Where does “hwænne” come from?
hwænne (Old English) comes from Proto-Germanic hwannē, from Proto-Germanic hwan, from Proto-Germanic hwaz, from Proto-Indo-European kʷos, from Proto-Indo-European kʷ- — The primary interrogative root.
hwænne (Old English): when
Definitions
- when
Ancestry of “hwænne”, step by step
hwænne traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Proto-Germanic hwannē
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proto-Germanic | hwannē | at what time, when; when |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | hwan | when, at what time |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | hwaz | who, what; whose; whom |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷos | See *kʷis |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷ- | The primary interrogative root |
via Proto-West Germanic hwan
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proto-West Germanic | hwan | when |
via Proto-West Germanic hwannā
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proto-West Germanic | hwannā | — |