Where does “whereof” come from?
Whereof derives from Middle English wherof, combining Old English hwǣr (where) and oþ (off), ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European h₂epo (off, away from) and h₁ey- (to go).
whereof (English): Of what; Of which; Of whom
Definitions
- Of what; Of which; Of whom
Ancestry of “whereof”, step by step
whereof traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English where
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | where | While on the contrary; although; whereas; At or... |
| 2 | Middle English | wher | where |
| 3 | Old English | hwǣr | where |
| 4 | Old English | -a | Ending forming adverbs; nominative masculine... |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | -ō | Creates feminine nouns from roots and stems |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | -ô | -ly; Forms agent nouns, often from the zero-grade... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -ō | Derives nouns from roots |