ic him toforan lecge.
lOE Laws: Gerefa (Corpus Cambr.) xiii. 454 A he mæig findan, hwæt he mæig on byrig betan.
9. In generalized or indefinite sense.
a.
(a) Referring to a thing: anything that; = whatever pron. 2. Now only in such phrases as do what you please, call it what you will, come what may at come v. 13b. †Formerly also in a modifying subordinate clause: = whatever pron. 1.See also what else at Phrases 3a(a), what have you at Phrases 3a(b), for what I (also you, etc.) care at Phrases 3b, etc.In quot. lOE it is unclear whether the clause introduced by hwæt is to be interpreted as a modifying subordinate concessive clause (‘every man who wished to, no matter what pertained to his rank (in society), followed (the profession of a monk)’) or as the object of folgade (‘every man who wished to followed whatever pertained to his (ecclesiastical) rank’).With the earlier reading in quot. a1225 cf. look what at look v. 10a.
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lOE Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Laud) anno 1086 Eac þis land wæs swiðe afylled mid munecan, & þa leofodan heora lif æfter Sanctus Benedictus regule, & se cristendom wæs swilc on his dæge þet ælc man hwæt his hade to belumpe folgade se þe wolde.
a1225 ( Rule St. Benet (Winteney) (1888) xlviii. 97 Fram eastran oð kalendas octobris..sona swa hi fram primsange gangen, wyrcan hwæt þonne neod beo [OE Corpus Cambr. loca hwæt þonne þearf sy; L. quod necessarium fuerit], oð hit sy forneah an tid ofer undern.
1340 Ayenbite (1866) 43 Oþer be uenym, oþer ine oþre manere, huet þet hit by.
c1350 (a1333) William of Shoreham Poems (1902) 104 Ac tyde þe what by-tyde.
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Trin. Cambr.) l. 13148 He had hir aske what [Vesp. quat-sum, Fairf. quat-euer] she wolde.
c1450 (c1350) Alexander & Dindimus (Bodl.) (1929) l. 68 (MED) What it be þat ȝe bidde, ȝour bonus I graunte.
1469 in S. Tymms Wills & Inventories Bury St. Edmunds (1850) 50 To make therof qwat that he can.
1535 Bible (Coverdale) Gen. i. C Catell, wormes & what as hath life vpon earth.
a1616 W. Shakespeare (1623) (title) Twelfe Night, Or what you will.
1650 H. Vaughan Silex Scintillans 27 Such ill-plac'd wit, Conceit, or call it what you please Is the braines fit, And meere disease.
1670 Duke of Richmond in A. Marvell Wks. (1875) II. 299 Its therefore my request to you to..be assisting to him with your Certificates, or in what else you can serve him.
1680 J. Moxon Mech. Exercises I. xii. 208 With your Flat Chissel or Gouge, (or what is nearest at hand) knock softly.
1749 D. Hartley Observ. Man i. i. §1. 20 Be the Cause what it will.
1859 H. Kingsley Recoll. G. Hamlyn ix One thing she was determined on, not to give up her lover, come what would.
1908 S. E. White Riverman xix To sacrifice his pride, his ambition, his what-you-will.
1970 R. Sampson Anarchist Basis of Pacifism 1 Those who live by the principle that they will not intentionally take human life, cost what it may.
1995 I. Banks Whit (1996) xiv. 233 You're a free woman, Isis. You can do what you please.
†(b) Referring to a person or persons: whoever. Obsolete.
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c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) l. 4862 Þe king..wende toward bangor þo To destruye þe brutons, wat he founde mo.
a1400 (c1303) R. Mannyng Handlyng Synne (Harl.) l. 7844 What he be, bryngeþ hym hedyr.
?a1425 Constit. Masonry (Royal 17 A.i) l. 445 in J. O. Halliwell Early Hist. Freemasonry in Eng. (1844) 29 And whad he be, let hym be sowȝht.
c1440 (a1396) W. Hilton Scale of Perfection (Thornton) in G. G. Perry Eng. Prose Treat. (1921) 44 Ilke man, what þat [?a1425 Lamb. 472 whatevere] he be, þat in-calles þe name of Godd, þat es to say, askes saluacion by Ihesu and by his passion.
J. Metham Amoryus & Cleopes (1916) l. 916 He redy schuld be For hys lady sake to iuste, ayens yche knygh[t] in general..and qwat he were myght yeue hym a falle.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Henry VI, Pt. 1 (1623) v. v. 1 Be what thou wilt, thou art my prisoner. View more context for this quotation
1623 W. Shakespeare & J. Fletcher Henry VIII v. iii. 80 That..my Accusers, Be what they will, may stand forth face to face. View more context for this quotation
1665 J. Ogilby tr. Homer Odysses xxii. 327 Be they or Good or Bad, be what they may, For their offences now in Death they pay.
b. With the indefinite sense indicated by ever, so, etc., following: whatever; whoever. Now only with this element following immediately and forming a compound pronoun: see whatever pron., adj., n., adv., and int., whatso pron. and adj., etc. Cf. sense D. 5a.See also whatsomever pron. and adj.Quot. OE shows swā hwæt swā (see discussion at whatso pron. and adj.).
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OE Ælfric Gram. (St. John's Oxf.) 23 Ablativvs ys ætbredendlic: mid ðam casv byð geswutelod, swa hwæt swa we ætbredað oðrum.]
c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 2504 & all wass mænelike þing Whatt littless se þeȝȝ haffdenn.
a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) i. l. 1830 What as evere that ye seie.
c1465 in C. L. Kingsford Stonor Lett. & Papers (1919) I. 68 What that ever he wer to by straw, he must pay in honde.
1567 Compend. Bk. Godly Songs (rev. ed.) 11 God grant that we may wirk thy will, In eird thy plesure to fulfill, Siclyke as in the heuin Impyre, And quhat that euer we tak on hand, May be conforme to thy command, And nathing efter our desyre.
10. In definite sense.
a. That which, the thing which. Also: (more generally) †a thing which, something that (in quots. ?1697, 1785) (obsolete).Not used of persons, except in but what: see Phrases 1.The line of division between the dependent interrogative use (see sense A. 1b) and the fully relative use is in certain conditions, esp. in the early periods, difficult or impossible to draw.
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c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 3372 All þatt hirde flocc hemm sahh & herrde whatt teȝȝ sungenn.
a1200 (?OE) MS Trin. Cambr. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1873) 2nd Ser. 191 Quod pungit ueneno afficit... Hie..attreð hwat heo prikeð.
c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1978) l. 15783 Ȝe habbeoð alle iherd whæt [c1300 Otho wat] Penda king hafueð iseid.
a1375 (c1350) William of Palerne (1867) l. 2578 Mekli þan to meliors he munged what he þouȝt.
a1425 Edward, Duke of York Master of Game (Digby) Prol. 3 This booke tretith of what shalbe in euery sesoun moste durable.
c1449 R. Pecock Repressor (1860) 172 That thou wolt folewe Holi Writt, and take for the lawe and seruice of God what that Holi Writ allowith.
1521 in Perth Hammermen Bk. (1889) 16 Item giffin to Andro Scot of quhat wes awand him,..iiij s.
1593 W. Shakespeare Venus & Adonis sig. Bijv So offers he to giue what she did craue. View more context for this quotation
1599 George a Greene sig. Gv What as Bradford holdes of me in chiefe, I giue it frankely vnto thee for euer.
1649 J. Milton Εικονοκλαστης iv. 36 He..justifi'd and abetted them in what they did.
?1697 J. Lewis Mem. Duke of Glocester (1789) 56 Dr. Radcliffe..finding him feverish, prescribed what restored him to health in five days.
1724 A. Ramsay Vision in Ever Green I. xii I ken sum mair than ye..Of quhat sall afterwart befall.
1738 J. Swift Compl. Coll. Genteel Conversat. p. lxxxi So incurable is the Love of Detraction, perhaps beyond what the charitable Reader will easily believe.
1785 W. Cowper Task i. 55 If cushion might be call'd, what harder seem'd Than the firm oak of which the frame was form'd.
1851 Househ. Words 6 Sept. 560/1 I was going to ask you to dine with me on what I have left.
1865 J. Ruskin Sesame & Lilies i. 41 Milton means what he says.
1886 Law Rep.: Chancery Div. 32 71 It appears to me that they acted very reasonably in what they did.
1890 Amer. Antiquarian 12 75 On his return he again called the people together and held a big potlatch, giving the Indians what appeared to them at that time great curiosities.
1909 Boston Globe 9 Feb. 12/5 Your formula is just what I have been looking for.
1962 G. MacEwan Blazing Old Cattle Trail i. 4 The residents of what had been an unprepossessing shack-town found their community overrun with rip-roaring cowboys.
2000 W. Self How Dead Live (2001) iv. 94 What they've failed to account for all along is the creeping cosmopolitanism that's transforming their culture.
b. Referring to a preceding noun: the one which, e.g. no expertise other than what he'd gleaned from online tutorials ‘..other than the expertise which..’; (also with plural reference) the ones which, those which. †Also: (rare) (with reference to persons) those who (obsolete). Usually after a conjunction, such as but, except, only, than, like, etc.
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1559 W. Baldwin et al. Myrroure for Magistrates Warwick lxxxi I thinke the Erle of Warwike although he wer a glorious man, hath sayd no more of him selfe than what is true.
1600 W. Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 2 iv. iii. 4 We will..draw no swords but what are sanctified. View more context for this quotation
1611 Bible (King James) 2 Cor. i. 13 We write none other things vnto you, then what you reade or acknowledge. View more context for this quotation
1664 S. Pepys Diary 2 Jan. (1971) V. 3 To the King's house..and saw ‘The Usurper’, which is no good play, though better then what I saw yesterday.
1676 J. Dryden Aureng-Zebe ii. 25 An easier yoke than what you put on me.
1677 in C. E. Pike Essex Papers (1913) II. 118 Ye Parties which lost it now was greater than wt carried it when ye perpetuating clause was lately ordered.
1681 M. Fox in Jrnl. Friends' Hist. Soc. (1912) July 139 Hauing noe body to bee with at home but what is noe Friends.
1758 S. Hayward Seventeen Serm. xvi. 475 He was under no obligations to take human nature, only what arose from his free..promise.
1762 Ld. Kames Elements Crit. I. i. 31 We feel a gradual dilatation..of mind, like what is felt in..an ascending series.
1798 L. Murray Eng. Gram. (ed. 4) iii. 124 All fevers, except what are called nervous.
1868 M. Arnold Schools & Univ. on Continent 21 The Revolution made a clean sweep of all old endowments; what exist date from a time since the Revolution.
1937 ‘E. Queen’ Door Between xviii. 229 No education except what I've picked up.
2009 P. Davison in ‘G. Orwell’ Diaries Introd. p. vii. He usually gave no thought to the preservation of the manuscripts of his published work—what survive..probably do so because he did not live long enough to destroy them.
11. With a specific sense implied.
a. Expressing quality or character: such as; the kind of thing or person that. Cf. senses D. 2a, D. 2b.
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c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) 7761 Uss birrþ witenn whatt iss Godd.
?a1300 (a1250) Harrowing of Hell (Digby) (1907) l. 59 Wost þu neuere wat [a1350 Harl. whet] ich am?
c1426 J. Audelay Poems (1931) 223 (MED) Here may ȝe here now hwat ȝe be.
c1540 J. Byrch To Andrewe Borde (final page) Wot you what they say, they maruayle what you are.
a1658 J. Cleveland Rustick Rampant in Wks. (1687) 114 He delighted to be..acknowledged for what he was.
1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Æneis x, in tr. Virgil Wks. 525 And what Æneas was, such seem'd the Shade.
1757 tr. J. G. Keyssler Trav. IV. 276 The Court is still very splendid, though much altered from what it was in the year 1716.
1849 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. ii. 185 The country was not what it had been twenty-two years before.
1861 W. M. Thackeray Roundabout Papers xii, in Cornhill Mag. May 636 Would you have your wife and children know you exactly for what you are?
1891 Speaker 2 May 533/1 The book is very much what might have been expected from the author.
1932 ‘B. Ross’ Trag. of X i. i. 24 He's a prig, that's what he is.
1969 Times 21 Aug. 7/3 The Soviet Union stood revealed for what it now is—an imperialist power.
2000 N. Henderson Old Friends & Mod. Instances (2001) xiv. 156 Charing Cross Road, which we agreed.., was not what it was when it enjoyed the reputation of a book-browsers' paradise.
b. Expressing quantity or amount: so much (or many) as, as much as. Cf. sense A. 4.
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1523 J. Fitzherbert Bk. Surueyeng ix. f. ixv The whiche a surueyour may nat forget to put in his boke and to but and bounde them as they lye, and who be the fermours and what rentes they pay.
?1523 J. Fitzherbert Bk. Husbandry f. l To bye al maner of necessarie thynges, belongyng to housholde: and to make a trewe rekenynge & accompt to her husbande, what she hath receyued and what she hath payed.
1646 in M. Sellers Acts & Ordinances Eastland Co. (1906) Introd. p. lxvi They desire, that what as hath allready bene equallie disburst,..be brought to accompt, and what as remayned in Cash be returned up.
1664 S. Pepys Diary 18 Mar. (1971) V. 90 Their service was six biscuits a-piece and what they pleased of burnt claret.
1718 Free-thinker No. 52. 1 The Romans learnt, what they knew of this Mysterious Doctrine, from the Etrurians.
1789 Massachusetts Spy 9 Apr. 3/2 What of the votes in Newhampshire for President, we have seen, are nearly equally divided.
1889 Harper's Mag. July 230/2 The African churches in the South are fired with commendable zeal to do what they can in the education of their people.
1907 ‘E. C. Hall’ Aunt Jane of Kentucky 271 The rest of you can take what you want of the furniture, and if there's anything left, that can be my part.
2014 New Yorker 6 Jan. 44/1 The U.S. military monitors what it can of the hundreds of tons of cocaine that enter the U.S.
c. Expressing parallel relation or correspondence (with to in the main clause and in the relative clause).
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1595 A. Fletcher Certaine Similies 71 Looke what the touch stone is to gold, the same is gold to man.
1675 N. Grew Compar. Anat. Trunks ii. ii. 49 And what the mouth is, to an Animal; that the Root is to a Plant.
1732 G. Berkeley Alciphron I. iv. xxi. 256 Intellect is to the Mind, what Sight is to the Body.
1853 J. Ruskin Stones of Venice III. iv. 175 What the elm and oak are to England, the olive is to Italy.
1914 Month Dec. 608 Jingoism is to true patriotism what bigotry is to true religion.
2005 Denver Post (Nexis) 4 Mar. ff9 Alicia Keys is to soul music what Norah Jones is to folk.
12.
a. Introducing a prefatory (usually parenthetic) modifying clause, equivalent to a following clause with which (or to an adverb, as in what is more at more pron. 1c); e.g. in Manchester there was, what was then unusual in a provincial town, a good library.
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1553 J. Coke tr. A. Bogaert Pronostication for Diuers Yeares sig. D.ij Discentions, sectes, dyuers factions and lyke thynges, be more to be had in horreur, then the discordes of Emperours and kynges, and what is worse, they be more hurtefull then shoulde be warre turquoyse.
1697 W. Dampier New Voy. around World i. 5 Where we saw (what we always feared) a Ship [etc.].
1713 A. Pope Corr. 8 Dec. (1956) I. 201 If it be true, what I have heard often affirmed by innocent People, that [etc.].
1743 J. Bulkeley & J. Cummins Voy. to South-seas 40 And, what was reckon'd very odd, the Cabbin-Bell came ashore.
1817 W. Scott Rob Roy I. v. 95 She wore, what was then somewhat unusual, a coat, vest, and hat, resembling those of a man.
1839 W. M. Thackeray Fatal Boots Feb. I got from him..a..silver-laced waistcoat,..and, what's more, I had no less than three golden guineas in the pocket of it.
1904 Cheltenham Chron. 2 Apr. 2/3 He has been guilty of a little slip—and what is far worse, of being found out in it—but he is doubtless a better man than many.
1966 I. Murdoch Time of Angels iii. 32 Pattie resented too, what before she had scarcely noticed, Carel's assumption that Muriel and Elizabeth were socially her superiors.
1970 C. W. K. Mundle Critique Ling. Philos. 16 Their claim is sometimes that so and so is..incorrect English, sometimes (what is very different) that it is absurd or meaningless.
2012 Mail & Guardian (Johannesburg) 31 Aug. 43/2 There is..in the green paper..what is very welcome, a pronouncement that no provider should be forced to use unit standards.
b. In a parenthetic phrase (chiefly with call and similar verbs) modifying a following word or phrase, equivalent to an adjectival phrase or to a following phrase with as; e.g. what is called the golden section = ‘the so-called golden section’, or ‘the golden section, as it is called’.
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1638 C. Aleyn Hist. Henrie VII 29 This Breviarie of consuming ire And Commonplace, of what is called stout, Grew by their opposition.
?1697 J. Lewis Mem. Duke of Glocester (1789) 15 A fortification, mounted with small guns, and what were stiled his great ones, which were four little brass cannon.
1794 in Jrnl. Friends' Hist. Soc. (1918) 8 Other demonstrations of what they call Loyalty.
1801 S. T. Coleridge Lett. (1895) 346 Calvert is..what is well called a handy man.
1828 Marly: Planter's Life in Jamaica 211 A very small pea,..a kind of what is called squashies.
1856 E. B. Browning Aurora Leigh i. 1 I, writing thus, am still what men call young.
1908 R. Bagot Anthony Cuthbert v. 40 She is what she calls ‘taking your measure’.
1944 R. Matheson Entomol. for Introd. Courses ii. 32 It is responsible also for what is known as tick paralysis and Colorado tick fever.
2004 N.Y. Times Mag. 1 Feb. 23/3 She never would be so carefree or so unconscious of what people call the state's ‘race culture’ again.
13. Used redundantly after than, like, or as introducing a clause of comparison. regional or nonstandard. Cf. Phrases 1a(c).
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1756 F. Home Princ. Agric. & Vegetation ii. i. 37 The strong and lasting vegetative power which the air communicates to the earth, should teach us to make a greater use of its influence than what we do.
1818 W. Scott Heart of Mid-Lothian v, in Tales of my Landlord 2nd Ser. III. 137 I think I laughed heartier then than what I do now.
1838 Southern Lit. Messenger Mar. 161/1 I haven't seen you for the last six months past, and yet we live so short a ways from each other as what we do.
1881 S. Evans Evans's Leicestershire Words (new ed.) 26 Theer warn't a man in Bos'oth as could sweer loike what that man could!
1966 P. Willmott Adolescent Boys E. London ii. 26 They're all about the same age as what we are.
1989 J. Sullivan Only Fools & Horses (2000) II. 6th Ser. Episode 1. 23/1 They don't speak proper English like what we do.
** As a simple relative pronoun with singular or plural reference.
14. Which (or who); that.
a. Referring to a preceding pronoun (demonstrative or indefinite); originally introducing an indirect question in apposition to it (sense A. 1b); esp. (and chiefly in later use) in all what. Now regional or nonstandard.Old English attestations of eall hwæt are usually interpreted as showing an indirect question in apposition, but occasionally may already reflect the shift to the relative, especially in late Old English. In quot. OE perhaps influenced by the Latin model.
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OE Stowe Psalter cxv. 12 Quid retribuam domino pro omnibus quę retribuit mihi : hwæt ic selle drihtne for eallum hwæt he sealde me?
lOE King Ælfred tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. (Bodl.) (2009) I. xl. 373 Eall hwæt [eOE Otho þæt] hi wilniað hi begitað.]
c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 1115 Nu icc wile shæwenn ȝuw All þatt whatt itt bitacneþþ.
c1449 R. Pecock Repressor (1860) 191 Aftir al this what is tretid upon the firste..gouernauncis.
c1450 Alphabet of Tales (1904) I. 86 He told þaim all what at he saw.
?1533 W. Tyndale Expos. Mathew v. f. xxiijv Here seist thou the vttermoost what a Christen man must looke for.
1557 T. North tr. A. de Guevara Diall Princes 244 They do al thinges what they lyst, and nothing what they ought.
1597 G. Harvey Trimming T. Nashe in Wks. (1885) III. 53 The beast Ephemeron, which because shee hath but one day to liue, hath manie legs, foure wings, and all what Nature can affoord, to giue her expedition to see about the world.
1645 T. Fuller Good Thoughts in Bad Times ii. xxv. 124 For matter of Language, there is nothing what Grace doth do, but Wit can Act.
1657 S. Titus Killing noe Murder 9 They..thought it not adultery what was committed with her.
1740 S. Richardson Pamela I. xxiii. 60 Do you think, that so dutiful a Son as our Neighbour..does not pride himself, for all what he said at Table, in such a pretty Maiden?
1746 J. Exton Maritime Dicæologie ii. xx. 275 The first part of it [sc. a statute], which setteth a rate what shall be paid for the freight or portage of Goods and Merchandizes from the Port of London to other places.
1823 Let. 19 May in Acc. & Papers East-India Affairs (1826) 65 But in all what I have said, it has not been my intention to lay anything else to his charge.
1919 J. B. Morton Barber of Putney xv If I sat down to write a book, I'd want to shove in all what I saw.
1995 H. Roth Conversations in Country Store 86 I done it all: ran the big saw, fired the boilers for the steam, worked the log carriage. I done everything what they done in a mill.
†b. With a preceding preposition. spec. in for what: for which purpose or reason, wherefore. Obsolete.With for what compare use of this phrase introducing direct and indirect questions at Phrases 1b. Cf. for whon at whon pron. 2, for why adv. 3.
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c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 11509 Wille iss hire þridde mahht Þurrh whatt menn immess ȝeornenn.
c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 2831 Ure preost..nohht ne mihhte trowwenn. Þatt word tatt himm þurrh gabriæl Wass seȝȝd o godess hallfe. Forr whatt himm wass hiss spæche..Þurrh drihhtin all biræfedd.
a1225 (c1200) Vices & Virtues (1888) 39 Gif ðu na þing ne luuest..ðurh hwat ðu miht forliesen godes luue.
a1225 (?OE) MS Lamb. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1868) 1st Ser. 81 Þis monne me mei sermonen mid godes worde, for hwat he scal his sunne uor-saken and bileuen.
?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 280 He..bid me ofte theachen him sum hwet wið hwat he muchte his licome deruen.
c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) l. 2533 Hengist..him grantede..is doȝter abbe to wif, Vor ȝwat þe king ȝeue him þe contreie of kent.
?c1335 in W. Heuser Kildare-Gedichte (1904) 122 Whannin commiþ þi fair schrute? Mid whate þou art ischrid aboute?
c1425 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Harl.) 165 Hyi vnder ȝete an welle..Of wat [c1325 Calig. wan] þe kyng ofte dronk.
c. In general use referring to a preceding noun phrase. regional or nonstandard since the 18th cent.
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c1330 Simonie (Auch.) (1991) l. 106 No more wot a lewed prest in boke what he rat Bi day.
a1568 R. Ascham Scholemaster (1570) ii. f. 48 In folowyng so preciselie, either the matter what other men wrote, or els the maner how other men wrote.
1621 H. Elsynge Notes Deb. House of Lords (1870) 34 To add that to the weight what the washers had taken away.
1668 Bp. J. Wilkins Ess. Real Char. 122 That incisure or resemblance of cutting what is common to most of them [sc. insects].
1829 Caricature Title The Slap-up Swell wot drives when hever he likes.
1838 ‘Della’ Rambles Captain Bolio viii. 14 I'm a reglar onest feller, what does the thing what's right. I never takes nothing of nobody's what a'nt mine.
1865 C. Dickens Our Mutual Friend II. iii. ii. 17 Them's her lights, Miss Abbey, wot you see a-blinking yonder.
1872 H. Cullwick Diaries (1984) 212 You know you bought trumpery fine things what I never want nor you either & the money'd bin as well in the street.
1985 J. Sullivan Only Fools & Horses (1999) I. 4th Ser. Episode 3. 220 I was reading in the Sunday papers about them fellas what pick up with these rich old widows—what they call 'em—toy boys!
2012 S. Townsend Woman who went to Bed for Year xxiii. 143 And in the meantime I 'ave to try and cut the bleedin' grass with a lawnmower what don't mow!
†IV. Exclamatory uses.
15. Used in exclamations to denote something surprising or striking. Sometimes with inversion of subject and verb, as in sense D. 7a. Obsolete.
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a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) (1961) Num. xxiii. 23 In his tymys hit shal be seide to Iacob & to Irael what þe lord haþ wrouȝt [L. quid operatus sit Deus].
a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) i. l. 379 Lo now, my Sone, what it is A man to caste his yhe amis.
c1475 Wisdom (Folger) (1969) l. 1117 Haue mynde, Soule, wat Gode hath do.
1611 Bible (King James) Num. xxiii. 23 According to this time it shalbe said of Iacob, and of Israel, What hath God wrought!
B. adv.
I. As an interrogative adverb. (Frequently in rhetorical questions.)
†1. For what cause or reason; for what end or purpose; why. Obsolete.what need, what needs: see need v.2 1b, 2b, 5b.
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eOE King Ælfred tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. (Otho) (2009) I. vii. 410 Hwæt murcnast þ[u þonne æfter þam] þe þu forlure?
OE Blickling Homilies 137 Hwæt secestu minne naman, forþon he is mycel & wundorlic?
a1425 (?a1400) G. Chaucer Romaunt Rose (Hunterian) (1891) l. 5097 Withoute more what shulde I glose.
c1430 (c1386) G. Chaucer Legend Good Women (Cambr. Gg.4.27) (1879) l. 2218 What shulde I more telle hire compleynynge.
c1449 R. Pecock Repressor (1860) 162 What ben ȝe greuose to this womman?
1579 W. Fulke Heskins Parl. Repealed in D. Heskins Ouerthrowne 148 But what stand we trifling about this testimonie?
1611 M. Smith in Bible (King James) Transl. to Rdr. sig. A4v But what mention wee three or foure vses of the Scripture?
1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost ii. 329 What sit we then projecting Peace and Warr? View more context for this quotation
a1677 I. Barrow Serm. Several Occasions (1678) 20 What should I mention Beauty, that fading toy?
2.
†a. In what way; in what respect; how. Obsolete (archaic in later use).See also ail v. 4, quots. 1485 –1718.
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OE tr. Gospel of Nicodemus (Cambr.) i. §4. 147 Hwæt hæfð þes rynel gesingod?
c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 14018 Ure laferrd iesu crist Þuss seȝȝde till hiss moderr. Whatt falleþþ þiss till me wiþþ þe Wifmann. þiss þatt tu mælesst?
a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) (1959) Gen. xx. 9 What haue we synnyd in þe?
c1450 (?a1400) Wars Alexander (Ashm.) l. 2523 Quat knawis þou þat?
?1457 J. Hardyng Chron. (Lansd.) in Eng. Hist. Rev. (1912) 27 744 What hath Englonde so felly the offende, This noble prynce..To Rauysshe so fro vs?
a1475 in F. J. Furnivall Polit., Relig., & Love Poems (1903) 278 A, ihesu! quat hast þou gylt?
1535 Bible (Coverdale) Baruch iv. C But alas, what can I helpe you?
1816 W. Scott Antiquary I. xv. 315 It just cam open o' free will in my hand—What could I help it?
1842 Ld. Tennyson Morte d'Arthur in Poems (new ed.) II. 15 For what are men better than sheep or goats..If, knowing God, they lift not hands of prayer?
1858 G. Roy Generalship 26 Well..What more your mother than mine?
b. To what extent or degree; how much.Chiefly with such verbs as avail, care, matter, signify, or with the and comparative, as in what is a man the better (cf. nothing adv. 1c, 2, none adv. 1b). †what fele: (Scottish obsolete) how many?
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OE Vercelli Homilies (1992) x. 212 Hwæt hylpeð þam men aht, þeah þe he ealne middangeard on his anes æht eal gestryne?
lOE King Ælfred tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. (Bodl.) (2009) I. xxviii. 300 He þeah weorðode his deorlingas mid miclum welum; ac hwæt was him ðy bet?
a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) (1959) Gen. xxxvii. 26 What schall it profyte vs ȝif we slee oure broþer?
c1500 (?a1475) Assembly of Gods (1896) l. 1664 What were they bothe amendyd that day?
a1525 (c1448) R. Holland Bk. Howlat l. 627 in W. A. Craigie Asloan MS (1925) II. 114 Quhat fele armes on loft..The said pursewant bure.
a1535 J. Fisher Spirituall Consol. (?1578) sig. Avijv And what am I now ye better for all this?
1593 W. Shakespeare Venus & Adonis sig. Ciij What cares he now, for curbe, or pricking spurre. View more context for this quotation
1593 W. Shakespeare Venus & Adonis sig. C What were thy lips the worse for one poore kis? View more context for this quotation
1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Georgics iii, in tr. Virgil Wks. 119 Now what avails his well-deserving Toil. View more context for this quotation
1757 S. Foote Author i. 16 Lord! what signifies carrying such a lumb'ring Thing about?
1865 J. Ruskin Sesame & Lilies i. 74 What do we, as a nation, care about books?
1913 H. P. Cameron tr. Thomas à Kempis Of Imitation of Christ iii. l. 170 What is a man the better for bein' regairdit grit be men?
2016 N. Yoon Sun is also Star 267 What did it matter if he worked himself to death? What did it matter if he smoked himself to death?
3. As an interrogative marker introducing a question. regional and nonstandard in later use.Often taken as interjection (cf. sense C. 2a, from which it is difficult to distinguish), and printed with following comma or exclamation mark.Quot. OE is an unusual example for its period, and perhaps arises simply from close translation of the Latin text.
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the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > [adverb] > indicating a question
whatOE
howc1000
how aboutc1000
indeeda1616
really1753
anyhow1846
how's about?1952
OE (Northumbrian) Rushw. Gospels: John iii. 4 Numquid potest in uentrem matris suae iterato introire et nasci : hweðer uel hwæt mæge on wombe modor his þætte ge ingæ & acenned sie.
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 5182 Quat! ha yee broght him wit yow hider?
c1400 (?c1390) Sir Gawain & Green Knight (1940) l. 309 ‘What, is þis Arþures hous,’ quoþ þe haþel þenne.
a1593 C. Marlowe Massacre at Paris (c1600) sig. C6v Come on sirs, what, are you resolutely bent?
1597 W. Shakespeare Romeo & Juliet i. v. 54 What dares the slaue Come hither..To scorne..at our solemnitie? View more context for this quotation
1604 W. Shakespeare Hamlet i. i. 16 Say, what is Horatio there? View more context for this quotation
1677 E. Ravenscroft Wrangling Lovers ii. i. 13 What's he a Spy too?
1741 tr. Marquis d'Argens Chinese Lett. xxxii. 243 What have they been extinguish'd by Sorcerers, as they had been form'd by supernatural Prodigies?
a1852 W. T. Spurdens Forby's Vocab. E. Anglia (1858) III. 57 What, otiosè, in asking a question. This is the Shibboleth by which a cockney tradesman detects a Norfolk or Suffolk customer. E. g. ‘What, have you got any good so and so.’ Or inter se, ‘What, are you going to the farr?’ ‘No: i've bin.’
1961 J. A. Williams Night Song i. 18 Look, man. You're on your ass. What, you too proud to work for me?
2007 A. Theroux Laura Warholic xv. 213 It was Jamm the Wesort. ‘Hey, gooseknuckle, what, you come down to see me?’
II. Indefinite (non-relative) uses.
†4. In any respect, in any way. Obsolete.Chiefly in conditional clauses. This Old English use of hwæt apparently shows adverbial use of the accusative of the indefinite pronoun (cf. sense A. 7b); there seems to be no continuity with later indefinite (non-relative) uses.
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eOE King Ælfred tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. (Otho) (2009) I. xxxii. 536 He tiohhode, gif hi hwæt gesyngoden on ðæm freodome, þæt hi hit eft..gebeten.
OE West Saxon Gospels: Mark (Corpus Cambr.) ix. 22 Gif þu hwæt miht [L. si quid potes] gefylst us ure gemiltsud.
5.
†a. Introducing each, or only the first, of two or more alternative or coordinate words or phrases: some..others; both..and; including..and; partly..partly. Now only with specific meaning implied, as in sense B. 5b.Often, esp. in early examples, capable of being construed as a pronoun = ‘some’.
(a) With more than one what-phrase, each introducing an alternative. Obsolete (archaic in later use).
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a1225 (?OE) MS Vesp. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1868) 1st Ser. 237 Of þe folce we siggeð þat hit cumþ fastlice..wat frend, wat fa.
c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) l. 8289 Wat adreint wat aslawe, tuelf princes þer were ded.
c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) l. 5548 Wat þoru is stalwardhede, wat þoru godes grace, Mony was þe gode body þat he slou.
c1330 (?a1300) Arthour & Merlin (Auch.) (1973) l. 8873 What wiþ wristling wat wiþ togging What wiþ smiteing and wiþ skirminge On boþe half so þai wrouȝten Her kinges on hors þai brouȝten.
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 3907 Quat of his wiues tuin in spus, And wat of hand wimmen in hus, Tuelue suns had he o þaa.
?a1425 Mandeville's Trav. (Egerton) (1889) 118 (MED) In þat oste er fyfty comacy of men, what of hors men, what of fote men.
c1450 (c1380) G. Chaucer House of Fame (Fairf. 16) (1878) l. 2058 The thinges that I herde there What a lovde, and what in ere.
1531 W. Tyndale Prol. Jonas in Wks. (1573) 28/2 All the noble bloud was slayne vp, and halfe the commons thereto, what in Fraunce, and what with their owne sword, in fightyng among them selues for the crowne.
1548 Hall's Vnion: Henry IV f. xiijv These Lordes had much people folowing them, what for feare and what for entreatie.
1610 P. Holland tr. W. Camden Brit. i. 634 The Severn sea..what beeing driven backe..with a Southwest winde, and what with a verie strong pirrie from the sea troubling it, swelled [etc.].
1654 Earl of Monmouth tr. G. Bentivoglio Compl. Hist. Warrs Flanders 122 Most of the Kings ships which, what great, what little, were about forty.
1670 C. Cotton tr. G. Girard Hist. Life Duke of Espernon ii. viii. 350 A hundred and fifty Horse (what Gentlemen, and what of his own Guards).
1693 T. Urquhart & P. A. Motteux tr. F. Rabelais 3rd Bk. Wks. i. 19 Seven Children at the least (what Male what Female) were brought forth.
1819 W. Scott Ivanhoe II. xii. 204 I conceive they may be—what of yeomen—what of commons, at least five hundred men.
(b) With single what-phrase, followed by an alternative introduced with and, as, or so. Obsolete.
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a1400 (c1303) R. Mannyng Handlyng Synne (Harl.) l. 11004 Seynt Gregory telleþ þarfore a tale þat telþ many one, what grete and smale.
?a1425 (c1400) Mandeville's Trav. (Titus C.xvi) (1919) 170 What on horse & on fote, mo þan .CC. .Ml. persones.
1442 T. Bekington Let. in G. Williams Mem. Reign Henry VI (1872) II. 247 (MED) There is in pypes, what in the towne and in the castel, moo than cc legge herneys.
?c1450 Brut (Trin. Cambr.) (1908) 483 (MED) Þat folke were sore adredde and agast, it was so horrible and grete, what of rayne, thondere and lightnyng and hayll.
c1500 Melusine (1895) 266 About xviii.C what balesters as Archers.
c1500 Melusine (1895) 240 Many riche rayments..were made what for the spouse, as for the ladyes & damoyselles.
1517 S. Hawes Pastime of Pleasure (1928) iii. 18 For the veray perfyte bryghtnes What of the toure and of the clere sonne I coude nothynge beholde the goodlynes Of that palays.
1523 Ld. Berners tr. J. Froissart Cronycles I. ccxxiv. 119 b/1 They rode so long what night and day.
1670 C. Cotton tr. G. Girard Hist. Life Duke of Espernon iii. ix. 441 They had been mann'd out with above four hundred and fifty, what Mariners, and Souldiers.
b. Introducing adverbial phrases formed with prepositions. In the earliest periods chiefly in † what for (obsolete); later usually and now always in what with, implying (in early use only contextually) ‘in consequence of, on account of, as a result of; in view of, considering (one thing and another)’.
(a) With more than one what-phrase, each introducing an alternative.
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a1225 (?OE) MS Lamb. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1868) 1st Ser. 145 Alle we beoð in monifald wawe..hwat for ure eldere werkes, hwat for ure aȝene gultes.
c1300 St. Thomas Becket (Laud) l. 391 in C. Horstmann Early S.-Eng. Legendary (1887) 117 Ȝwat for eiȝe, ȝwat for loue, no man him ne with-seide.
a1425 (a1400) Prick of Conscience (Galba & Harl.) (1863) l. 7100 What for sorow, and what thurgh smoke And what thurgh cald, and what thurgh hete..þai salle ay grete.
?c1450 Life St. Cuthbert (1891) l. 1743 (MED) What for hungyr, what for thriste, Þe shipmen of na lykyng lyste.
1476 J. Paston in Paston Lett. & Papers (2004) I. 493 I ame some-whatt crased, what wyth the see and what wythe thys dyet heere.
1551 R. Robinson tr. T. More Vtopia sig. Gvv The .ii. corners, what wythe fordys & shelues, & what with rockes be very ieoperdous.
1570 J. Foxe Actes & Monumentes (rev. ed.) I. 209/2 What for the pillage of the Danes, and what by inward theues and bribers: this land was brought into great affliction.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Measure for Measure (1623) i. ii. 80 What with the war; what with the sweat, what with the gallowes, and what with pouerty, I am Custom-shrunke. View more context for this quotation
a1672 Bp. J. Wilkins Of Princ. Nat. Relig. (1675) i. iii. 36 What through their vicious affections..; what through their inadvertency or neglect..they are not to be convinced.
1673 A. Marvell Rehearsal Transpros'd ii. 181 The Penalty of the Bonds should have differ'd, what in case he run the Subject only into Errour, and what in case of Sin.
1678 Bp. J. Williams Hist. Gunpowder-treason 18 What for avoiding the Report of too much Credulity,..what from the care of doing any thing that might redound to the blemish of the Earl of Northumberland,..it was resolved [etc.].
1756 Monitor No. 35. 1 325 What by..diminution of trade: what by the immense weight of taxes;..some were actually ruined.
1819 W. Scott Ivanhoe III. xiv. 359 Athelstane's spirit of revenge, what between the natural indolent kindness of his own disposition, what through the prayers of his mother Edith..had terminated [etc.].
1842 T. De Quincey Mod. Greece in Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. July 120/1 What through banks and what through policemen, the concern has dwindled to nothing.
1866 C. Kingsley Hereward the Wake I. ii. 96 The track, what with pack-horses' feet, and what with the wear and tear of five hundred years' rainfall, was a rut three feet deep and two feet broad.
1980 M. Robinson Housekeeping (1991) ix. 177 What with the lake and the railroads, and what with blizzards and floods and barn fires and forest fires and the general availability of shotguns and bear traps and homemade liquor and dynamite, what with the prevalence of loneliness and religion and the rages and ecstasies they induce, and the closeness of families, violence was inevitable.
2000 Z. Smith White Teeth i. 17 But at the time it seemed impossible.., what with a young wife with one in the oven.., what with his dodgy leg, what with the lack of hills.
(b) With single what-phrase and no alternative.
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a1375 (c1350) William of Palerne (1867) l. 24 What for melodye þat þei made in þe mey sesoun, þat litel child listely lorked out of his caue.
1579 T. Twyne tr. Petrarch Phisicke against Fortune i. xxx. 41 What by the wonderfulnesse and number of the woorkes, there was nothyng in all the whole world to be wondred at, but Rome.
1591 R. Greene Maidens Dreame 154 She..wrong out sighes so sore: That what for grief her tongue could speak no more.
1867 Littell's Living Age 14 Dec. 697/1 [She] stood a fair chance of being spoiled, what with suddenly finding herself transformed from a schoolroom Cinderella to a fairy-tale princess.
1955 M. Lowry Let. July (1967) 381 What with this eye business I have to revise entirely my method of writing and..reorient myself to it.
2016 Esquire (Nexis) May Worse still..I found—what with being nearly 50—that not all parts of my body were as up for it as I would have wished.
(c) With single what-phrase, followed by an alternative introduced with and.See also what with one thing and another at thing n.1 Phrases 2c.
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?a1400 (a1338) R. Mannyng Chron. (Petyt) (1996) ii. l. 4166 Now has Kyng Richard of Cipres þe seignorie, what with nesshe & hard wonne þe maistrie.
c1400 (?a1387) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Huntington HM 137) (1873) C. xviii. l. 85 What þorw werre and wrake and wycked hyfdes.
c1405 (c1395) G. Chaucer Squire's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 46 The foweles..What for the sesoun and the yonge grene Ful loude songen hir affeccions.
a1450 St. Edith (Faust.) (1883) l. 3173 What by-cause of þe hele of þis gode wyff, & also of þe meracle þe whiche þer was do.
c1450 Alphabet of Tales (1904) I. 13 What for calde & for holdyng in þe watir, I was nere-hand slayn.
c1450 (?a1400) Wars Alexander (Ashm.) l. 781 Quat of stamping of stedis & stering of bernes, All dymed þe dale.
1665 T. Herbert Some Years Trav. (new ed.) 166 What by Themistocles on shore, and Leonidas at Sea, at Salamis and Thermopylæ, his huge Army melted away.
1702 D. Defoe Shortest-way with Dissenters 29 Alas the Church of England! What with Popery on one Hand, and Schismaticks on the other; how has she been Crucify'd between two Thieves.
1768 L. Sterne Sentimental Journey I. 106 What for poisons, conspiracies and assassinations.., there was no going there by day—'twas worse by night.
1822 W. Cobbett Cottage Econ. (1823) §108 What of Excise Laws and Custom Laws and Combination Laws and Libel Laws, a human being..scarcely knows what he dares do or..say.
1867 F. Parkman Jesuits in N. Amer. xxiii. 346 What with hunting, fishing, canoe-making, and bad weather, the progress of the august travellers was so slow.
1870 G. W. Dasent Ann. Eventful Life xxxvi Aunt Mandeville,..what between the White Lady and the warm verses, was quite upset.
1986 Christian Sci. Monitor 9 May 23/3 What with historians writing like novelists and novelists writing like historians..who can tell the difference?
2011 Mail on Sunday (Nexis) 24 Apr. The noise was terrific, what with telephone bells ringing and shells bursting nearby.
III. Exclamatory uses.
6. To what an extent; how. Cf. how adv. 8. Now Scottish.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > quantity > greatness of quantity, amount, or degree > high or intense degree > [adverb] > by or to a great degree or extent > to what a great degree or extent
whatc1225
c1225 in C. Brown Eng. Lyrics 13th Cent. (1932) 14 Ej! ej! what þis nicht [is] long!
1340 Ayenbite (1866) 51 A god huet we hedde guod wyn yesteneuen and guode metes.
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 23175 Quat he war wijs þat moght Stedfast hald þis dai in thoght!
c1400 (?c1390) Sir Gawain & Green Knight (1940) l. 2203 What! hit wharred & whette as water at a mulle.
a1450 York Plays (1885) 114 A! lorde, what the wedir is colde!
1489 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (Adv.) i. 215 A quhat thai dempt thaim felonly.
1556 in J. G. Nichols Chron. Grey Friars (1852) 60 What rebellyous they were.
1812 W. Angus Eng. Gram. 346 What pretty it is!
1872 J. Kennedy Jock Craufurt 122 What a size The waves are noo, what heigh they rise.
1927 V. Jacob Northern Lights 5 An' oh! what grand's the smell ye'll get Frae the neep-fields by the sea!
1992 D. Toulmin Coll. Short Stories 71 What pleased I was when I kent it was only a dream.
C. int. Exclamatory uses.
†1. Used to introduce or call attention to a statement: lo; now; well. Obsolete.The range of uses of introductory hwæt in Old English can be difficult to distinguish and interpretation of individual attestations is sometimes disputed. Introductory hwæt is well attested in prose as well as common in poetry.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > importance > [interjection] > emphasizing a following statement
whatOE
loOE
lookOE
aha1225
loura1225
halec1300
why1545
if (also and) you pleasec1563
ahem1606
I say1613
ahey1696
sithee1828
please it you1881
lookit1907
OE Ælfric Catholic Homilies: 1st Ser. (Royal) (1997) i. 188 Hwæt þa [a1225 Vesp. A.xxii Hwet þa] twegen gelyfede men hine arwyrðlice bebyrgdon.
OE Beowulf (2008) 1 Hwæt, we Gar-Dena in geardagum, þeodcyninga þrym gefrunon.
c1175 ( Homily (Bodl. 343) in S. Irvine Old Eng. Homilies (1993) 140 Hwæt, Crist mihte eaðe mid ane worde þenne deofel senden on ece lure.
c1405 (c1387–95) G. Chaucer Canterbury Tales Prol. (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 854 He seyde syn I shal bigynne the game What wel come be the Cut in goddes name.
2.
a. As an exclamation of surprise or astonishment (sometimes mixed with indignation). Usually followed by a question.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > expectation > surprise, unexpectedness > exclamation of surprise [interjection]
whatOE
well, wellOE
avoyc1300
ouc1300
ay1340
lorda1393
ahaa1400
hillaa1400
whannowc1450
wow1513
why?1520
heydaya1529
ah1538
ah me!a1547
fore me!a1547
o me!a1547
what the (also a) goodyear1570
precious coals1576
Lord have mercy (on us)1581
good heavens1588
whau1589
coads1590
ay me!1591
my stars!a1593
Gods me1595
law1598
Godso1600
to go out1600
coads-nigs1608
for mercy!a1616
good stars!1615
mercy on us (also me, etc.)!a1616
gramercy1617
goodness1623
what next?1662
mon Dieu1665
heugh1668
criminy1681
Lawd1696
the dickens1697
(God, etc.) bless my heart1704
alackaday1705
(for) mercy's sake!1707
my1707
deuce1710
gracious1712
goodly and gracious1713
my word1722
my stars and garters!1758
lawka1774
losha1779
Lord bless me (also you, us, etc.)1784
great guns!1795
mein Gott1795
Dear me!1805
fancy1813
well, I'm sure!1815
massy1817
Dear, dear!1818
to get off1818
laws1824
Mamma mia1824
by crikey1826
wisha1826
alleleu1829
crackey1830
Madonna mia1830
indeed1834
to go on1835
snakes1839
Jerusalem1840
sapristi1840
oh my days1841
tear and ages1841
what (why, etc.) in time?1844
sakes alive!1846
gee willikers1847
to get away1847
well, to be sure!1847
gee1851
Great Scott1852
holy mackerel!1855
doggone1857
lawsy1868
my wig(s)!1871
gee whiz1872
crimes1874
yoicks1881
Christmas1882
hully gee1895
'ullo1895
my hat!1899
good (also great) grief!1900
strike me pink!1902
oo-er1909
what do you know?1909
cripes1910
coo1911
zowiec1913
can you tie that?1918
hot diggety1924
yeow1924
ziggety1924
stone (or stiffen) the crows1930
hullo1931
tiens1932
whammo1932
po po po1936
how about that?1939
hallo1942
brother1945
tie that!1948
surprise1953
wowee1963
yikes1971
never1974
to sod off1976
whee1978
mercy1986
yipes1989
OE Ælfric Lives of Saints (Julius) (1900) II. 374 Hwæt, þu ungesælige, nast þu þæt me is geseald anweald to ofsleanne and to edcucigenne?
c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 19429 Whatt abraham. whatt Moysæs. Whatt tiss & tatt profete? Ne sæȝhenn þeȝȝ nohht drihhtin godd. Inn hiss goddcunnde kinde?
a1300 (?c1250) Owl & Nightingale (Jesus Oxf.) (1935) l. 1298 Hwat heo seyde, vle ar tu wod.
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Gött.) l. 10456 Quat? wenis þu i be a fole?
c1400 (c1378) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Laud 581) (1869) B. xiii. l. 183 ‘What?’ quod clergye to conscience, ‘ar ȝe coueitouse nouthe After ȝeresȝyues?’
c1425 J. Lydgate Troyyes Bk. (Augustus A.iv) i. l. 2900 What, hath sche nat fro deth and fro distresse Preserued þe, and ȝit þou takest noon hede.
1590 R. Harvey Plaine Percevall sig. B3 What, what, latine in the mouth of a plaine fellow?
1603 W. Shakespeare Hamlet i. i. 19 What hath this thing appear'd againe to night.
1639 J. Clarke Paroemiologia 303 What againe? quoth Paul when his wife made him cuckold the second time.
1749 H. Fielding Tom Jones V. xv. vii. 244 ‘O, Mr. Jones, I have lost my Lady for ever.’—‘How! What! for Heaven's Sake tell me.’ View more context for this quotation
1847 Ld. Tennyson Princess ii. 25 What! are the ladies of your land so tall?
1886 S. Baring-Gould Court Royal xii ‘What!—not Sunday clothes?’ ‘Sunday is nothing to us.’ ‘What! no go-to-meeting clothes?’
1948 P. G. Wodehouse Spring Fever xiv. 143 What! You're asking me to bust a pete?
1999 J. Boyle Hero of Underworld 9 ‘Mr Gorky's been biffing us residents for a start,’ I muttered hesitantly. ‘What! You mean assaulting people?’
b. With intensive additions, as in Phrases 1i (of which this may be partly an elliptical use).
ΚΠ
a1400 (c1303) R. Mannyng Handlyng Synne (Harl.) l. 4284 What deuyl! why haþ þe prest swych hy?
1498 Interpr. Names Goddis & Goddesses (de Worde) sig. Aiv/2 Is it thus sayd Attropos what in deuylles date [c1500 Trin. Cambr. R.3.19 what in the deuyllys date].
a1529 J. Skelton Magnyfycence (?1530) sig. Ciiv What the deuyll can ye agre no better.
1754 S. Richardson Let. 31 Jan. in J. Duncombe Lett. Several Eminent Persons Deceased (1773) III. 13 What a duce, must a man be always writing!
1864 C. Dickens Our Mutual Friend (1865) I. i. iii. 15 If there is a word..that I abominate, it is energy... What the deuce! Am I to rush out into the street [etc.].
1978 J. Linssen Tabitha Fffoulkes lxi. 248 When I walked into his room he looked up and said, ‘Ee, what the 'eck?’
2009 S. Rainone Love will tear us Apart 193 Dude, what the fuck? Don't tell me this is gonna be another sausage fest, Goldenrod.
†3. Used to hail, summon, or get the attention of a person; formerly also used to incite a person, or as an expression of excitement or elation. See also what ho int. and adj. Obsolete (archaic in later use).
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > voice or vocal sound > cry or shout (loudness) > cry or shout [interjection] > specific call or hail
heya1225
halec1300
hillaa1400
what hoc1405
hoc1430
oyeza1450
heh1475
hi?c1475
oy1488
whata1556
holla1598
sola1598
hillo1603
hallow1674
woo-hoo1697
hip1735
yo-ho1748
high1760
yo-heave-ho1790
holla ho!1796
whoo-ee1811
hello1826
tit1827
hullo1857
ahoy1885
yoo-hoo1924
hi-de-hi1941
c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Manciple's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) Prol. l. 5 Ther gan oure hoost for to iape and pleye And seyde sires, what, Don is in the Myre.
a1556 N. Udall Ralph Roister Doister (?1566) i. iii. sig. B.iij What Tibet, what Annot, what Margerie. Ye sleepe, but we doe not.
1581 A. Hall tr. Homer 10 Bks. Iliades ii. 29 What? courage sirs my felowes al.
1597 W. Shakespeare Romeo & Juliet i. iii. 3 Nurce..I bad her come, what Lamb, what Ladie bird, God forbid. Wher's this girle? what Iuliet.
1607 T. Dekker & J. Webster North-ward Hoe v. sig. G2 Chamberlaine call in the musick,..what weel make a night of it.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Tempest (1623) iv. i. 33 What Ariell; my industrious seruant Ariell. Ar. What would my potent master? here I am. View more context for this quotation
a1637 B. Jonson Tale of Tub i. iii. 15 in Wks. (1640) III Here they'are both! What Sirs, disputin. View more context for this quotation
1655 A. Brewer Love-sick King ii. sig. C1v What Thornton my old Acquaintance! How ist't, How ist't man?
1878 T. Hardy Return of Native II. iii. viii. 227 What, Diggory? You are having a lonely walk.
D. adj.1 (determiner).
I. As an interrogative adjective.
1. Used in asking the identity of a choice made from an indefinite set of alternatives. Also (now chiefly colloquial): used in asking the identity of a choice from a definite set of alternatives (= which adj. 3).Old English usually shows equivalent use of hwæt as pronoun with a partitive genitive (cf. e.g. quot. eOE at sense D. 1a(a)). A small number of apparently adjectival instances in Old English (chiefly in the Northumbrian gloss to the Lindisfarne Gospels) are probably to be interpreted either as showing a different construction entirely or resulting from errors of translation: cf. quots. OE at sense D. 1a(a), OE at sense D. 1b(a).
a. In direct questions.Often with ellipsis, as in what cheer?, what news?, etc.See also what manner of ——?, what way adv. at Compounds 2.
(a) With an indefinite set of alternatives.Quot. eOE shows equivalent use of hwæt as pronoun with a partitive genitive.In quot. OE perhaps an error or misunderstanding (cf. note at sense D. 1).
ΚΠ
eOE King Ælfred tr. Gregory Pastoral Care (Hatton) (1871) xxi. 165 Hwæt is ðienga ðe bieterre sie on ðæs lareowes mode.., ðonne se anda ðe for ryhtwisnesse bið upahæfen?
OE (Northumbrian) Lindisf. Gospels: Luke xxi. 7 Interrogauerunt autem illum dicentes: praeceptor quando haec erunt et quod signum cum fieri incipient : gefrugnon ðonne hine cuoeðendo: hæsere..huoenne ðas uel ða biðon & huoelc uel huæd becon uel tacon [OE Rushw. Gospels hwelc gif becun] miððy geworða uel þætte sie uel to wosanne onginnað.]
c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 15586 Whatt takenn shæwesst tu till uss. Þatt dost tuss þise dedess?
c1225 (?c1200) St. Margaret (Royal) (1934) 9 Hwet godd heiestu & hersumest?
c1384 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Royal) (1850) 1 John iii. 12 And for what thing slew he him?
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 29034 (MED) Quat bote is fra mete to min And dedeli for to lig in sin?
c1450 (c1380) G. Chaucer House of Fame (Fairf. 16) (1878) l. 2147 And eueryche cried, what thing is that And somme sayde, I not neuer what.
a1513 W. Dunbar Poems (1998) I. 39 Quhat tythingis, gossope, peace or weir?
a1586 Sir P. Sidney Arcadia (1590) i. ii. sig. B7v What cause then..made you venter to leaue this sweete life...?
a1596 Sir Thomas More (1911) i. iii. 71 Sirra, what newes?
a1616 W. Shakespeare Tempest (1623) ii. i. 94 What impossible matter wil he make easy next? View more context for this quotation
1749 H. Fielding Tom Jones IV. x. ix. 80 What saucy Fellow..told you any Thing of my Lady? View more context for this quotation
1853 C. Brontë Villette III. xxxvii. 169 A story! What story?
1880 ‘M. Twain’ Tramp Abroad xxii But what good would it do?
1967 Brit. Jrnl. Psychiatry 113 805/2 What preventive measures can we take? A number are suggested.
2001 Washington Post 17 Aug. c8/4 What advice would you give to someone who told a new BF that she loved him but has since had second thoughts?
(b) With a definite set of alternatives.
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c1450 (?a1400) Wars Alexander (Ashm.) l. 683 Quat sterne is it at ȝe stody on?
1652 G. Fidge Great Eater Grayes-Inne 33 Hold hold quoth the Justice, this is no laughing Matter..of what Innes of Court are you, Grayes-Inne quoth Marriot.
1815 W. Scott Guy Mannering I. xi. 178 ‘What Mr. Bertram?’..‘not Mr. Bertram of Ellangowan, I hope?’
1974 D. Clement & I. La Frenais Porridge: Scripts (2002) 1st Ser. Episode 1. 40/2 Fletcher What religion are you? Lennie C of E, I suppose.
2014 Church Times 31 Oct. 20/4 What box does she tick on the census form, when it asks for her religion?
b. In indirect questions, and clauses of similar meaning, with varying interrogative force, sometimes approaching the nominal relative use (sense D. 6); cf. sense A. 1b.See also Phrases 4a.
(a) With an indefinite set of alternatives.In quot. OE perhaps an error or misunderstanding (cf. note at sense D. 1).
ΚΠ
OE (Northumbrian) Lindisf. Gospels: John headings to readings v Interrogantibus quod signum daret soluendi templum et in triduo excitandi misterium ponit : ðæm frasendum..huæt uel becon gesalde to undoanne tempul uel..ym ðrim dagum wæccennes clæn run uel Godes degelnise setteð.]
c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 722 Godess enngell seȝȝde himm þær. Whatt name he shollde settenn. Vpp o þatt illke child.
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 34 Bot be the fruit may scilwis se, O quat vertu is ilka tre.
?a1400 (a1338) R. Mannyng Chron. (Petyt) (1996) i. l. 2718 Þei ȝede spiande here & þere in wate bataile þe kynges were.
a1470 T. Malory Morte Darthur (Winch. Coll. 13) (1990) II. 621 Than sir Trystram lete devyse the batayle in what maner that they sholde be.
a1500 (?a1390) J. Mirk Festial (Gough) (1905) 33 Tell þes men whad þou hast yseyne, and whad joy þes men han lost.
1549 Bk. Common Prayer (STC 16267) Celebr. Holye Communion f. xxiv Graunt that they maie both perceaue and knowe what thinges they ought to do.
1597 R. Hooker Of Lawes Eccl. Politie v. xlviii. 96 To examine..what dependencie it hath on God.
1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost ii. 741 Till first I know of thee, What thing thou art. View more context for this quotation
1720 D. Defoe Mem. Cavalier 27 They call'd frequent Councils of War what Course to take.
1836 C. Dickens Sketches by Boz 1st Ser. II. 75 How, or at what hour, Mr. Watkins Tottle returned..is unknown.
1918 Cornhill Mag. June 637 He made no attempt..to suggest upon what lines that future might be shaped.
1971 Times 29 Dec. 2/1 Mr Fogg asked what grounds pro-abortionists had for assuming that Britain was overpopulated.
2010 Miami Herald (Nexis) 7 Nov. 21 There was a woman selling magazines for her children's school. I asked what school and she couldn't remember.
(b) With a definite set of alternatives.
ΚΠ
1567 W. Painter Palace of Pleasure II. xxix. f. 338v A man can not tell on what foote to stande to conceiue the reason of the same.
1643 A. Tuckney Balme of Gilead 30 A short spurt doth not try me, but the length and hardnesse of the way will at last tell me what leg I halt on.
1739 J. Swift Verses on Death Dr. Swift: Nov. 1731 11 I wish I knew what King to call.
1981 P. Larkin Let. 13 Mar. in Sel. Lett. (1992) 643 Let me know later on what train I must meet.
1992 P. McCabe Butcher Boy (1993) 125 I don't know what end of me's up with all the things I have to do.
2001 Farm Industry News Mar. 54/3 Your computer, which will tell you what area of the field needs water.
2.
a. Used in asking about the nature of the person(s) or thing(s) designated: what kind or type of? Formerly also †followed by a (obsolete).what done, what dones: see done adj.2Quot. OE shows equivalent use of hwæt as pronoun with a partitive genitive.
ΚΠ
OE St. Mary of Egypt (Julius) (2002) 72 He..gewilnode to oncnawenne hwæt þæt wildeora wære þe him æteowde.]
c1225 (?c1200) St. Juliana (Bodl.) l. 320 Hwet wiht..art tu.
c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) l. 315 Brut sende vp þere Þre hondred men..to loke ȝwat lond þat were.
c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) l. 225 He wolde iwite Ȝwat man þe child ssolde be.
c1390 Pistel of Swete Susan (Vernon) l. 314 Tel nou me trewly, vnder what tre?
c1430 (c1386) G. Chaucer Legend Good Women (Cambr. Gg.4.27) (1879) l. 1305 Allas what weman wele ȝe of me make.
1445 tr. Claudian's De Consulatu Stilichonis in Anglia (1905) 28 269 Þou..askist what life this man hath had.
1577 B. Googe tr. C. Heresbach Foure Bks. Husbandry i. f. 17v It is to be learned..in planting, what ground is best for Uines, what for other trees.
1605 A. Warren Poore Mans Passions H 2 I dare not call thee Asse, but aske thy selfe, What eares thou hast.
a1715 Bp. G. Burnet Hist. Own Time (1724) I. 318 It was a common piece of raillery in the Court, upon the death of any Prince, to ask what a person his widow was.
1853 F. D. Maurice Prophets & Kings Old Test. vi. 98 He wants a God as the support of his authority; what God he cares very little.
1879 F. W. Robinson Coward Conscience i. vi ‘What wine is this, Fisher?’ ‘Johannisberg, sir.’
1944 H. Channon Diary 7 Jan. in R. R. James Chips (1967) ix. 384 If you were not a woman—what animal would you like to be?
2001 C. R. Dillon Superstitions & Folk Remedies vii. 215 Springwort is a magical plant associated with fire and lightning, but unfortunately we do not know exactly what plant it was.
b. In predicative use. Of what kind, character, or disposition; like what sort of thing or person (corresponding to a predicative adjective in a direct statement, and usually referring to quality: cf. sense D. 2a).Syntactically indistinguishable from the pronoun, but essentially adjectival in meaning and implying an adjectival phrase or a descriptive clause as answer. Sometimes implying ellipsis of the noun: e.g. in quot. a1450, whad..more = ‘what more wits’.
ΚΠ
1340 Ayenbite (1866) 264 ‘And huet is helle?’.. ‘Helle is wyd wyþ-oute metinge, dyep wyþ-oute botme.’
a1450 (?a1390) J. Mirk Instr. Parish Priests (Claud.) (1974) l. 1333 Here ben þe wyttus fyue, How þey ben spende, telle me blyue, And whad þou hast in herte more.
a1500 (a1400) Awntyrs Arthure (Douce) l. 93 What is þi good rede?
1526 Bible (Tyndale) James i. 24 He goeth his waye, and hath immediately forgotten what his fassion was.
1608 W. Shakespeare King Lear vii. 109 What's the offence you gaue him? View more context for this quotation
a1616 W. Shakespeare Twelfth Night (1623) i. v. 239 I see you what you are, you are too proud. View more context for this quotation
1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Æneis vii, in tr. Virgil Wks. 405 To search the Land, and where the Cities lye, And what the Men [Virg. quive habeant homines].
1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Æneis xi, in tr. Virgil Wks. 553 Noble his Mother was,..But what his Father's Parentage, unknown.
1828 R. Duppa Trav. Italy 3 What the Transfiguration may have been, as to execution and colouring, I cannot tell.
1905 R. Bagot Passport xvi You know what he is about anything disagreeable—how he simply ignores its existence.
1958 M. West Second Victory iii. 56 You know what these mountain people are—irredentist, isolationist, intolerant of foreigners and officials alike.
2004 J. Meno Hairstyles of Damned 111 What are you, retarded?
3. With reference to quantity or amount: how much, how many.Cf. the Old English use with partitive genitive (sense A. 4).
ΚΠ
a1300 in C. Brown Relig. Lyrics 14th Cent. (1924) 3 Loke to mi side, wat Blode ich haue i-leten.
1487 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (St. John's Cambr.) xix. 293 ‘Quhat folk ar thai?’ ‘Schir, mony men.’
1568 A. Scott Poems (1896) 3 It maid na mis quhat madinnis þai miscareit On fasting dayis.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Macbeth (1623) iii. iv. 125 Macb... What is the night? La. Almost at oddes with morning, which is which. View more context for this quotation
1654 Kirk Sess. Rec. in J. Campbell Balmerino (1899) 408 To stent and sie what bolls of victuall everie heritor was.
1820 T. Dibdin Ivanhoe ii. i. 29 Pray thee what money hast thou brought?
1845 Rep. Commissioners Harbours of Refuge 44 What water have you at the mouth of Ramsgate Harbour at dead low-water spring-tides?—Six feet between the piers.
1935 Departm. of Justice Appropriation Bill 1936 (Hearing before Subcommittee of House Committee on Appropriations, 74th Congr., 1st Sess.) 247 What cash have you on hand at this time over and above the amount that is allocated for the two quarters ending January 1, 1935?
2009 Metro 10 Feb. (London ed.) 37 (advt.) In the UK alone, 80 million old mobile phones are not in use... You might just be surprised what money your old ‘brick’ could make for you.
4. In rhetorical questions, implying a contrary assertion: cf. sense A. 3.
ΚΠ
c1300 St. Leger (Laud) l. 29 in C. Horstmann Early S.-Eng. Legendary (1887) 82 Ȝwat neode is it for-to trauailli ferrore me to lede?
c1475 (a1400) Sir Amadace (Taylor) in J. Robson Three Early Eng. Metrical Romances (1842) 38 (MED) Quat wundur were hit, thaȝhe him were wo Quen alle his godus were spendutte him fro?
1513 G. Douglas in tr. Virgil Æneid vi. Prol. 105 Quhat cristnit clerk suld hym haue consalit bettir, Althocht he nevir was catholik wight?
1593 W. Shakespeare Venus & Adonis sig. Diiijv What waxe so frozen but dissolues with tempring? View more context for this quotation
1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Æneis xi, in tr. Virgil Wks. 561 With what becoming Thanks can I reply!
1790 R. Burns Poems & Songs (1968) II. 553 What Whig but melts for good Sir James! Dear to his Country by the names, Friend, Patron, Benefactor!
1822 P. B. Shelley Hellas 21 What hope of refuge, or retreat, or aid?
1848 C. Kingsley Yeast xiii What wonder if the children take them at their word and act accordingly?
1977 Whig-Standard (Kingston, Ont.) 14 Jan. 6/5 What self-respecting Frenchman can be against individualism or independence?
2001 Washingtonian (Nexis) Aug. (Nightlife section) 55 What pimp would leave his crib without a neckful of gold?
II. Relative uses. With singular or plural reference and used of things or persons; always as nominal relative.
5. In generalized senses.
a. With the generalized sense indicated by ever, so, soever, or somever following the noun. Now only with soever (see soever adv. 2), or with the adverb following immediately so as to form a compound determiner: see whatever pron., adj., n., adv., and int., whatso pron. and adj., whatsoever pron. and adj., whatsomever pron. and adj.
ΚΠ
c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 10111 Whatt mann se itt iss. Þatt hafeþþ tweȝȝenn kirrtless Ȝife he þatt an þatt illke mann Þatt iss wiþþ utenn kirrtell.
a1200 MS Trin. Cambr. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1873) 2nd Ser. 99 It warð on eches muð wat mete se he mest luuede.
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Gött.) l. 1149 To quat contre so þu wend, Sal þu na man find to freind.
a1470 T. Malory Morte Darthur (Winch. Coll. 13) (1990) II. 656 What knyght somever smote downe sir Palomydes sholde have his damesell to hymselff.
1472–3 in Hist. MSS Comm.: 10th Rep.: App. Pt. V: MSS Marquis of Ormonde &c. (1885) 309 in Parl. Papers (C. 4576-I) XLII. 1 A strange marchaunt..what that ever condicion he be of.
a1500 (?a1450) Gesta Romanorum (Harl. 7333) (1879) 1 That knyȝt shall dye by my crafte, yn what cuntre of the wordle so euer þat he be ynne.
a1500 (?c1450) Merlin i. 5 In what nede that euer ye haue.
1558 Q. Kennedy Compendius Tractiue To Rdr. sig. Aiii Quhat sect, or opinioun, that euir thov be of.
1594 W. Shakespeare Titus Andronicus v. i. 82 By that same God, what God so ere it be. View more context for this quotation
1676 T. Shadwell Virtuoso iv. 66 Let what harmony soever be between Lovers at first, in a short time it turns to scurvy jangling.
1716 A. Pope tr. Homer Iliad II. viii. 567 What Pow'r soe'er provokes our lifted Hand.
1822 K. H. Digby Broad Stone of Honour Pref. p. v The Gentlemen of England, of what rank or estate soever they may be.
1868 W. Morris Earthly Paradise ii. 460 All people ceased What talk they held soever.
2019 @Olaf_HB 10 Oct. in twitter.com (accessed 8 June 2021) Extremists of what kind soever will not solve any problem at all—they'll only cause even more trouble, so we..need to find a way to make extremism redundant worldwide!
b. Any —— which (or who), any —— that: = whatever adj. 1. Now only in certain collocations: cf. sense A. 9a(a). Also = whatever adj. 2. Now rare.
ΚΠ
c1400 (?a1387) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Huntington HM 137) (1873) C. iii. l. 34 What man þat me louyeþ and my wille folweþ, Shal haue grace.
1422 in F. J. Furnivall Fifty Earliest Eng. Wills (1882) 50 I bequeth to what thenge þat is most necessary in þe same Chirch, v. marc.
a1470 T. Malory Morte Darthur (Winch. Coll. 13) (1990) II. 645 What knyght may overcom that knyght that kepyth the pyce of erthe ‘shall have me and all my londis’.
c1475 (a1400) J. Wyclif Eng. Wks. (1880) 311 What man seiþ heyl to siche antecristis shal haue part of heere werkis for assent þat he ȝiueþ.
1567 J. Maplet Greene Forest f. 101 Into what cleare Fountaine or Riuer he swimmeth, he infecteth it.
1599 W. Shakespeare Romeo & Juliet ii. v. 3 Come what sorrow can. View more context for this quotation
1665 R. Hooke Micrographia 149 Provide a good large Box..and of what depth you shall judge convenient.
1714 A. Pope Rape of Lock (new ed.) i. 5 Spirits..Assume what Sexes and what Shapes they please.
1852 H. D. Thoreau Jrnl. 23 June (1997) V. 127 The red color of cattle also is agreeable in a landscape—or let them be what color they may.
1891 W. Morris Poems by Way 126 Unmoved I stand what wind may blow.
1943 C. S. Lewis Abolition of Man 39 We shall get at last a race of conditioners who really can cut out all posterity in what shape they please.
2016 Mountaineer (Waynesville, N. Carolina) 2 Mar. This weekend, I will continue to find new ways to stay active and involved in my surroundings no matter what weather may come, including volunteer opportunities.
†c. In indefinite, non-relative sense: any —— at all, any whatever; = whatever adj. 3, whatsoever pron. and adj. 3a. Usually followed by soever. Cf. what else. Obsolete.In quot. 1856: some —— or other.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > kind or sort > generality > [adjective] > not specified > of any kind > whatever
whatever1395
whatsomever1429
whatsoever1472
whata1504
whatsoever1589
whatso1902
a1504 J. Holt Lac Puerorum (1508) i. sig. A.vv The nominatyf accusatyf & vocatyf plurell shall alwaye be lyke, of what gendre soeuer yt nownes be.
1528 Pomander of Prayer iii. sig. Bv Other men yt be of inferyour degrees whyther they be marchauntes, yomen, or craftes men or of what condicion soeuer they be they can not be excused.
1597 J. Payne Royall Exchange 18 Let all right belevers..be of good comforth vnder what cross or distress soever.
1608 G. Chapman Conspiracie Duke of Byron v. sig. H3v Rise then for euer, Quit of what guilt soeuer.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Winter's Tale (1623) i. ii. 44 I loue thee not a Iarre o' th' Clock, behind What Lady she her Lord. View more context for this quotation
1664 H. Power Exper. Philos. ii. 91 At which Angle of Inclination the perpendicular will be equal to 29 inches, let the Tube be of what length soever.
1725 D. Defoe New Voy. round World ii. 11 Not to come any nearer, upon what Occasion soever.
1736 Gentleman's Mag. Dec. 721/2 Goods, Chattels, and Things of what Nature or Value soever.
1825 W. Scott Talisman vii, in Tales Crusaders IV. 135 She wore not upon her person any female ornament of what kind soever.
1856 R. W. Emerson Eng. Traits i. 15 Mr. Landor..has a wonderful brain,..by what chance converted to letters.
1881 A. C. Swinburne Mary Stuart (1899) i. ii. 52 We took in hand to cut this peril off By what close mean soe'er and what foul hands Unwashed of treason.
6. That (or those) —— which (or who), such —— as; (often expressing quantity) however much (or many) —— as. Cf. senses A. 10, A. 11b.
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a1375 (c1350) William of Palerne (1867) l. 1114 Fondes to do þe duk what duresse ȝe may.
c1390 Cato's Distichs (Vernon) l. 613 in F. J. Furnivall Minor Poems Vernon MS (1901) ii. 608 Tak what þing þe profred is Whon þou maiȝt redi haue.
1579 W. Fulke Heskins Parl. Repealed in D. Heskins Ouerthrowne 150 By what things I was conioyned vnto you, those things..I haue giuen vnto you.
1608 W. Shakespeare King Lear xiii. 2 I will peece out the comfort with what addition I can. View more context for this quotation
1677 in 12th Rep. Royal Comm. Hist. MSS (1890) App. v. 36 Lord Purbecke makes what hast he can to consume his ladie's fortune by gameing.
1710 R. Steele Tatler No. 169. ⁋1 Do we..destroy the use of what organs we have?
1796 R. Southey Joan of Arc vi. 388 What few to guard the town Unwilling had remained, haste forth to meet The triumph.
1874 J. Ruskin Fors Clavigera IV. xlii. 129 I will take what indulgence the..reader will give me.
1937 A. B. Campbell With Corners Off xii. 207 What pudding was not clinging to Donald be-plastered the deck-head.
2001 Daily Tel. 3 Feb. (T2 section) 2/3 What tunes you can program depends on what phone model you have.
III. Exclamatory and allied uses.
7. Used (with singular or plural agreement) to express the surprising or striking nature of the thing(s) or person(s) denoted by the noun; with a singular count noun usually, and now always, followed by the indefinite article. Often with ellipsis (cf. sense D. 1).
a. In main clauses.Formerly usually with inversion of subject and verb, but distinguished from a direct question by intonation, and, if with a singular count noun, by the presence of the indefinite article; contrast What a place is this! (now What a place this is!) with What place is this?
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > quantity > greatness of quantity, amount, or degree > [adjective] > very great > and remarkable
outnumenc1225
whata1325
outnemea1400
excessive1477
superiora1500
supernatural?1537
supereminent?1563
extraordinary1572
no mean ——1580
metaphysical1589
superhumana1629
uncommon1700
unco1724
some1808
hellacious1847
helluva1905
(a) hang of a1941
a1325 (c1250) Gen. & Exod. (1968) 357 Louerd, quat same is me bi-tid, For ic am naked.
c1350 in T. Silverstein Eng. Lyrics before 1500 (1971) 53 (MED) Wyth what mastrie He hat man ywrouht..Wyth what marchandie He hat ybouht.
?a1425 (c1400) Mandeville's Trav. (Titus C.xvi) (1919) 2 (MED) What loue hadde he to vs his subiettes whan he þat neuere trespaced wolde for trespassours suffre deth!
a1500 (?a1400) Morte Arthur (1903) l. 530 O, worthy god, what wele is me!
1509 A. Barclay Brant's Shyp of Folys (Pynson) f. clxxii O what a Cyte, and what a se royall Hath had first name of pore men and rurall.
?a1525 (c1450) Christ's Burial & Resurrection ii. l. 1157 in F. J. Furnivall Digby Plays (1896) 210 What a fawte it was, The seruaunte, alas, His master to forsake!
1530 Myroure Oure Ladye (Fawkes) (1873) ii. 119 O wyth what reuerence,..wyth what inwarde deuocyon..oughte we to haue vs in euery place.
1600 W. Shakespeare Merchant of Venice i. iii. 159 O father Abram, what these Christians are. View more context for this quotation
1604 W. Shakespeare Hamlet ii. ii. 305 What peece of worke is a man. View more context for this quotation
1615 W. Lawson Country Housewifes Garden (1626) 32 What rottennesse? what hollownesse?
1635 A. Stafford Femall Glory 133 O what proficients in Faith did these rusticall Swaines prove in a moment!
1705 J. Addison Remarks Italy 307 What a strain'd unnatural Similitude must this seem to a Modern Reader?
1776 Earl of Carlisle in J. H. Jesse G. Selwyn & his Contemp. (1844) III. 160 What a house! What people! what manners!
1798 G. Hay in Ushaw Mag. (1913) Dec. 288 What shocking times we live in!
1825 W. Scott Talisman i, in Tales Crusaders III. 15 What was the surprise of the Saracen, when, dismounting to examine the condition of his prostrate enemy, he found [etc.].
1847 C. Brontë Jane Eyre I. ii. 18 What a consternation of soul was mine that dreary afternoon!.. Yet in what darkness, what dense ignorance, was the mental battle fought!
1855 R. Browning Lovers' Quarrel i Oh, what a dawn of day! How the March sun feels like May!
1888 H. R. Haggard Col. Quaritch xli What rubbish you talk.
1906 E. Dyson Fact'ry 'Ands vi. 66 ‘What rot, girls; why don't yer get er shift on?’ cried Feathers virtuously.
1999 D. Mitchell Ghostwritten 63 That woman is Mad Cow Disease on two legs… And what legs they are…
2010 Viz May 34/1 Jesus! What a pig ugly baby.
b. In subordinate clauses, after verbs of thinking or perceiving.Here the exclamatory force varies as the interrogative force does in the corresponding interrogative use (sense D. 1b), with which this often nearly coincides: cf. remarks under sense A. 1b.
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a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 1610 (MED) Quat was his reut þan all mai see.
1554 in Eng. Hist. Rev. (1913) July 528 When I consydere ever what servants of God they were and so dyed.
1597 W. Shakespeare Richard III i. iv. 21 Me thought what paine it was to drowne. View more context for this quotation
a1616 W. Shakespeare Tempest (1623) i. ii. 252 Do'st thou forget From what a torment I did free thee? View more context for this quotation
1708 in W. Mure Select. Family Papers Caldwell (1854) I. 216 You cannot imagine what a parcel of cheating brutes the work people here are.
1713 J. Addison in Guardian 28 July 1/1 We may see after what a different Manner Strada proceeds.
1808 W. Scott Marmion ii. vi. 83 See what a woeful look was given.
1841 C. Dickens Old Curiosity Shop ii. lxix. 198 You may judge with what devotion he..clung to this girl.
1916 W. Sanday In View of End 93 Let..the ordinary church-goer call to mind what a large proportion of the best of our hymn-tunes are German.
2001 A. Sayle Dog Catcher 21 She couldn't find it in herself to show him up by letting all the others know what cock he was talking.
†E. conj.
1.
a. During the time that; while. Obsolete. rare.
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a1225 (?OE) MS Lamb. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1868) 1st Ser. 11 Muchel is us þenne neod..wet we on þisse middelerd liuien sod scrift.
b. Up to the time that; till, until. See also all-what conj. Obsolete.
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a1225 (?OE) MS Vesp. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1868) 1st Ser. 235 Swa laȝe..adiliȝede..wat hit com to þa time þe god sende þe halie witiȝe.
c1275 Kentish Serm. in J. Hall Select. Early Middle Eng. (1920) I. 217 Þu hest ihialde þet beste wyn wath nu.
c1330 (?c1300) Guy of Warwick (Auch.) l. 4902 In þat cite þai bi-leued þere What Tirry was hole & fere.
1340 Ayenbite (1866) 87 Wyþoute comynge ayen of huyche þinges, non ne is ury in þise wordle, huet hi is y-do.
c1350 (a1333) William of Shoreham Poems (1902) 123 Fram crystes resurreccioun, Wat comeþ hys ascensioun.
a1425 (?a1300) Kyng Alisaunder (Linc. Inn) (1952) l. 364 No schaltow neuer fro me go..What [c1400 Laud Forto] Y wot þy lordes wille.
c. In or at the time that; when.
ΚΠ
a1425 (?a1300) Kyng Alisaunder (Linc. Inn) (1952) l. 377 (MED) What hit feol þat nyȝt hit was, Jn bedde wok dame Olimpias.
a1500 tr. Lanfranc Sci. Cirurgie (Wellcome) f. 28 (MED) Take hede what þu resoluest and ripist [L. tempore resolutionis & maturationis]..þat þe plaister be not to hote ne to cold.
2. To the extent that; as much as, so far as. Cf. sense A. 11b, D. 6. Obsolete.
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a1413 (c1385) G. Chaucer Troilus & Criseyde (Pierpont Morgan) (1882) iv. l. 35 Ector..Caste on a day wiþ Grekes for to fighte As he was woned to greue hem what he myghte.
c1540 (?a1400) Gest Historiale Destr. Troy (2002) f. 30 He..welcomyt hym worthely as a wegh noble And fraynit hym with frenship qwat the fre wold.
1561 T. Hoby tr. B. Castiglione Courtyer iii. sig. Ji.iiiiv As though she wold..allure what she can the eyes and affection of who so beehouldeth her.
1647 N. Ward Simple Cobler Aggawam 48 I speake these things to excuse, what I may, my Countrymen in the hearts of all.
1690 W. Penn Brief Acct. Rise Quakers (1834) 6 They changed what they could, the kingdom of Christ..into a worldly kingdom.
3. Whether (with correlative or). Obsolete.
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1575 J. Rolland Treat. Court Venus i. f. 15 Befoir my Maiestie..Or my deputis quhat thay be greit or small.
c1580 ( tr. Bk. Alexander (1929) IV. l. 8555 With ten thousand And ma, quhat lord or quhat seruand.
F. n.
1. A something; a thing.
ΘΚΠ
the world > existence and causation > existence > [noun] > entity, being, or thing > something
somethingc1000
thingOE
somewhatc1230
somewhat else, more, over1390
something1577
what1654
something or other1706
sumptin1767
sumthin1822
sumfin1823
summink1875
the world > existence and causation > existence > [noun] > entity, being, or thing > something > a something
thinga1325
somewhat1598
what1654
1654 R. Whitlock Ζωοτομία 149 We have seen the Pittifull who's, and in short the slender whats are against modest Learning in Religious Division.
1903 A. Maclaren Last Sheaves 54 We are not seeking a What; we are seeking a Whom.
2016 K. J. Vanhoozer Pictures Theol. Exhib. xii. 289 God is a who, not a what.
2. A question as to what something is, what is or was to be done, etc.; a reply to such a question. Also: the essence or substance of the thing in question.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > [noun] > something queried
what1556
the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > [noun] > act or instance of > with specific form
why1532
how1533
what1556
whoa1774
wh-question1957
why-question1973
the world > existence and causation > existence > intrinsicality or inherence > essence or intrinsic nature > [noun]
pitheOE
i-cundeeOE
roota1325
substancec1330
juicec1380
marrowa1382
formc1385
acta1398
quidditya1398
substantial forma1398
inward1398
savourc1400
inwardc1450
allaya1456
essencya1475
being1521
bottom1531
spirit?1534
summary1548
ecceity1549
core1556
flower1568
formality1570
sum and substance1572
alloy1594
soul1598
inwardness1605
quid1606
fibre1607
selfness1611
whatness1611
essentialityc1616
propera1626
the whole shot1628
substantiala1631
esse1642
entity1643
virtuality1646
ingeny1647
quoddity1647
intimacy1648
ens1649
inbeing1661
essence1667
interiority1701
intrinsic1716
stamen1758
character1761
quidditas1782
hyparxis1792
rasa1800
bone1829
what1861
isness1865
inscape1868
as-suchness1909
Wesen1959
1556 J. Heywood Spider & Flie lxxxix. sig. Hhiiiv Of my former tale, ye then well way. For of the what, that is the whie: in fine.
1656 A. Cowley Extasie in Pindaric Odes vi An unexhausted Ocean of delight Swallows my senses quite, And drowns all What, or How, or Where.
1796 F. Burney Camilla III. v. vi. 79 ‘What, ma'am?—how?—what?—’ ‘Nay, nay, don't be frightened. Come down to dinner, and we'll talk over the hows? and the whats? afterwards.’
1832 J. L. Motley Let. 1 July in Corr. (1889) I. ii. 18 I was summoned before the Senate of the University, and then wrote my name and my whences and whats, etc., etc., in a great book.
1837 L. Hunt Blue-stocking Revels ii, in Poet. Wks. (1844) 114 My lady will know all the what and the why.
1861 J. Brown Horæ Subs. 2nd Ser. 101 Desiring to divine the essences rather than the appearances of things—in search of the what chiefly in order to question it, make it give up at whatever cost the secret of its why.
1884 B. Bosanquet et al. tr. H. Lotze Metaphysic 431 It must seem utterly inconceivable that we should ask for the ‘what’ of a thing, and yet look for the answer in anything except that which this thing is and does.
1993 Wired Sept. 95/1 When navigating the digital seas, ‘fingering’ provides an excellent way of ascertaining the who, the what, and the where of a particular system or node on the Net.
2014 N.Y. Times 14 Sept. (Late ed.) 12/2 The directors developed an ‘action script’ that laid out a structure, as well as the what and where, but not the dialogue.
3. An instance of the exclamation ‘What!’
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > expectation > surprise, unexpectedness > [noun] > cause of surprise > expression of surprise
what1597
whoa ho1622
my conscience!1817
suffering cat!1869
1597 H. Clapham Theol. Axioms sig. fii When the Hearers were offended in him..not by him..they then fall to Whats and Ifs and all sortes of disgracinge Interrogatories.
1779 J. Warner in J. H. Jesse G. Selwyn & his Contemp. (1844) IV. 254 His partner..gave..a ‘What!’ of such sharp, shrill astonishment, that you could not but have laughed at it.
1785 F. Burney Diary 16 Dec. (1842) II. 375 The What! was then repeated.
2012 S. I. Kiss In Spite Of 126 A shocked Shirley looked up with a ‘Whaat’ on her lips.

Phrases

P1. Phrases with what as pronoun, in direct and indirect questions.
a. but what.
(a) In negative or interrogative constructions, after doubt (noun or verb), reversing the effect of the negative or interrogative so as to affirm the dependent clause more emphatically, as in there is no doubt but what you could do better = ‘there is no doubt whatsoever that you could do better’ (cf. but conj. 9b). Also after verbs expressing mental affirmation, such as know (cf. but conj. 9a). Now chiefly U.S. regional and nonstandard.
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1545 R. Ascham Toxophilus i. f. 5 And I do not doubt, but what my desyre, what your loue toward it, the honestie of shoting, the profite that may come therby to many other, shall get the seconde parte out of you at the last.
1644 E. Arnold tr. D. Pareus Comm. Revelation (i. 11) 21 To the end he might not doubt, but what he did was truely divine.
1763 J. Wesley Let. 23 Aug. (1931) IV. 221 There is no doubt but what you at first experienced was a real foretaste of the blessing.
1840 New Monthly Mag. 59 476 I don't know but what it may be better fun dining in this way, and eating as much as I like.
1857 H. P. Montgomery Let. 29 Nov. in C. F. Williams et al. Documentary Hist. Arkansas (1984) 68 There is no doubt but what we can get more work than we can do.
1916 L. W. Robinson Let. 14 Aug. in K. B. Betheny From Miners' Doublehouse (2007) App. A. 243 There is no doubt but what many improvements could be made.
1934 P. G. Wodehouse Thank you, Jeeves xii. 162 Dotty, beyond a question. And who knew but what that dottiness might not run in the family?
2006 C. McCarthy Sunset Limited 50 Oh I dont doubt but what it's possible to die from bein full of shit.
†(b) After a negative expressed or implied in the main clause, and implying a negative in the dependent clause, with the subject or object of that clause unexpressed: except what or who; that..not, as in there are few politicians but what are corrupt = ‘there are few politicians who are not corrupt’. Cf. but conj. 10e(b), but conj. 10d. Obsolete.
ΚΠ
a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) II. xvii. xxvi. 924 Canel..may nought be yfounde but what falleþ by his owne wight or is ysmyte doun wiþ leded arwes.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Taming of Shrew (1623) v. ii. 14 Padua affords nothing but what is kinde. View more context for this quotation
1662 J. Evelyn Sculptura sig. b7v Never any of the Antients excelled in these Arts, but what were Gentlemen.
1694 R. South 12 Serm. II. 381 Few are Confident, but what are first Careless.
1711 Medley No. 24 I don't know one Politician but what Drunkenness wou'd make a Sot of.
1747 Gentleman's Mag. May 247/2 Of the sails that were left, I believe there is not a cloth but what has a shot through it.
1761 F. Sheridan Mem. Miss Sidney Bidulph I. 45 There are not many masters of eminence but what have a hundred originals palmed upon them more than ever they painted in their lives.
1780 J. Bentham Introd. Princ. Morals & Legisl. (1789) xiv. p. clxxxv (note) There are few madmen but what are observed to be afraid of the strait waistcoat.
1796 C. Smith Marchmont IV. 133 Not one of these insinuations but what gathered something from malevolence.
1846 Jrnl. Health & Dis. Apr. 320 Each [hound] strained his best to reach the game, and not a spirit among them but what would have haunched or throated him with the last throe of life remaining.
(c) After a negative expressed or implied in the main clause, and implying a negative in the dependent clause, expressing an inevitable accompanying circumstance or result: so that..not, when..not, but that. Cf. but conj. 10b. Now rare.Now generally expressed by without and a gerund (e.g. I never go there but what I visit her = ‘I never go there without visiting her’).
ΚΠ
1662 H. More Immortality of Soul (ed. 2) 96 in Coll. Several Philos. Writings We cannot discover any immediate operation of any kind of soul..but what it first works upon, etc.
1753 A. Murphy Gray's Inn Jrnl. No. 43 There hardly arose an Incident, but what our Fellow-Traveller would repeat twenty or thirty Verses in a Breath.
1862 A. Trollope N. Amer. I. 47 Nor am I yet so old but what I can rough it still.
1908 W. H. Davies Autobiogr. Super-tramp xxiv. 211 I seldom lie down at night but what I am half skimished (half drunk), for I assure you I never go short of my skimish.
1933 D. L. Sayers Hangman's Holiday (1978) 28 I never sees a bunch o' grass but what I think of Mrs Susan Brown.
(d) (With unexpressed non-referential it and copula) not but what: (affirming the statement in the dependent clause) it is not but that, (sometimes also) it is not to say but that. Cf. but conj. 10a.
ΚΠ
1756 tr. Mod. Observ. Antient Hist.: Chapter 4 18 Not but what they entertained shrewd Suspicions of the Part which Demosthenes and Astius were now playing.
1814 W. Scott Waverley I. vi. 88 Not but what I would go to—(what was I going to say?) to the plantations for the church with pleasure.
1883 E. Fitzgerald Let. 9 Apr. in A. C. Benson E. Fitzgerald (1905) i. 19 Never having read his father's [poems]..till drawn to them by me... Not but what he loved and admired his father in every shape but that.
1894 G. Du Maurier Trilby (1895) vi. 284 Not but what many changes had been wrought.
1908 R. Bagot Anthony Cuthbert xxi. 257 You should have kept quiet in the house to-day. Not but what you are certainly looking better than you did early this morning.
1937 D. L. Sayers Busman's Honeymoon (1968) vii. 117 Not but what it'll be a kind of busman's holiday for you.
1984 S. Keery Last Romantic out of Belfast (2011) xi. 126 Not but what all that family was in fact rotten with consumption.
2011 A. Elliott Pemberley to Waterloo 181 Not but what I'm certain our lads will give old Boney's lot a grand beating tomorrow.
†(e) With phrases expressing or implying a warning or threat, equivalent to a construction with ‘even if it has to be that’ introducing the main clause. Cf. but conj. 8b(c). Obsolete.
ΚΠ
1779 H. Cowley Who's the Dupe? ii. ii. 31 I'll buy him twice as many books as a College Library; but what I'll bribe him.
1807 Salmagundi 25 Apr. 166 In vain did the wind whistle and the storm beat; my aunt would waddle through mud and mire, over the whole town, but what she would visit them.
1849 E. Bulwer-Lytton Caxtons III. xvi. ix. 168 It will go hard but what I shall find something to suit you.
1891 Cent. Mag. Feb. 595/2 I'll go through this town like a fine-tooth comb but what I'll find him.
†b. for what: for what purpose, with what object; for what reason, why, wherefore. Obsolete.In Old English usually with dative or instrumental rather than accusative of the neuter interrogative pronoun; cf. for whon at whon pron. 2, for why adv.Cf. also for what at sense A. 14b.
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eOE Royal Psalter ix. 34 Propter quid inritauit impius dominum : fore hwæt [OE Lambeth Psalter forhwan, lOE Salisbury Psalter for hwæt] bysmrade se arleasa?
c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 14113 Forr all mann kinn to shæwenn swa. Forr whatt he comm onn erþe.
c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 4814 Forr whatt iss drihhtin me þuss wraþ.
a1325 (c1250) Gen. & Exod. (1968) l. 1657 Iacob tolde him for-quat he swanc So fer.
c. what for: (in main or subordinate clause) for what purpose, with what object; for what reason, why.
(a) Forming a verbless clause.Probably an elliptical use of Phrases 1c(b), but recorded slightly earlier.
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1688 Some Refl. Prince of Oranges Declar. 1 We have been abused with feigned dangers and false fears: And what for? If not to cover, break and lessen the guilt of a Protestant Invasion?
1852 H. B. Stowe Uncle Tom's Cabin I. xiv. 218 ‘I want him.’ ‘What for, pussy? Are you going to use him for a rattle-box, or a rocking-horse, or what?’
1913 Sat. Evening Post (Philadelphia) 22 Feb. 15/1 ‘Come round to the office, you!’ he says; and I asked him what for. Instead of telling, though, he just clouted me under the ear.
1953 A. Baron Human Kind xxiv. 178 This battalion came all the way from Africa, two thousand miles of bloody misery.., and what for? To clean their crap up after them!
2013 T. Creed Redstone Station viii. 68 ‘Alice, can I borrow you for a bit this evening?’ ‘What for?’ Alice and her grandmother asked in unison.
(b) With the preposition stranded at the end of the clause: what…for; hence (with what as nominal relative at the head of a subordinate clause) the reason why.. (as in quot. 1714).
ΚΠ
1692 R. L'Estrange Fables cccxvi. 276 A Good Woman happen'd to pass by as a Company of Young Fellows were Cudgelling a Wallnut-Tree, and ask'd them what they did That for?
1714 R. Fiddes Pract. Disc. (ed. 2) II. 236 But what I cited all these passages for is to show [etc.].
1734 Select Trials Old-Bailey I. 454/2 As she was standing at the End of Stone-Cutters Alley, a Gentleman came along, and asked her what she stood there for?
1818 W. Scott Heart of Mid-Lothian iv, in Tales of my Landlord 2nd Ser. I. 125 What are ye maundering and greeting for?
1857 T. Hughes Tom Brown's School Days ii. i. 249 The boot he had just pulled off flew straight at the head of the bully... ‘Confound you, Brown, what's that for?’
1934 J. Tobias Ready-made Family ii. 37 Gracie pulls the rope taut. Henry trips and falls sprawling... You little demon! What did you do that for?
2002 R. Gervais & S. Merchant Office: Scripts 1st Ser. Episode 5. 192 What you wanna be a psychiatrist for? They're all mad themselves, aren't they?
(c) Originally Scottish and English regional (northern). As a compound adverb, introducing a clause. Now regional and nonstandard.Sometimes written as one word.
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1668 M. Bruce Serm. Preached at Tolbooth in Edinb. 11 Since I know that, what for should I be discouraged and cast down?
a1796 R. Burns Poems & Songs (1968) I. 279 ‘Geld you!’ quo' he, ‘and whatfore no’.
1823 J. Galt Ringan Gilhaize II. xxxii. 323 The children wondered whatfor an honest man should be brought to punishment.
1948 E. Waugh Loved One 51 What for you want new ideas?
1984 J. Platt et al. New Englishes vii. 127 What for you want to do that?
2003 T. McEwen Who sleeps with Katz 129 What for did they spend all those hours in the Dublin House?
2008 R. Fairnie Scots Tung Wittins (SCOTS) No. 176 Gin Alexander McCall Smith can dae it for Botswana, whit for shuid she no dae it for Glesca?
(d) slang (chiefly British). to give a person what for: to inflict severe pain or chastisement on a person; also in extended use; similarly to get what for. Also to show a person what for: to make a person take notice; to show who is in charge. [Probably originally part of a response to the question What for? ; compare the context in quot. 1852.]
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > punishment > [verb (transitive)] > severely
visita1382
to-punisha1400
overpunisha1639
to give (a person) hell1836
to give a person what for1852
slate1854
to give it in the neck1881
to come down1888
bean1910
scrub1911
cane1925
to gie (or give) (someone) laldy1935
1852 Daily News 2 Nov. 3/6 ‘Come on,’ says the gallant capturer. ‘What for?’ says his victim. ‘What for!—I'll show you what for; come on’.
1860 Hereford Jrnl. 1 Feb. 2/4 Myers said, ‘If I can get him in here I will give him what for’; that was the common expression of one man who wanted to pitch it into another.
1873 Routledge's Young Gentleman's Mag. Feb. 137/1 It'll give you what for if it touches your lips.
1946 ‘P. Wentworth’ Pilgrim's Rest (1996) vi. 38 But don't you say I said nothing about it, because if Mrs. Robbins knowed she'd give me what for.
1966 Listener 18 Aug. 229/1 The stereotype of ‘the wily oriental gentleman..the half-civilized levantine..the type of fellow who must be shown what for’.
2004 J. Denby Billie Morgan v. 35 Oh, if my mam sees me goin' in there, I'll get such what for!
2007 Independent 2 May (Extra section) 5/3 Even Bill the guitar genius is a bit timid when it comes to mandolins, he's poked it gingerly in the past and said ‘Isn't that amazing!’ but she just grabbed it and gave it what for.
d. what for a —— ‘what kind of’: see for prep., conj., n., and adv. Phrases 2c.
†e. †through what: how. Obsolete.
ΚΠ
OE tr. Apollonius of Tyre (1958) xiv. 20 Ða cwæð se cyng: ‘Þurh hwæt wast ðu þæt?’
c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 199 Þurrh whatt maȝȝ icc nu witenn þiss?
†f. what to (also till): to what end, whereto. Obsolete.
ΚΠ
1487 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (St. John's Cambr.) xi. 28 God..wat quhat-to [1489 Adv. quhat-till] all thing efferis.
g. In elliptical phrases with an adverb, conjunction, or preposition, the precise sense of which varies with and may usually be inferred from the context or circumstances.
(a)
(i) what about ——: ‘what is to be done with regard to ——’, ‘what do you think of ——’, ‘what is there to say about ——’, etc. (used esp. as a way of refocusing a conversation). Cf. whataboutism n.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > making inquiries [phrase]
how so?a1375
what, how seemeth you?1485
what reck?a1513
what is the matter?c1520
what about ——1662
what's the row?1810
how come?1848
whassa1906
since when?1907
what'sa matter1935
1662 Brief Narr. Stupendious Trag. 25 What about Nathaniel Gibbs?
1697 E. Ravenscroft Anatomist i. ii. 5 What about my Daughter?
1722 D. Defoe Relig. Courtship i. iii. 113 What about Mr.—, Sir?
1792 J. Robinson Yorker's Stratagem ii. i. 22 Mr. Fingercash. You know my clerk? Amant. Yes, what about him?
1833 H. Martineau Briery Creek ii. 34 What about the cattle-marks?
1892 R. L. Stevenson & L. Osbourne Wrecker xv. 242 ‘What about the men?’ I asked. ‘They know too much by half.’
1914 ‘I. Hay’ Knight on Wheels xiii. §5 Game and rubber..! Now, what about bed?
2007 Guardian 26 May (Guide Suppl.) Central Listings 52/3 What about Simon? The nice-but-dim estate-agenty one who looks a bit like a Disney boy turned adult.
(ii) what about it: ‘what is there to say about it’; (also) ‘what is your opinion concerning it’ (used esp. as a way of proposing or suggesting something).
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > belief > uncertainty, doubt, hesitation > possibility > subject to outside forces [phrase] > querying possibility
what ifOE
what about it1778
1778 Northern Fox Hunt iii. 15 I ca'd you ††††† I own, just now; But, what about it? Sure a' a' the country kens 'tis true, And nane does doubt it.
1819 W. Scott Bride of Lammermoor viii, in Tales of my Landlord 3rd Ser. II. 155 ‘I don't know whether you have or not,’ said Bucklaw; ‘but what about it, though you had?’
1889 ‘J. S. Winter’ Mrs. Bob ii ‘Did anybody tell you about the Manor Lodge?’ ‘No, not a word; what about it?’
1927 H. A. Vachell Dew of Sea & Other Stories 259 Your head keeper says we must have two guns apiece. Now—what about it?
1982 J. Sullivan Only Fools & Horses (1999) I. 2nd Ser. Episode 6. 112 What about it then Rodney, eh? Me and you, eh?
2004 M. Beaumont Marsha Mellow & Me x. 126 ‘Now, if I might be allowed to give you some advice. Dress.’ ‘What about it?’ ‘Wear one, my darling.’
†(b) but what: but after all. Obsolete. [After Middle French, French mais quoi?]
ΚΠ
1586 T. Bowes tr. P. de la Primaudaye French Acad. I. 63 Ye shall haue verie few, but say, that they are enimies to euill... But what? As they neuer knew what goodnes meant, so they knowe as little of the contrarie.
1605 P. Erondelle French Garden N 7 b O Marguerite!..thou hast beene heeretofore greatly esteemed in France, but what? all other thinges doe wither,..as well as flowers.
(c) what else: what else should be the case; (formerly also, as an emphatic affirmative reply) †certainly (obsolete).
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > belief > uncertainty, doubt, hesitation > absence of doubt, confidence > assured fact, certainty > making certain, assurance > of course, certainly [phrase]
to iwissea1000
mid iwissea1000
in wisc1000
to wis(se)c1000
without(en (any) weenc1175
sans fail1297
thereof no strife1297
but werea1300
forouten werea1300
out of werea1300
without werea1300
without deceit1303
for certainc1320
it is to wittingc1320
withouten carec1320
without nayc1330
without noc1330
without (but out of) dread1340
no doubtc1380
without distancec1390
no fresea1400
out of doubta1400
without doubta1400
for, (in, at obs.), of, to (a) certaintyc1400
withouten stance14..
hazel woods shakea1413
of, on, in warrantisec1440
sure enough?1440
without question?1440
wythout diswerec1440
without any dispayrec1470
for (also of) a surety?a1475
in (also for) surenessa1475
of certainc1485
without any (also all) naya1500
out of question?1526
past question?1526
for sure1534
what else1540
beyond (also out of, past, without) (all) peradventure1542
to be a bidden by1549
out of (also without) all cry1565
with a witness1579
upon my word1591
no question1594
out of all suspicion1600
for a certain1608
without scruple1612
to be sure1615
that's pos1710
in course1722
beyond (all) question1817
(and) no mistake1818
no two ways about it (also that)1818
of course1823
bien entendu1844
yessiree1846
you bet you1857
make no mistake1876
acourse1883
sans doute1890
how are you?1918
you bet your bippy1968
1540 J. Palsgrave tr. G. Gnapheus Comedye of Acolastus v. v. sig. Bb But I se my father, but what now may I do? may I go to hym? what els. Father I haue synned into the heuen and before the.
1592 J. Lyly Midas iv. iii Pet. Wel, tis hard to haue ones browes imbroidered with bugle. Licio. But canst thou blowe it? Hunts. What els? Min. But not away.
1605 True Chron. Hist. King Leir i. sig. E4v Am. To expiate or mittigate his wrath: For he hath misconceyued without a cause. Gon. O, I, what else?
a1640 J. Fletcher & P. Massinger Prophetesse v. iii in F. Beaumont & J. Fletcher Comedies & Trag. (1647) sig. Ffff2v/1 1 Sh. Do you think this great man will continue here? 2 Sh. Continue here? what else? hee has bought the great Farme.
1771 Lady's Mag. Nov. 200/2 El. Something else must be thought of. Hor.What else?
1856 C. Dickens Little Dorrit (1857) i. xiii. 115 Pancks put the counter question, ‘What else?’ It packed up, in the smallest compass, a weight that had rested on Clennam's life; and he made no answer.
1980 Verbatim Spring 2/2 That edition is now known as (what else?) ‘The Printer's Bible’.
2002 N.Y. Times Mag. 25 Mar. 114/3 The same quality extra-virgin olive oil..has recently been repurposed—as (what else?) a beauty aid.
†(d) what for-thy: in spite of that, nevertheless (cf. for-thy conj. b).
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > testing > attestation, witness, evidence > qualification > [adverb] > however, nevertheless, notwithstanding
though-whetherc897
nathelesseOE
though971
whetherOE
yetOE
neverlOE
what for-thyc1175
nethelessa1200
never the latterc1225
algatec1230
in spite of (despite, maugre, etc.) one's teethc1230
nought for thatc1275
(all) for noughtc1325
(in) spite of one's nosec1325
alway1340
thoughless1340
ne'er the later (also latter)a1382
ne'er the lessa1382
neverlatera1382
neverthelessa1382
ne for-thia1400
neverlessa1400
not-againstandinga1400
nauthelessc1400
nouthelessc1400
algatesc1405
noughtwithstanding1422
netherless?a1425
notwithstanding1425
nethertheless1440
not gainstandingc1440
not the lessa1450
alwaysa1470
howbeit1470
never þe quedera1475
nought the lessc1480
what reck?a1513
nonetheless1533
howsomever1562
after all1590
in spite of spite1592
meantime1594
notwithstand1596
withal1596
in the meanwhile1597
meanwhile1597
howsoever1601
in (one's) spite?1615
however1623
in the meantime1631
non obstante1641
at the same time1679
with a non-obstante to1679
stilla1699
the same1782
all the same1803
quand même1825
still and all1829
anyhow1867
anyway1876
still and ona1894
all the samey1897
just the same1901
but1939
c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 8105 Acc whatt forr þi nass þatt nohht don.
?a1475 Ludus Coventriae (1922) 112 Nevyr þe les what for thy..With-owth mannys company she myght not be with childe.
(e) what if: what is or would be the case if.., what will or would happen if.., what does it matter if.., etc.; (often expressing a hypothesis or proposal) ‘suppose..’, ‘supposing..’. Similarly † what and, † what and if (see and conj.1 II.) (obsolete (archaic in later use)).
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > belief > uncertainty, doubt, hesitation > possibility > subject to outside forces [phrase] > querying possibility
what ifOE
what about it1778
OE tr. Vindicta Salvatoris (Cambr. Univ. Libr.) in J. E. Cross Two Old Eng. Apocrypha (1996) 275 Gea hlaford, and hwæt gif ic swylcne man gemete, hwylce mede sceal ic hym behatan?
a1300 (c1275) Physiologus (1991) l. 149 Wat if he leue haue of ure Heuen-Louerd For to deren us?
a1382 Prefatory Epist. St. Jerome in Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) (1959) ii. l. 15 What ȝif þylk beest ȝe hadden herd tellyng hys own wordeȝ?
c1450 Alphabet of Tales (1904) I. 74 Saynt Basll sayd; ‘what & I dye nott or to-morn?’
1594 W. Shakespeare Titus Andronicus iv. iv. 9 What and if His sorrowes haue so ouerwhelmde his witts? View more context for this quotation
1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost ii. 174 What if all Her stores were op'n'd, and this Firmament Of Hell should spout her Cataracts of Fire. View more context for this quotation
1766 O. Goldsmith Vicar of Wakefield II. i. 21 My ship sails to-morrow...What if you go in her as a passenger?
1838 Chambers's Edinb. Jrnl. 6 Oct. 291/2 ‘Oh, Jacques, are you going to fight?’ ‘Yes, Louise.’ ‘And what if you are killed?’ ‘Then I shall be happy, my dear, for I shall not see strangers and conquerors enter Paris.’
1876 R. Browning Fears & Scruples x What, and if your friend at home play tricks?
1995 Guardian 28 Jan. (Outlook section) 21/7 What if firms accept e-money as payment for goods and use it to pay workers?
2019 A. Ridker Altruists v. 84 What if we went somewhere? Like a trip? I can borrow a car.
(f) what now: (a) what is it now, what’s wrong this time; (b) what do I (we, you, etc.) do now, what next.
ΚΠ
c1225 (?c1200) St. Katherine (Royal) (1981) l. 586 Hwet nu, unwreste men.., nu is ower stunde; hwi studgi ȝe ant steuentið so stille?
c1300 St. Dunstan (Laud) l. 591 in C. Horstmann Early S.-Eng. Legendary (1887) 18 ‘Ȝwat nou?’ quath þis bolde maister: ‘ȝwy ne habbe ȝe him i-brouȝt?’
1609 W. Shakespeare Troilus & Cressida v. iii. 101 Pand. Do you heere my Lord... Troyl. What now?
1835 J. W. Orderson Fair Barbadian i. ii. 11 Heyday ! What now? What is the meaning of all this?
1901 G. B. Shaw Caesar & Cleopatra iii. 149 Auxiliaries. Alarm! Alarm!.. Centurion. What now? has the old woman attacked you again?
1931 W. Faulkner Sanctuary xix. He standing there listening to the sweet cloistral bell, thinking Now what? What now? and answering himself: Why, nothing. Nothing. It's finished.
1988 C. Manson Manson in his own Words 180 I pulled the trigger. Click, nothing happened. Crowe smiled and I thought, ‘Oh fuck, what now?’
2011 M. C. Beaton As Pig Turns (2012) 283 Mrs. Ada Benson called on Mrs. Bloxby. The vicar's wife looked at her wearily. ‘What now?’ she asked.
(g)
(i) what of——: what is to be said of——, what do you think of——, what comes of or follows from——.
ΚΠ
a1522 G. Douglas in tr. Virgil Æneid (1957) iv. Prol. l. 200 Quhat of bewte, quhar honeste lyis ded?
1600 W. Shakespeare Midsummer Night's Dream i. i. 228 I am thought as faire as shee. But what of that? Demetrius thinkes not so. View more context for this quotation
a1821 J. Keats Otho i. i, in R. M. Milnes Life, Lett. & Lit. Remains Keats (1848) II. 119 To me! What of me, ha?
1826 J. Galt Last of Lairds xvii. 151 ‘I understood that Mr. Mailings..was one of your most particular friends.’ ‘Well, and what of that?’
1877 D. M. Wallace Russia xxvi. 419 But what of their Panslavistic Aspirations? This is a subject which has at present a special interest, but on which there is not much to be said.
1956 N. Algren Walk on Wild Side (1992) ii. 268 Sure he'd been drunk but what of that?
2014 Labour Hist. 107 256 What of the explosion in social media?
(ii) what of it: why should that be considered significant.
ΚΠ
1589 W. Warner Albions Eng. (new ed.) vi. xxx. 132 Nay, be it that he should espie false carding, what of it?
1663 T. Porter Witty Combat i. ii. sig. B3 Pars...ah, ah, ah, ah, this hand yea this same hand of yours. Mod. And what of it Sir? Pars. It melts like Butter 'gainst the Sun believe me, I would come neerer verily, that is unto your Lip.
1839 C. Dickens Nicholas Nickleby xxviii. If this young lord does dog your footsteps, and whisper his drivelling inanities in your ears, what of it? It's a dishonourable passion.
1912 C. Mackenzie Carnival xxi. 217 ‘I saw you go off with a fellah.’ ‘What of it, Mr. Nosy Parker?’
2011 C. McGuigan in A. Bissett & C. MacDougall New Writing Scotl. 29 98 Even if I do get caught, well, what of it? The employment crisis won't affect call centres.
(h) what then: what happens or would happen in that case; what of that (cf. then adv. 4).
ΚΠ
a1382 Prefatory Epist. St. Jerome in Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) (1959) ix. l. 54 What þenn? dampne we þe olde?
1564 Briefe Exam. ****ij What then? Did he not appoynt temperall rites?
a1616 W. Shakespeare Twelfth Night (1623) i. iv. 23 Say I do speake with her (my Lord) what then?
1847 C. Brontë Jane Eyre II. iv. 108 But if..they..dropt off and left me one by one, what then?
1899 H. G. Wells Star in Peterson Mag. Dec. 1194/2 Stop a planet in its flight, rob it of its centrifugal force, what then? Centripetal has it, and down it falls into the sun!
2012 Independent 20 Jan. 17/4 What if I never get to sleep? What then?
(i)
(i) what though..: what happens or would happen in view of the fact that, or on the supposition that... Now chiefly archaic or poetic.Nearly = what if at Phrases 1g(e), but implying some opposition between the circumstance mentioned and the possible one implied; cf. though conj. 4.
ΚΠ
OE Ælfric Catholic Homilies: 1st Ser. (Royal) (1997) xl 530 Se witega cwæð, þæt se miccla Godes dæig is swiþe gehende, & þearle swift... Hwæt þeah hit langsum wære to þan dæge swa hit nis þeah ne bið ure tima langsum.
c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Nun's Priest's Tale (Hengwrt) (1872) Prol. l. 4003 What though thyn hors be bothe foul and lene If he wol serue thee, rekke nat a bene.
1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost i. 106 What though the field be lost? All is not lost.
1742 A. Pope New Dunciad 245 What tho' we let some better sort of fool Thrid ev'ry science, run thro' ev'ry school?
1821 R. Heber in Evangelical Mag. July 316 What tho' the spicy breezes Blow soft o'er Ceylon's isle... In vain with lavish kindness The gifts of God are strown.
1893 H. Jacobs Lay of Southern Cross 95 What though, like the rushing torrent, ye make havoc and destroy, Executing God's high warrant, Dashing down men's cup of joy.
1952 E. J. Pratt in R. Brown & D. Bennett Anthol. Canad. Lit. in Eng. (1982) I. 299 What though the odds were nine to one against.
2016 South Bend (Indiana) Tribune (Nexis) 23 Oct. c9 What though the odds, Duke won over defenseless Notre Dame.
†(ii) what though: (without clause) what if it is (or were) so, what does it matter, what then. Obsolete.
ΚΠ
1517 S. Hawes Pastime of Pleasure (1928) xvi. 73 What thoughe quod he, drawe you not abacke.
a1616 W. Shakespeare As you like It (1623) iii. iii. 46 Heere wee haue no Temple but the wood... But what though? Courage. View more context for this quotation
1642 J. Milton Apol. Smectymnuus 54 What though? because the Vulturs had then but small pickings; shall we therefore go and fling them a full gorge?
(j) what next: see next adj. 9c. what say: see say v.1 and int. Phrases 8d(a). See also what-not n. 1a.
h. In various other interrogative phrases, with a finite verb.
†(a) what is thee: what is the matter with thee. Obsolete.Cf. thee pron. 1b.
ΚΠ
OE St. Euphrosyne (Julius) in W. W. Skeat Ælfric's Lives of Saints (1900) II. 352 Þa wearp he him wæter on, and hine up ahof and cwæð: hwæt is þe, min hlaford?
c1300 Havelok (Laud) (1868) l. 1951 Bernard, hwat is þe? Hwo haues þe þus ille maked?
c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) l. 2720 Þo sede on to an oþer, merlin, wat is þe. Þou faderlese ssrewe, wy misdostou me.
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Trin. Cambr.) l. 20379 Whi wepestou what is þe For alle loues telle now me.
(b) what do you lack (also what lack you): used as a salesman's cry; hence (a name for) an itinerant vendor or pedlar (cf. lack v.1 3). Now historical.
ΚΠ
1589 T. Nashe To Students in R. Greene Menaphon Epist. sig. **2v A secular wit that hath liued all daies of his life by what doo you lacke.
1597 N. Breton Wits Trenchmour sig. E2v The sonne of What lacke you, was become the onely right worshipfull.
1614 J. Cooke Greenes Tu Quoque B 1 What lacke you sir? faire stuffes or veluets?
1664 T. Killigrew Parsons Wedding i. i, in Comedies & Trag. 75 His Father was a..Pedler, a what do you lack, Sir.
1698 W. Salmon Rebuke to Authors of State of Physick in London 24 All the Shows in Bartholomew-Fair, cannot present you with a more Pageant like Introitum. What do you lack, what would you Buy? here are all sorts of Cordial and Distilled Waters.
1938 Daily Mail 18 June 5/3 On Monday five important London stores will be sending up their inviting cry: ‘What do ye lack, ladies?’
2017 @DerekJohnBryant in twitter.com 17 June. (accessed 21 June 2021) Amazon's anti-comparison shopping patent: the latest version of the traders old cry ‘What lack ye’?
(c) what think you of..: are you inclined for.., how would you like... Now rare and archaic.
ΚΠ
1642 J. Denham Sophy iv. 29 But stay Gentlemen, what thinke you of a bottle now?
1749 H. Fielding Tom Jones IV. x. iv. 32 ‘What think you of some Eggs and Bacon, Madam?’, said the Landlady. View more context for this quotation
1793 W. Cowper Beau's Reply 27 What think you, Sir, of killing Time With verse address'd to me?
1815 S. T. Coleridge Coll. Lett. (1959) IV. 742 Should this weather continue, what think you of a Fête champêtre in Caen Groves.
1962 Sunday Times 11 Feb. (Mag.) 38 (advt.) What think you of a holiday in the Royal Palace of Kings of Yugoslavia?
(d) what's my thought like? (also †what's my thought?): a guessing game involving similes and word association.what's my thought? may be a different guessing game: N.E.D. (1923) says that this is ‘the same as yes and no’ (Yes and No at yes adv., n., and int. Phrases 2b).
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > entertainment > pastimes > game > parlour and party games > [noun] > guessing game > specific
what's my thought like?1748
twenty questions1786
charade1826
how, when, and where1843
proverbs1855
hy-spy1876
game1937
I spy (with my little eye)1946
1748 E. Moore Foundling i. iii. 12 Lady Fanny made us laugh last Night, at What's my Thought like, by comparing your Colonel to a great Box o' the Ear.
1776 Town & Country Mag. Dec. 634/1 Those who abound in similes, metaphors, and allusions, retain their childish affection for the game of ‘what's my thought like?’
1847 Ld. Tennyson Princess Prol. 10 We.., like as many girls..play'd Charades..And what's my thought and when and where and how.
1892 Illustr. Sydney News 10 Dec. 17/3 Children at Play. What's My Thought Like?—Everyone sits in a circle [etc.]
1999 D. Wise Great Big Bk. Children's Games 61 Although technically a word association game, What's My Thought Like? requires players to stretch their minds for some creative thinking.
(e) colloquial. what's to ——. In questions (frequently rhetorical) with a transitive verb in the infinitive.Cf. earlier more general predicative use of active infinitives, denoting the action of which the predicated noun is the object, at to 11a(c). Interrogative use of this construction has survived in what's to do? (see do v. Phrases 1a).
(i) Used rhetorically in negative questions, chiefly with verbs indicating approval, esp. in what's not to like?
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1949 E. Rosenberg Go fight City Hall x. 109 ‘You like him,’ Mrs. Bender states. ‘I like him,’ Mrs. Rivkin agrees. ‘What’s not to like?'
1965 N.Y. Times 28 Nov. x. 19/1 Her attitude toward her acting career is casual. ‘What's not to like?’ she asked. ‘Acting is my business.’
1994 Entertainm. Weekly 29 Apr. 51 We are so besotted with these four... Paul is especially cute... The songs are nice too... What's not to like?
1998 Entertainm. Weekly 30 Jan. 22/1 It's got everything a hip '90s-style one-hour comedy-drama should... So what's not to love? Apparently, a lot.
(ii) In positive questions: what is there to ——.
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1973 J. Tasca Tear along Dotted Line iii. 60 Stephanie. You don't understand, cynic. Judy. What's to understand?
1985 J. Sullivan Only Fools & Horses (1999) I. 4th Ser. Christmas Special 277/2 Abdul. My apologies, Chief Inspector—couldn't we discuss this in a civilised and gentlemanly manner? Slater. What's to discuss? I've got you bang to rights.
1998 S. O'Connell Angel Bird 203 ‘You'll have to tell me more than that.’‘What's to tell? We split up. End of story.’
2000 U.S. News & World Rep. 8 May 22/2 What's to lose? That's the argument being made by the Clinton administration, business interests, and economists who are urging Congress to grant China ‘permanent normal trade relations’.
(f) colloquial (originally and chiefly U.S.). what's with ——: what is the reason for ——; what's the matter with ——, what has happened to ——.
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1938 Washington Post 27 Jan. 9/1 I'm strictly all right, friend, but what's with that drummer of yours?
1940 J. O'Hara Pal Joey 125 Nick what's with the free food? Explain.
1962 E. Linington Extra Kill viii. 122 He says..‘What's with Whalen?’ When he hears Whalen's out, he gets mad.
1969 ‘V. Packer’ Don't rely on Gemini (1970) viii. 62 ‘What's with you and these long baths?’ Archie asked.
1976 National Observer (U.S.) 24 Jan. 1/1 But it's not easy, because an interloper keeps asking depressing questions—such as: How do you feel about the state of the country? What's with the economy?
1978 K. Amis Jake's Thing xv. 158 What's with Jake is that he can't get it up any more, and what's with Brenda is she thinks it's her fault for having gotten middle-aged and fat.
1986 T. Clancy Red Storm Rising (1988) iii. 47 What's with the tile on your deck? I never heard of rubber decks on a ship.
2005 Press (Christchurch, N.Z.) (Nexis) 31 Dec. 5 I..will defend secularism to the end and detest fundamentalists..but what's with all the rabid anti-Christianity this year?
(g) See also what do (also would) you say to, what-d'ye-call-'em n., what's-his-name n.
i. With intensive additions, as in what the deuce, what the devil, what the dickens, what in the name of ——, what in the world, what on earth, etc.: see also the nouns. Cf. how adv., int., and n.3 Phrases 4c.
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a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) iii. l. 663 Sche began the wode rage, And axex [read axeth] him what devel he thoghte.
c1400 (?c1380) Patience l. 196 (MED) What þe deuel hatz þou don, doted wrech?
c1430 (c1386) G. Chaucer Legend Good Women (Cambr. Gg.4.27) (1879) l. 2694 What deuyl haue I with the knyf to do.
1598 W. Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 1 ii. ii. 37 Falst. What a plague meane ye to colt me thus? Prin. Thou liest, thou art not colted, thou art vncolted. View more context for this quotation
1599 T. Heywood 1st Pt. King Edward IV sig. E3 What the dickens is it loue that makes ye prate to me so fondly.
1614 T. Jackson Third Bk. Comm. Apostles Creede ii. 133 What a Gods name, hinders him from doing it?
1709 R. Steele & J. Addison Tatler No. 110. ⁋4 What-a-Pox hast thou to do with Ladies and Lovers?
1757 T. Smollett Reprisal i. viii What the deuce are you afraid of?
1818 P. B. Shelley Let. 8 Oct. (1964) II. 43 What on earth does he mean by some of his inferences!
1829 W. Scott Anne of Geierstein I. xi. 320 Thinking what in the universe it could be made of.
1836 F. Marryat Mr. Midshipman Easy II. ii. 55 What the hell are you making such a howling about?
1897 S. Crane Third Violet xvi. 105 I wonder what in blue thunder you mean.
1970 G. Lord Marshmallow Pie xv. 136 What the fuck do you think you're doing?
2012 D. Park Light of Amsterdam xii. 254 Marion, what in the name of God is going on? Have you lost your sense?
j. (originally and chiefly U.S.). what the what: used as a euphemistic or humorous substitute for ‘what the hell’, ‘what the fuck’, etc., expressing surprise, exasperation, incredulity, or the like.Popularized by the U.S. satirical television sitcom 30 Rock (2006–13: see quot. 2007).
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2007 K. Cannon & T. Fey 30 Rock (transcribed from TV programme) 2nd Ser. Episode 6 What the what?!
2009 @James_Wooten 30 Dec. in twitter.com (accessed 31 Aug. 2021) What on earth possessed me to take a stroll in this weather? What the what was I thinking?
2021 Daily Tel. (Nexis) 11 Sept. 25 A study has..found that..more than five hours of free time a day actually causes greater stress and lowers well-being. Five hours! What the what?
P2. Phrases with what as pronoun in indirect questions, chiefly as the object of know and other verbs involving cognition.
a. Phrases used as nouns to denote something unknown or only vaguely apprehended or suggested, or something that need not be specified.See also know-not-what n., watnawhat n., you-know-what.
(a) I don't know (also †I know not, †I wot not) what. [Compare classical Latin nesciō quid, Middle French, French je ne sais quoi.] Quot. OE shows Old English nāthwæt (pronoun) ‘something’, literally ‘I don't know what’ (with the first element cf. Forms 2aα. (b) at wit v.1).
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the mind > language > naming > anonymity or lack of a name > [noun] > thing or person whose name is forgotten or unknown
swilk and swilkc1175
thinga1325
what-call-ye-him1473
who knows what?1548
I don't know (also I know not, I wot not) what1568
God (also (the) Lord) knows (also wot) what1569
washical1575
what-d'ye-call-'em1593
so-and-so1596
whiblin1604
so-fortha1616
jiggumboba1625
know-not-whata1642
thingum1652
thingum-thangum1684
what's-his-name1697
something or other1706
thingummy1737
thingamabob1751
something1764
what's-her-name1816
conundrum1817
thingamerry1819
thingamajig1824
somebody1825
what's-its-name1839
whangdoodle1852
thingummytite1865
dingus1866
what-not1876
whatsita1882
gilguy1883
gadget1886
dingbat1894
doohickey1914
oojah1917
oojah capivvy1917
oojiboo1918
doodad1920
tiddlypush1923
whosis1923
thingy1927
doodah1928
doofer1937
hootenanny1940
whatchamacallit1942
gizmo1943
frammis1948
whosit1948
whifflow1961
oobyjiver1963
whatsisface1967
oojamaflip1970
what's-her-face1980
OE Riddle 54 5 Hyse..[h]rand under gyrdels hyre stondendre stiþes nathwæt.]
1568 A. Scott Poems (1896) 815 Thay luve no man effeminat, And haldis thame, bot I wat not quhat, That can nocht be withowt thame.
1603 P. Holland tr. Plutarch Morals 154 When he was about to speake (I wot not what) as touching painting-craft.
1840 W. M. Thackeray Barber Cox in Comic Almanack 33 Shouting out, ‘Aha!’ and ‘Sapprrrristie!’ and I don't know what.
1856 H. D. Thoreau Let. 21 May in Corr. (1958) 424 So we shall save some of our money..and lose—I do not know what.
a1950 R. H. Williams Let. in W. C. Williams Yes, Mrs. Williams (1982) 28 They received cargos from Europe of rice, flour and I don't know what.
2011 Viz Oct. 21/1 These days there's all these wraps, subs, clubs, paninis, ciabattas and I don't know what.
(b) God (also (the) Lord) knows (also wot) what. Cf. lord n. and int. Phrases 2c, god n. and int. Phrases 1d(b)(iii).
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the mind > language > naming > anonymity or lack of a name > [noun] > thing or person whose name is forgotten or unknown
swilk and swilkc1175
thinga1325
what-call-ye-him1473
who knows what?1548
I don't know (also I know not, I wot not) what1568
God (also (the) Lord) knows (also wot) what1569
washical1575
what-d'ye-call-'em1593
so-and-so1596
whiblin1604
so-fortha1616
jiggumboba1625
know-not-whata1642
thingum1652
thingum-thangum1684
what's-his-name1697
something or other1706
thingummy1737
thingamabob1751
something1764
what's-her-name1816
conundrum1817
thingamerry1819
thingamajig1824
somebody1825
what's-its-name1839
whangdoodle1852
thingummytite1865
dingus1866
what-not1876
whatsita1882
gilguy1883
gadget1886
dingbat1894
doohickey1914
oojah1917
oojah capivvy1917
oojiboo1918
doodad1920
tiddlypush1923
whosis1923
thingy1927
doodah1928
doofer1937
hootenanny1940
whatchamacallit1942
gizmo1943
frammis1948
whosit1948
whifflow1961
oobyjiver1963
whatsisface1967
oojamaflip1970
what's-her-face1980
1569 R. Grafton Chron. II. 765 Sent, no man wist whether, to be done wyth, God wot what.
1662 A. Brome Rump (new ed.) i. 52 Next come those idle Twittle-twats, Which calls me many God-knows-whats.
1772 T. Bridges Burlesque Transl. Homer (rev. ed.) 42 Thetis, stroking your knees, as on the ground you sat, and rubbing up, the Lord knows what.
1823 Ld. Byron Don Juan: Canto IX lxvii. 38 They fell in love;—she with his face, His grace, his God-knows-what.
1834 F. Marryat Peter Simple I. xiii. 190 He was always talking about centres of gravity, displacement of fluid, and Lord knows what.
1944 P. Larkin Let. 16 Apr. in Sel. Lett. (1992) 88 He has been getting smashing reviews, comparing him to Keats & the lord knows what.
1958 J. Cannan And be Villain i. 5 That blasted Primrose will have arrived by now—yak yak yak, talking Eve into God knows what.
2005 B. Keating & S. Keating Blood Sisters (2006) x. 187 Our herds could be infected with foot-and-mouth and God knows what.
(c) who knows what, †you know (also wot) not what.
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the mind > language > naming > anonymity or lack of a name > [noun] > thing or person whose name is forgotten or unknown
swilk and swilkc1175
thinga1325
what-call-ye-him1473
who knows what?1548
I don't know (also I know not, I wot not) what1568
God (also (the) Lord) knows (also wot) what1569
washical1575
what-d'ye-call-'em1593
so-and-so1596
whiblin1604
so-fortha1616
jiggumboba1625
know-not-whata1642
thingum1652
thingum-thangum1684
what's-his-name1697
something or other1706
thingummy1737
thingamabob1751
something1764
what's-her-name1816
conundrum1817
thingamerry1819
thingamajig1824
somebody1825
what's-its-name1839
whangdoodle1852
thingummytite1865
dingus1866
what-not1876
whatsita1882
gilguy1883
gadget1886
dingbat1894
doohickey1914
oojah1917
oojah capivvy1917
oojiboo1918
doodad1920
tiddlypush1923
whosis1923
thingy1927
doodah1928
doofer1937
hootenanny1940
whatchamacallit1942
gizmo1943
frammis1948
whosit1948
whifflow1961
oobyjiver1963
whatsisface1967
oojamaflip1970
what's-her-face1980
?1548 A. Gilby Answer Deuillish Detection S. Gardiner f. cxviii You seme worthy to be one of those that affirme you knowe not what, beinge puffed vp wyth the fleshly Imaginations of your owne mynde.
1570 R. Sempill Exhortatioun to All Plesand Thingis in J. Cranstoun Satirical Poems Reformation (1891) I. 126 Ȝe worke maist lyke ȝe wat not quhat With your Politick heidis.
1648 G. Skutt Let. Ejected Member House of Commons 11 Your Voting men into Prison for High Treason, and Voting them out agen for you know not what.
1675 R. Baxter Catholick Theol. 105 There are men..who are no subjects of Christ, nor under any Law of grace by Christ, and yet not under the meer Law of Innocency; and therefore are under some other Law (who knows what?) or lawless.
1701 Dr. Wallis in C. R. L. Fletcher Collectanea (1885) I. 330 Under penalty of..(who knows what?).
1975 J. Cacavas Music Arranging & Orchestration 166 I spent a great deal of time at the publishing house of Bourne, Inc., as an arranger, editor, composer and who knows what.
2014 M. Miller Top 100 Windows 8.1 Apps ii. 38 You play as an angel, and there's lots of dungeon crawling, fighting, and who knows what.
b. colloquial. to know what's what: to have good judgement, know what is appropriate; to have full knowledge of a particular matter; (now esp.) to be experienced and competent in a particular area. Also with other verbs, as perceive, see, tell, etc. Cf. know v. Phrases 3.
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the mind > mental capacity > understanding > understand [phrase]
to know what's whatc1422
to know where to find a person1565
to see the light1812
to be awake to1813
to know a move or two1819
to get on to ——1880
to get the strength of1890
to be (or get) wise to1896
to get the picture1900
the penny dropped1939
to pick up1944
to get the message1959
to take on board1979
the mind > mental capacity > understanding > wisdom, sagacity > worldly wisdom > have worldly wisdom [phrase]
to know what's whatc1422
to know (also learn, show, teach, tell) (a person) a thing or two1760
to know one's way around1814
to have one's head screwed on right (also the right way)1821
to have been around1872
to know (also have) all the answers1896
to know how many (blue) beans make five-
c1422 T. Hoccleve Dialogus (Durh.) l. 778 in Minor Poems (1970) i. 138 They me oghten haue in greet cheertee, And elles woot I neuere what is what.
a1425 (?c1350) Ywain & Gawain (1964) l. 432 (MED) Ful sarily þan þare i sat; For wa I wist noght what was what.
a1556 N. Udall Ralph Roister Doister (?1566) i. ii. sig. B.j Enamoured quod you? haue ye spied out that? Ah sir, mary nowe I see you know what is what.
1598 Chaucers Dreame in T. Speght Wks. G. Chaucer f. 361v/1 Neither knew I kirke ne saint Ne what was what, ne who was who.
1600 S. Rowlands Letting of Humors Blood Epigr. xxv. 31 Tut, tell me not whats what; I know the law.
1663 S. Butler Hudibras: First Pt. i. i. 12 He knew what's what, and that's as high As Metaphysick wit can flie.
1740 H. Bracken Farriery Improv'd (ed. 2) II. vi. 215 I dare venture to say..that not a common Farrier in the Universe, knows what's what.
1799 tr. Comtesse de Genlis Young Exiles II. xliii. 94 I am an old practioner; and, simple as I look, I can see what's what.
1860 W. M. Thackeray Lovel v I had so much claret on board, I did not much know what was what.
1911 Times 26 Oct. 8/4 My distinguished friend..who appeared as a witness had told me what was what.
1983 P. Fussell Class i. 18 The locals tend to know what's what, even if they feel some uneasiness talking about it.
2001 L. Voss To be Someone 407 I know a great little teacher. A bit shouty, and very bossy, but she'll soon show you what's what.
c. Used elliptically for ‘what it is’, ‘what is the truth of the matter’, ‘what is the thing to do’, etc. Chiefly in (I, I'll, I will) tell you what at tell v. Phrases 5b(a); also in similar phrases used to emphasize or call special attention to what is said, esp. in that's what (see that's what at that pron.1, adj.1, adv., and n. Phrases 1d(a)), you know what? (also used in making a proposal) (colloquial).
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c1450 (c1380) G. Chaucer House of Fame (Fairf. 16) (1878) l. 1784 Ye be lyke the swynt catte That wolde haue fissh, but wostow whatte He wold no thinge wete his clowes.
1597 W. Shakespeare Romeo & Juliet i. v. 83 This tricke will scath you..I know what . View more context for this quotation
a1616 W. Shakespeare Richard III (1623) iii. ii. 86 Wot you what, my Lord [1597 heare you not the newes], To day the Lords you talke of, are beheaded.
1751 E. Moore Gil Blas iii. 41 I'll tell you what tho'—I can lend you a Regimental Coat of my own.
1899 H. Wyndham Soldiers of Queen viii. 176 Tell you what, Bill, you can start your stock with one of my old shirts for the price of a quart.
1922 Munsey's Mag. May 721/1 Can you beat that? And you know what? They was going to grab what dough they could and run and leave me there.
1957 S. Grapes Boy John Lett. (1974) 84 Do you know what? Oul Mrs. W—— allus git inter a frap when she go up ter Norridge.
1960 H. Pinter Room 98 You know what though? It looks a bit better. It's not so windy.
2014 Independent (Nexis) 27 May 42 There are politicians with a vested interest in persuading us that it's immigration..which really threatens this country. But, you know what? Ukip can kiss my chuddies.
d. to know what something is: to be conscious of what something implies or may involve; (hence) to have had experience of something. Usually with anticipatory it and infinitive. Also with other verbs and expressions, such as remember, have an idea of.
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the world > action or operation > ability > skill or skilfulness > be versed or skilled [verb (intransitive)]
to have the way (also ways)?1520
to know what something is1535
practise1542
skilla1586
to be one's craftsmaster1594
to know the ropes1802
to know one's way around1861
to know (something) backwards1904
to know one's stuff1927
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > knowledge, what is known > experience > be experienced [phrase]
to know the ginc1530
to know what something is1535
to find (know, etc.) the length (also measure) of a person's foot1580
to know one's way around1814
to be more than seven1896
to know whereof one speaks (or writes, etc.)1922
1535 Bible (Coverdale) 2 Chron. xii. B They shalbe subdued vnto him, yt they maye knowe what it is to serue me, & to serue the kyngdomes of the worlde.
1593 W. Shakespeare Venus & Adonis sig. Ev Thou know'st not what it is, With iauelings point a churlish swine to goare. View more context for this quotation
1608 M. Kellison Reply Sotcliffes Answer Ep. Ded. sig. a v Till miserie had taught the prodigal Sonne wit, he neuer knew what it was to liue at home in his Fathers howse.
1711 J. Addison Spectator No. 26. ¶7 Though I am always serious, I do not know what it is to be melancholy.
1860 W. M. Thackeray Roundabout Papers ii, in Cornhill Mag. Mar. 383 As for the first night at a strange school, we most of us remember what that is.
1885 G. B. Shaw Let. 29 Dec. (1965) I. 149 Paquito has not the remotest idea of what it is to be exploited on the piece-work system by newspapers.
1901 W. R. H. Trowbridge Lett. Mother to Elizabeth xiii. 58 To know what dust is, you must come to Switzerland in August; the road was like driving through sand.
1974 L. Murray Coll. Poems (1991) 98 My great-grandfather John Is Remembering what it is to conquer country: Brush soil upturned, Thin-legged black people who would show you fruit.
2001 Times 6 July (Goodwood Festival Suppl.) 15/1 The drivers who race their cars up the Hill might touch speeds of 160mph but they do not know what excitement is.
e. what becomes of, what's become of, etc.: see become v. 4.
P3. Phrases with what as nominal relative pronoun.
a. In phrases expressing unspecified miscellaneous other items.
(a) what else: (originally elliptically) whatever else there may be; (with loss of relative function) anything else, anything and everything. Now rare.
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1575 T. Cartwright Second Replie agaynst Dr. Whitgiftes Second Answer p. lx. And iff the taking vp off a straw, be donne to good ende, either off helping him selfe, or others, regarde of profite, or pleasure, or what els.
1579 Rastell's Expos. Termes Lawes (new ed.) at Reservation Theyr reseruations were as wel..in vittailis, whether flesh, fishe, corne, bread, drinke, or what els, as in money.
1586 Earl of Leicester Let. 3 Feb. in Corr. (1844) 85 Impostes, customes, and what ells that yeld them money.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Henry VI, Pt. 3 (1623) iii. i. 51 Warwicke..in conclusion winnes the King from her, With promise of his Sister, and what else, To strengthen and support King Edwards place. View more context for this quotation
1659 in Eng. Hist. Rev. (1919) July 287 That..you will afford the best of your assistance..and what elce needfull.
1873 J. Ruskin Crown Wild Olive App. xi. 201 The right to keep everything and every place about you in as good order as you can—Prussia, Poland, or what else.
2004 Courier Mail (Queensland, Austral.) (Nexis) 10 Jan. 28 Take this from the US Fox Network's Bill O'Reilly: ‘I don't care about him doing whatever he does with crocodiles or what else. But you don't use a baby.’
(b) colloquial. what have you: (chiefly after or or and) anything else similar.
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1911 Penny Illustr. Paper 23 Dec. 808/2 (advt.) Will exchange a slightly damaged bird cage for good touring car, or what have you?
1924 Editor 26 Apr. p. vi./2 Judge [a weekly]..wants amusing, or emotion-stirring drawings and text-essays, satires, sketches, burlesques, jokes, paragraphs—or what have you?
1944 W. H. Auden For Time Being (1945) 115 Disguising himself as a swan or a bull or a shower of rain or what-have-you.
1956 A. Wilson Anglo-Saxon Attitudes 163 Too busy or going on leave or what-have-you.
2003 A. Strauss Joy of Funerals 187 I believe she's a shopaholic. Spends thousands each month on clothing and what-have-you.
b. In expressions disclaiming knowledge, concern, etc., on the part of the speaker or someone else, esp. in for what I (also you, etc.) care, for what I (also you, etc.) know; cf. for all I care at care v. 2b, for all (that) —— knows at know v. Phrases 12. Cf. for prep. 25b. Now somewhat rare.
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1629 J. Gaule Distractions 487 The little I haue, may (for what I know) out-last my Life.
1685 G. Jeffreys Charge given by Lord Chief Justice 3 For what I know, the greatest part of this City had perished; and yet you are willing to believe it was Accident.
1696 M. Pix Spanish Wives ii. 16 Lord! Lord! your Head is always upon Cuckolding, All the Cuckolds may be hang'd, for what I care.
1758 A. Murphy Upholsterer ii. 33 He may go to Jericho for what I cares.
1798 C. Smith Young Philosopher I. 22 She may die for what you know.
1818 W. Scott Heart of Mid-Lothian x, in Tales of my Landlord 2nd Ser. II. 247 It may have been murdered for what I can tell.
1859 ‘G. Eliot’ Adam Bede I. i. viii. 175 Adam Bede and all his kin might be drownded for what you'd care.
1875 J. Ruskin Fors Clavigera V. lx. 332 You may think, for what I care, what you please in such matters.
1988 Sun Herald (Sydney) (Nexis) 12 June 101 When he died he allowed all his affairs to fall into the hands of his latest wife. She may be an angel for all I know, and for what I care.
P4. Phrases with what as adjective (determiner).
a. As the object of know, forming a modifying phrase with the sense ‘some unknown or undefined ——’, ‘some —— or other’, as in I don't know what, heaven knows what, etc.; cf. Phrases 2a.
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1535 R. Copland tr. Complaynt of them that be to soone Maryed sig. Biii Her gosseps and her neyghboures to Semblynge lyke a prosessyon God knewe what desstruccyon Drynkynge my wyne all at theyr ease All thynge goeth to perdycyon.
a1635 in Publ. Catholic Rec. Soc. (1906) 3 43 There was present on horse-backe, I knowe not what poetical preacher, named Pourcase.
1670 G. Havers tr. G. Leti Il Cardinalismo di Santa Chiesa ii. iii. 205 There has been already some disgusts.., about I know not what reducement of the Light-horse.
1700 P. Motteux et al. tr. M. de Cervantes Hist. Don Quixote I. iii. vi. 201 A Wallet at her Back, wherein they say she carried a piece of a Looking-Glass, half a Comb, a broken Pot with Paint; and I don't know what other Trinkum Trankums to prink her self up.
1883 Cent. Mag. Jan. 409/1 We may see kings, queens, dukes, counts, sheikhs, beys, sultans, khedives, pashas, rajahs, and I don't know what potentates besides.
1883 Sat. Rev. 13 Oct. 467/1 Made up of plasters and match-boxes and medicine-bottles and heaven knows what other oddments.
1971 J. Fleming Grim Death iv. 47 One of those floaters who wandered round the markets looking for heaven-knows what scraps of unrecognized treasure.
1999 C. Brookmyre One Fine Day in Middle of Night (2000) 338 They'd been in the thick of it, sharing God-knows-what experiences together, from foreplay to gunplay.
b.
(a) what time: (as a compound conjunction) at the time, or at any time, at which; when; whenever; while. Similarly what day, what while. Now rare (chiefly literary and regional).
ΚΠ
J. Gaytryge Lay Folks' Catech. (York Min.) (1901) l. 65 (MED) Teche tham thair childir..What tyme so thai er of eld to lere tham.
c1475 Antichrist & Disciples in J. H. Todd Three Treat. J. Wycklyffe (1851) p. cxxiv Seynt Ion..seide what tyme he lyued þat þenne weren many antecristis.
a1500 (a1450) Generides (Trin. Cambr.) l. 4225 What tyme that eny kyng weddid shuld be..The kyng and she shuld neuer togeder mete.
1535 Bible (Coverdale) Zech. viii. 14 Like as I deuysed to punysh you, what tyme as youre fathers prouoked me vnto wrath.
1638 J. Milton Lycidas in Obsequies 21 in Justa Edouardo King What time the gray-fly winds her sultry horn.
1791 W. Cowper tr. Homer Iliad in Iliad & Odyssey I. xx. 190 What time the monster of the Deep pursued The Hero.
1861 D. G. Rossetti tr. Dante Vita Nuova in Early Ital. Poets ii. 299 It is your fickleness..makes me tremble thus What while a lady greets me with her eyes.
c1882 G. M. Hopkins Poems (1967) 93 Walked with the wind what while we slept.
1885 R. Bridges Eros & Psyche vii. ii. 79 Was the contest waged What day the Sirens with the Muses strove.
1936 W. B. Pemberton Carteret ix. 253 He and his brother were quietly mobilising their forces what time a rollicking..Carteret dictated optimistic despatches.
1945 R. Hargreaves Enemy at Gate 24 One side getting ready for the next time what-time the other as carefully and methodically prepared themselves to fight the last.
1963 Mountain Life (Berea, Kentucky) 39 ii. 53 He might declare his willingness to ‘cross hell on a rotten log fer a chanch fer to give 'er a piece o' the workin's o' his mind, er aither nuver speak to the slankin' thang agin what time breath's in his old cyarcass, one.’
†(b) at what time: (a) at the time at which, at any time at which, when; = what time at Phrases 4b(a); (b) (with what as simple non-restrictive relative) at which time, when, and then. Obsolete.
ΚΠ
1413 in J. Robertson Illustr. Topogr. & Antiq. Aberdeen & Banff (1862) IV. 643 And att what tyme at the forsayde lady may be tretyt till vpp gyff tha landis..till infeffe William Frasare in the sayde landys.
1533 T. More 2nd Pt. Confut. Tyndals Answere vi. p. cccxxiii Tyndale muste of reason geue vs leue to laugh at hys prowde inuented folye. And I shall fynde hym foure suertyes..that at what tyme herafter he proue hym selfe a trewe prophete, I shall vppon reasonable warnynge onlaugh agayne yt all.
1569 R. Grafton Chron. II. 65 The kinges Ambassadors repulsed of the French king returned, at what tyme he sent another Ambassade vpon the lyke cause.
1630 tr. G. Botero Relations Famous Kingdomes World (rev. ed.) 128 I read..that it was builded..in the time of Edward the third of England; at what time our Kings..had as yet nothing to doe in this Citie.
1648 J. Evelyn Let. 18 Dec. in Diary & Corr. (1852) III. 34 Abstaining from using uncivil terms at what time they differed in judgment.
1653 H. More Antidote against Atheisme iii. ix. §3 He gave up the Ghost about the third hour of the night, at what time a black Cat..ran to his bed.
1707 N. N. tr. J. Crasset Hist. Church of Japan II. 91 With that we all retir'd to our Prayers, and persever'd in them till next Morning, at what time I said Mass.
P5. colloquial. what all.
a. Used in phrases as the object of know to denote things unknown or unspecified, usually at the end of a list, following and. Cf. Phrases 2a.
(a) I don't know (also †I know not) what all.
ΚΠ
1609 R. Tynley Two Learned Serm. ii. 44 For these haue made vnto themselues,..their Image-gods, of gold, siluer, brasse, wood, stone, and I know not what all.
1702 S. Parker tr. Cicero Five Bks. De Finibus Transl. Pref. The Grandeur, Eloquence, Neatness, and I know not what all, of an Author's Expression.
1850 J. D. Hooker Let. 26 Nov. in C. Darwin Corr. (1988) IV. 374 Palms Tree-ferns Camellia leaves & I do not know what all.
1859 E. C. Gaskell Haunted House: Ghost in Garden Room in All Year Round Extra Christmas No., 13 Dec. 33/1 There's examins, and catechizes, and I dunno what all for him to be put through.
1980 R. Rhodes Last Safari i. v. 95 He had the names of hundreds of bullfighters at his fingertips. And all the terminology. Veronicas and gaoneras and mariposas and farols and I don't know what all.
1998 B. Kingsolver Poisonwood Bible (1999) ii. 165 Using these people like slaves in your rubber plantations and your mines and I don't know what all?
(b) deuce knows what all, God knows what all, the Lord knows what all, who knows what all, etc.
ΚΠ
a1652 R. Brome New Acad. i. 15 in Five New Playes (1659) Think of me your brother, that has spent In down-right fellowship (heaven knows what All fraudulent purposes to make any man A miser or a gainer by't).
1762 Beauties of all Mag. Sel. I. 8/2 I suppose, you'll open upon me with morality; right and wrong; and the Devil knows what all.
1766 W. Kenrick Falstaff's Wedding i. v. 6 That..I was obliged to pay the lord-knows-what-all away for one thing or other.
1785 H. Polesworth Fragm. Hist. John Bull, Esq. vii. 52 A vast expence in cooks, scullions, firing, and God knows what all.
1832 Fraser's Mag. Sept. 157/1 We have surely been raving about sun, moon, and stars—flowers, birds, and distant hills—necessity, women, and deuce knows what all, when we ought to have given an account of the Indian nautch-dance.
1948 S. J. Perelman Westward Ha! i. 14 By judicious shopping I managed to gather a splendid kit for my journey—a machete, a sola topee, a poncho, an apparatus for distilling seawater, and deuce knows what-all.
1986 R. Ford Sportswriter viii. 202 You can see the UPS truck on our street every day still, leaving off hammocks and smokers and God knows what all.
1993 Coloradoan (Fort Collins) 25 Dec. e4 (advt.) We've got a following made up of New Agers, old lefties, marketing gurus, political hacks, jet-setters, whole earthers, and who knows what all.
b. Uses as a compound pronoun.
(a) U.S. colloquial, Irish English (northern), and Indian English. With reference to a plurality of items: (as interrogative pronoun and nominal relative pronoun) what things; (as adjective) what —— severally.In West Ulster English, all can be separated; e.g. What all did you get for Christmas? varies with What did you get all for Christmas?
ΚΠ
1878 Milwaukee (Wisconsin) Daily Sentinel 1 July 7/3 He uster su'scribe a heap er deaf an' dum' an'mals. I 'members one Foaf July he su'scribed,—lem me see if I can 'member what all he did su'scribe. Thar wus two oxes an' 'leven milk cows.
1883 Rep. Comm. 233 in U.S. Congress. Serial Set (47th Congr., 2nd Sess.: Senate Rep. 981) II. While you were at Statesville what took place?—A. I cannot tell you what all did take place.
1912 Congress. Rec. 7 Dec. 270/1 Q. What all did he say and what all did you say?—A. I do not know as I could repeat it all.
1931 K. A. Porter Let. 24 Apr. (1990) i. 38 Gene is apt to say ‘Stop talking rot’ when Hart gets explaining what all is wrong with my attitude towards Mexico.
1942 W. Faulkner Go down, Moses & Other Stories 76 My mind gonter change about whatall I seed.
1959 F. O'Connor Let. 25 Apr. in Habit of Being (1979) 329 My cousin left me a house in Savannah and I am now learning whatall it needs.
1963 Amer. Jrnl. Nursing 63 62/3 ‘I just got so much to do...’ ‘What all do you have to do?’
1997 C. B. Divakaruni Mistress of Spices 226 This chai is very good, What-all spices did you put in it?
2011 Prairie Schooner 85 64 I can name whatall is missing. I can name everything I've lost.
(b) Used to denote things unknown or unspecified, usually at the end of a list, following and.Perhaps formed by ellipsis from Phrases 5a.
ΚΠ
1901 H. Sutcliffe Mistress Barbara Cunliffe 9 Some reckon Tib helps him wi' his black magic, an' his turning stones to gold, an' what all.
1947 E. Meynell Sussex ix. 225 Sheep are most unfortunate creatures in the infections to which they are liable—the foot rot..and the liver-fluke and what all.
1957 J. Kerouac On the Road iii. iv. 202 Weariness and..sorrow and what-all was on his mind.
1962 A. Lurie Love & Friendship vii. 123 That old Mr Higginson... Got his house full of bird dirt and what-all.
2001 T. Winton Dirt Music (2003) 25 Went to the university and what-all.
P6. what you see is what you get.
a. Used to indicate that someone or something is or behaves exactly as one would expect judging by appearance.
ΚΠ
1912 Granite, Marble & Bronze Aug. 5 (advt.) Dealers who demand the limit in quality will appreciate our standard product. ‘What you see is what you get.’
1955 Washington Post 4 Sept. g4/1 (advt.) The complete G.E. kitchen is in the price of the home... No extras—what you see is what you get!
2000 N.Y. Mag. 3 Jan. 26/2 It is this retro, tough-guy, what-you-see-is-what-you-get, no-nonsense approach that has made him the most influential media reporter in the city.
2021 @_alyssssssac 27 May in twitter.com (accessed 28 July 2021) So happy I don’t have a fake image to maintain. With me, what you see is what you get. Some days I'm an amazing light and others, I'm an absolute wreck.
b. Computing. Designating a program or interface which allows content to be edited in a form resembling its ultimate appearance on a printout, website, etc.; = WYSIWYG adj.
ΚΠ
1982 Byte Apr. 264/2 ‘What you see is what you get’ (or WYSIWYG) refers to the situation in which the display screen portrays an accurate rendition of the printed page.
1991 New Scientist 3 Aug. 42/2 For plain text entry EXP acts as a normal what-you-see-is-what-you-get..program.
2008 P. Bauer et al. in P. Atzeni et al. Adv. in Databases & Information Syst. 24 To support user friendly editing of the texts, we developed a What You See Is What You Get editor.

Compounds

C1. Forming adjectives with the sense ‘of what ——’, ‘having what ——’, by combining with a noun + -ed, as in what-coloured, what-fashioned, what-natured, what-numbered, what-shaped, what-sized adjs. Also with man or woman as the final element, in what countryman, what countrywoman: see countryman n. 2, countrywoman n. 3.
ΚΠ
1559 J. Aylmer Harborowe sig. P1v Some of you knowe what natured men they be.
1607 R. C. tr. H. Estienne World of Wonders 237 [One] may well doubt whether lockesmithes..vsed files..or rather what fashioned files they had.
1628 G. Wither Britain's Remembrancer vi. f. 177 I doe not think..That in it selfe it is materiall ought, What shaped Robes I weare.
1765 J. Cleland Surprises of Love (ed. 2) 11 All the men gaze on the person, but hardly one of them brings away the remembrance of what colored gown she had on.
1815 Literary Panorama Mar. 830 What sized vessels are they, and by what number are they navigated?
1873 C. C. Reeks Elementary Astron. vi. 39 In what-shaped orbit does the earth move?
1935 National Surv. Educ. Teachers (U.S. Dept. of Interior) ii. i. 116 Beginning with your oldest brother or sister, what numbered child are you, i.e., are you the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 8th, or what child of your parents?
2004 W. Marchment Sci. Study Guide Years 9–10 iii. 85 If gene ‘B’ represents brown eyes and ‘b’ represents blue eyes, what coloured eyes will this person have?
2014 L. Evans Crooked Heart (2015) 168 ‘I need to change a banknote.’ ‘What sized banknote?’ ‘Twenty.’
C2.
what way adv. Scottish and English regional (northern) how; why.
ΚΠ
1563 N. Winȝet Certain Tractates (1890) II. 6 Quhareby we may cleirlie se quhat way we suld happelie return and be recouncelit to our grete Empriour.
c1580 ( tr. Bk. Alexander (1925) I. 2110 Se quhat way throw hard fecht That all ȝour feiris demanit ar.
1719 A. Ramsay Epist. to J. Arbuckle 6 [He] disna care for A how, a what way, or a wherefore.
1799 H. Mitchell Scotticisms 95 What way did it happen?
1902 J. J. Bell Wee Macgreegor v Macgreegor,..whit wey did ye strike puir Wullie Thomson?
1933 J. Gray Lowrie 35 A'm gled ta see dee. Whit wye is doo, an' hoo cam doo sae shune?
1965 J. K. Annand Sing it Aince 14 Whit wey do ye gang there?
2017 Scotsman (Nexis) 12 Aug. I am celebrating a goal. What way are you supposed to celebrate a goal?
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2022; most recently modified version published online June 2022).

† whatadj.2

Forms: Old English hwæt, Middle English hwat, whæt, wat.
Etymology: Old English hwæt = Old Saxon hwat keen, bold, Old High German hwaȥ, waȥ sharp, rough, severe, Old Norse hvatr bold, vigorous: related to whet v., q.v.
Obsolete.
Quick, active; stout, brave.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > [adjective] > indicating questions
whicheOE
whata1000
whatkina1300
what donesc1330
what'na1510
the world > action or operation > manner of action > vigour or energy > [adjective] > brisk or active
sprindeOE
whata1000
braga1350
prestc1390
yarea1400
stirringc1400
startingc1440
actious1441
actuala1470
activea1522
queemc1540
skeetc1540
lively1567
alive-like1582
pragmatical1590
spruce1590
agilious1599
brisk1599
sprightly?c1599
brisky1600
alives-like1601
alacrious1602
smart1602
eyebright1603
whisking1611
deedy1615
vibrant1616
sprunt1631
perking1653
alert1654
exilient1654
alacrative1657
eveillé1676
budge1691
jaunty1705
spry1746
sprack1747
alive1748
high-geared1795
rash1805
spicy1828
live1830
deedful1834
yary1855
sprucy1858
alacritous1859
sprackish1882
brash1884
up-and-coming1889
up and doing1901
loose1907
bright-eyed and bushy-tailed1936
buzzy1978
the mind > emotion > courage > spirit > keenness > [adjective]
whata1000
keenlyc1275
feerc1380
sternful?a1400
OE Beowulf 1601 Næs ofgeafon hwate Scyldingas.
a1000 Bi Monna Cræftum 81 Sum biþ to horse hwæt.
c1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 183 To gode þu ware slau and let; and to euele spac and hwat.
c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 3558 Þer weoren eorles swiðe whæte [c1300 Otho wate]. and leiden þene king bi ane ȝate.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1923; most recently modified version published online June 2018).
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pron.adv.int.adj.1conj.n.eOEadj.2a1000
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