Where does “whom” come from?

whom (Middle English) comes from Old English hwām, from Proto-Germanic hwammai, from Proto-Germanic hwaz, from Proto-Indo-European kʷos, from Proto-Indo-European kʷ- — The primary interrogative root.

whom (Middle English): (to) who, whom accusative or dative

Definitions

  1. (to) who, whom accusative or dative

Ancestry of “whom”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishhwām—
2Proto-Germanichwammaimasculine/neuter dative of *hwaz
3Proto-Germanichwazwho, what; whose; whom
4Proto-Indo-EuropeankʷosSee *kʷis
5Proto-Indo-Europeankʷ-The primary interrogative root

Words derived from “whom”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷ- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷos →Every word from Proto-Germanic hwaz →