Where does “where” come from?
Where derives from Middle English where, from Old English hwǣr, from Proto-Germanic hwar, which combines Proto-Indo-European kʷo- with the locative suffix -r.
where (English): While on the contrary; although; whereas; At or...
Definitions
- While on the contrary; although; whereas; At or...
Ancestry of “where”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | wher | where |
| 2 | Old English | hwǣr | where |
| 3 | Old English | -a | Ending forming adverbs; nominative masculine... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | -ō | Creates feminine nouns from roots and stems |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | -ô | -ly; Forms agent nouns, often from the zero-grade... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -ō | Derives nouns from roots |