Where does “when” come from?

when (Middle English) comes from Middle English whan, from Old English hwōn — little, few, a little, trifle, somewhat, a little...

when (Middle English): Alternative form of whenne; Alternative form of...

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of whenne; Alternative form of...

Ancestry of “when”, step by step

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

Words derived from “when

Every word from Old English hwōn