Source etymology 1
Original entry ↗noun
The means by which something is accomplished.
conj
Used to state that something is in a certain way or state.
intj
What?, pardon?
adv
Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventoryTo what degree or extent. · In what manner · By what means. · With overtones of why, for what reason.
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *kʷ- Proto-Indo-European *kʷís Proto-Germanic *hwō Old English hū Middle English how English how From Middle English how, hou, hu, hwu, from Old English hū, from Proto-West Germanic *hwō, from Proto-Germanic *hwō (“through what, how”), from the same root as hwæt (“who, what”). /hw/ > /h/ due to wh-cluster reduction in Old English; compare who, which underwent this change later, and thus is spelt wh (Middle English spelling of /hw/) but pronounced /h/ (it previously had a different vowel, hence avoided the spelling and sound change in Old English). Vowel change per Great Vowel Shift. Akin to Scots hoo, foo (“how”), North Frisian ho, hü, hur (“how”), Saterland Frisian wo (“how”), West Frisian hoe (“how”), Dutch hoe (“how”), Low German ho, wo, wu (“how”), German wie (“how”), Swedish hur (“how”). See who and compare why.
Relationships mentioned by the source
These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.
- Root classification mention*kʷ-ine-pro
- Inherited-form mentionhowenm
- Inherited-form mentionhūang
- Inherited-form mention*hwōgmw-pro
- Inherited-form mention*hwōgem-pro · through what, how
- Cognate mentionhoosco
- Cognate mentionhofrr
- Cognate mentionwostq
- Cognate mentionhoefy
- Cognate mentionhoenl
- Cognate mentionhonds
- Cognate mentionwiede
- Cognate mentionhursv
This page abbreviates 9 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.
Inspect preserved source fields
Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.
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