什麼

Corruption of medieval 是物 (MC dzyeX mjut, “why”) (Yuan et al., 1996: 318–324) or 什物 (MC dzyip mjut, “miscellaneous items”) (Norman, 1988; Zhang, 1982), perhaps influenced by 何物 (OC *ɡaːl mɯd, “what”).

什麼

1. (interrogative) what

   這是什麼？／这是什么？  ―  Zhè shì shénme?  ―  What is this?

   你平時喜歡做什麼？ [MSC, trad.]
   你平时喜欢做什么？ [MSC, simp.]

   Nǐ píngshí xǐhuān zuò shénme?

   What do you like doing in your spare time?

   我不知道他是什麼人。 [MSC, trad.]
   我不知道他是什么人。 [MSC, simp.]

   Wǒ bù zhīdào tā shì shénme rén.

   I don't know what kind of person he is.

2. something

   你想吃點什麼嗎？ [MSC, trad.]
   你想吃点什么吗？ [MSC, simp.]

   Nǐ xiǎng chī diǎn shénme ma?

   Would you like something to eat?

3. anything; whatever

   我什麼都不知道。 [MSC, trad.]
   我什么都不知道。 [MSC, simp.]

   Wǒ shénme dōu bù zhīdào.

   I don't know anything

   我什麼也不怕。／我什么也不怕。  ―  Wǒ shénme yě bù pà.  ―  I'm not afraid of anything.

   他可以想做什麼就做什麼。 [MSC, trad.]
   他可以想做什么就做什么。 [MSC, simp.]

   Tā kěyǐ xiǎng zuò shénme jiù zuò shénme.

   He can do whatever he wants.

4. (used to express surprise or anger) what

   幹的是什麼事兒！ [MSC, trad.]
   干的是什么事儿！ [MSC, simp.]

   Gàn de shì shénme shìr!

   What a thing to do!

5. (used before an enumeration) thing like; such as; and so on; and what not
6. (used to express disapproval, disagreement)

• ⇒ Translingual: Yiminaspis shenme

From spoken Middle Chinese 恁麼 / 恁么 (nyim^X muɑ, “what?”, archaic).^[1] The spelling shifted to include the Chinese synonym 什麼 / 什么 (modern Mandarin reading of shénme), while keeping the inmo reading for 恁麼 / 恁么 (rènme), instead of the expected reading for 什麼.

Imported into Japanese by Zen monks who had studied in China.^[1] Generally restricted to use by Zen practitioners.^[2]

• IPA^(key):

什(いん)麼(も) • (inmo) 

1. (rare) what
   • 1906, 夏目漱石 (Natsume Sōseki), 吾輩は猫である (Wagahai wa neko de aru)‎, 青空文庫 (Aozora Bunko):

     天(てん)地(ち)と我(われ)と什(いん)麼(も)の交(こう)渉(しょう)かある。

     Tenchi to ware to inmo no kōshō ka aru.

     What is the relation between the universe and me?

Generally followed by the possessive particle の (no) and used as an adnominal, with a meaning of what kind of.

Orthographic borrowing from Mandarin 什麼 / 什么 (“what”).

什麼(どんな) • (donna) 

1. (rare) what
   • 1931, 大庭武年 (Ōba Taketoshi), 旅客機事件 (ryokakuki jiken)‎, 青空文庫 (Aozora Bunko):

     若(も)し僕(ぼく)にアリバイが出来(でき)なかったとしたら、僕等(ぼくら)は什麼恐(どんなおそ)ろしい結果(けっか)になっていたか知(し)れない

     moshi boku ni aribai gadekinakattatoshitara, bokura wa donna osoroshī kekka ni natte ita ka shirenai

     If I hadn't had an alibi, who knows what kind of terrible outcome would have awaited us?