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