why
English
/ʍaɪ/
adv
Definitions
- For what cause, reason, or purpose (interrogative adverb).
- For which cause, reason, or purpose (relative adverb).
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English why inherited from Old English hwȳ inherited from Proto-Germanic *hwī (with what, how, by what) derived from Proto-Indo-European *kʷey, *kʷ-.
Origin
Proto-Indo-European
*kʷ-
Gloss
Timeline
Distribution of cognates by language
Geogrpahic distribution of cognates
Cognates and derived terms
- ever English
- for English
- forwhy English
- pi English
- some English
- somewhy English
- whose English
- whyever English
- whyn't English
- whyness English
- aliqui Latin
- atqui Latin
- nequam Latin
- qui bene amat, bene castigat Latin
- quicum Latin
- quicumque Latin
- quilibet Latin
- quivis Latin
- quī Latin
- pi Dutch, Flemish
- waarvoor Dutch, Flemish
- welks Dutch, Flemish
- wiens Dutch, Flemish
- que Spanish, Castilian
- πεῖ Ancient Greek
- ποσός Ancient Greek
- ποτέ Ancient Greek
- που Ancient Greek
- πως Ancient Greek
- ἕκαστος Ancient Greek
- ὁπότε Ancient Greek
- ὅπως Ancient Greek
- *kʷ- Proto-Indo-European
- *kʷey Proto-Indo-European
- *kʷey- Proto-Indo-European
- *kʷis Proto-Indo-European
- *kʷis, *kʷos Proto-Indo-European
- *kʷis, *kʷosyo Proto-Indo-European
- *kʷis, kʷos Proto-Indo-European
- *kʷo- Proto-Indo-European
- *kʷokʷe Proto-Indo-European
- *kʷos Proto-Indo-European
- *kʷoti Proto-Indo-European
- *kʷód Proto-Indo-European
- *kʷóteros Proto-Indo-European
- hvi Norwegian Bokmål
- *hwammai Proto-Germanic
- *hwar Proto-Germanic
- *hwaþeraz Proto-Germanic
- *hwi-, *hwaz Proto-Germanic
- *hwilīkaz Proto-Germanic
- *hwī Proto-Germanic
- *hwō Proto-Germanic
- kvi Norwegian Nynorsk
- hwanone Old English
- hwy Old English
- hwȳ Old English
- forwhy Middle English
- why Middle English
- hví Old Norse
- því Old Norse
- hvi Danish
- *činъ Proto-Slavic
- qui Old French
- waeromme Middle Dutch
- që Albanian
- *wan ēr Old Dutch
- hwi Old Saxon
- hwiu Old Saxon
- *tan Proto-Albanian
- quei Old Latin
- 𐤐 Phoenician