Where does “whatchoo” come from?

whatchoo (English) comes from English what, from Middle English what, from Old English hwæt, from Old English -ing, from Old English -tūn, from Old English tūn, from Proto-West Germanic tūn, from Proto-Germanic tūną — smoke; mist, haze.

whatchoo (English): What you; what do you; what are you

Definitions

  1. What you; what do you; what are you

Ancestry of “whatchoo”, step by step

whatchoo traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English what

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwhatWhich thing, event, circumstance, etc.: used...
2Middle Englishwhatwhat
3Old Englishhwætwhat; why; how many or how much
4Old English-ingForming nouns from verbs, indicating action,...
5Old English-tūnhomestead, village, town
6Old Englishtūnenclosure, yard; place; dwelling
7Proto-West Germanictūnfence
8Proto-Germanictūnąfence; enclosure
9Gaulishdunumfort; hill, hillfort
10Proto-Celticdūnomstronghold, rampart
11Proto-Indo-Europeandʰewh₂-smoke; mist, haze

via English choo

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishchooThe sound of a locomotive whistle
2Chinese Mandarin
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂-Every word from Proto-Celtic dūnomEvery word from Gaulish dunum