Etymology Explorer › Proto-West Germanic

Where does “hwat” come from?

hwat (Proto-West Germanic) comes from Proto-Germanic hwat, from Proto-Indo-European kʷód, from Proto-Indo-European kʷós — who.

hwat (Proto-West Germanic): what

Definitions

  1. what

Ancestry of “hwat”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Germanichwatnominative/accusative singular neuter of *hwaz
2Proto-Indo-Europeankʷódwhat
3Proto-Indo-Europeankʷóswho

Words derived from “hwat”

  • was
  • ווסווסים
  • waz
  • waz
  • פֿאַרוואָס
  • וואָס
  • bas
  • waas
  • was
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷós →