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whanne. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
whanne, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
whanne in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
whanne you have here. The definition of the word
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Middle English
Etymology 1
From Old English hwonne, from Proto-Germanic *hwannē (“when”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷís (“who, what, which”).
Alternative forms
- whan, whane, whain, whaune, whenne, when, whene, whon, whonne, wanne, wan, wane, waen, wahan, wenne, wen, wene, wehn, wehen, vhen, vhanne, van, qwhan, qwhen, qwan, qwanne, qwuan, qwen, qwene, qwon, quanne, quan, quane, quenne, quen, quene, qien
- wȝon, ȝwen (West Midlands)
- huanne (Kent)
- ȝwanne, ȝwan, ȝwane (Southwestern)
- wæne, wonne, won, wone (southwest Midlands)
- hwan, hwanne, hwænne, hwenne, hwen, hwene, hwon, hwonne, uan, vien, qvanne (Early Middle English)
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈhwan(ə)/, /ˈhwɛn(ə)/
Adverb
whanne
- when
Conjunction
whanne
- when
1390, John Gower, Confessio Amantis:Bot often for defalte of bondes Al sodeinliche, er it be wist, A Tonne, whanne his lye arist, Tobrekth and renneth al aboute, Which elles scholde noght gon oute […]- (please add an English translation of this quotation)
1387–1400, [Geoffrey] Chaucer, “Here Bygynneth the Book of the Tales of Caunt́burẏ”, in The Tales of Caunt́bury (Hengwrt Chaucer; Peniarth Manuscript 392D), Aberystwyth, Ceredigion: National Library of Wales, published c. 1400–1410], →OCLC, folio 2, recto:Whan that Auerill wt his shoures soote / The droghte of march hath ꝑced to the roote / And bathed euery veyne in swich lycour / Of which v̄tu engendred is the flour […]- When that April, with its sweet showers / Has pierced March's drought to the root / And bathed every vein in fluid such that / with its power, the flower is made
1407, The Testimony of William Thorpe, pages 40–41:Maister Ion Aston taughte and wroot acordingli and ful bisili, where and whanne and to whom he myghte, and he vsid it himsilf, I gesse, right perfyghtli vnto his lyues eende.- Master John Aston taught and wrote accordingly and really busily, where, when, and to whoever he wanted, and he used it himself, I take it, very well until the end of his life.
Descendants
References
Etymology 2
Verb
whanne
- Alternative form of wonnen: simple past plural of winnen