Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “hwām” come from?

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

Ancestry of “hwām”, step by step

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

Words derived from “hwām”

  • home
  • whom
  • Home
  • homeland
  • homework
  • HP
  • hometown
  • homemade
  • homeowner
  • whomever
  • whomsoever
  • homespun
  • homing
  • homegrown
  • homemaker
  • hame
  • homeschooling
  • homelike
  • homey
  • homeownership
  • homemaking
  • homeroom
  • homebound
  • homebuyer
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷ- →