Where does “whoever” come from?

Whoever derives from English who, 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-.

whoever (English): who; Whatever person or persons; No matter who

Definitions

  1. who; Whatever person or persons; No matter who

Ancestry of “whoever”, step by step

whoever traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English who

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwhoWhat person or people; which person or people;...
2Middle Englishwha—
3Old Englishhwāwho
4Proto-West Germanichwaʀwho
5Proto-Germanichwazwho, what; whose; whom
6Proto-Indo-EuropeankʷosSee *kʷis
7Proto-Indo-Europeankʷ-The primary interrogative root

via English ever

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglisheverAlways, frequently, forever; Continuously,...
2Middle Englisheverever
3Old Englishǣfre—

Words derived from “whoever”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷ- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷos →Every word from Proto-Germanic hwaz →
whoever — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer