Where does “who” come from?
Who descends from Middle English wha, from Old English hwā, from Proto-Germanic hwaz, from Proto-Indo-European kʷos, ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root kʷ-.
who (English): What person or people; which person or people;...
Definitions
- What person or people; which person or people;...
Ancestry of “who”, step by step
who traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English wha
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | wha | — |
| 2 | Old English | hwā | who |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | hwaʀ | who |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | hwaz | who, what; whose; whom |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷos | See *kʷis |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷ- | The primary interrogative root |
via Middle English who
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | who | who nominative |
via Middle English hwo
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | hwo | — |