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hwæþer. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
hwæþer, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
hwæþer in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
hwæþer you have here. The definition of the word
hwæþer will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
hwæþer, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Old English
Etymology
From Proto-West Germanic *hwaþar, see also Old High German wedar, Old Norse hvaðarr.
Pronunciation
Pronoun
hwæþer
- who or what (of two)
Conjunction
hwæþer
- whether
- late 10th century, Ælfric, "Chair of Saint Peter"
...and hē lēop sona cunniġende his fēðes hwæðer hē cūðe gān.- and he leapt up immediately, trying his power of motion, whether he could walk.
- used to introduce a question
Usage notes
"Whether... or..." is rendered with þē instead of oþþe: Sē cyning wolde fandian hwæðer Eġel swā wel sċute swā man sæġde þē nā ("The king wanted to test whether Egil shot as well as they said or not").
Descendants
References