Where does “WHO” come from?
WHO (English) comes from English ’s, from English Kingstown, from English town, from Middle English toun, from Middle English ende, from Old English ende, from Proto-Germanic andi, from Proto-Indo-European h₂énti — on, onto.
Ancestry of “WHO”, step by step
WHO traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English ’s
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ’s | — |
| 2 | English | Kingstown | OS grid ref NY3959 |
| 3 | English | town | A settlement; an area with residential districts,... |
| 4 | Middle English | toun | town |
| 5 | Middle English | ende | The end or finishing of a thing; the terminal... |
| 6 | Old English | ende | end, limit, border, corner |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | andi | in addition, furthermore, and |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énti | opposite; near; in front |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énts | forehead; front |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ent- | face; forehead; front |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂en- | on, onto |