Where does “when” come from?

When derives from Middle English whan, from Old English hwænne, blending Old English winnan and Proto-Indo-European kʷo-, wen-, and kʷos roots whose original sense remains unclear.

when (English): At what time? At which time? Upon which occasion...

Definitions

  1. At what time? At which time? Upon which occasion...

Ancestry of “when”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishwhenAlternative form of whenne; Alternative form of...
2Middle Englishwhanwhom; Alternative form of whenne; Alternative...
3Old Englishhwōnlittle, few, a little, trifle, somewhat, a little...

Words derived from “when”

Every word from Old English hwōn →