what

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what

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From Middle English what, from Old English hwæt (“what”), from Proto-West Germanic *hwat, from Proto-Germanic *hwat (“what”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷód (“what”), neuter form of *kʷós (“who”).

Cognate with Scots what, whit (“what”), North Frisian wat (“what”), Saterland Frisian wat (“what”), West Frisian wat (“what”), Dutch wat (“what”), Low German wat (“what”), German was (“what”), Danish hvad (“what”), Norwegian Bokmål hva (“what”), Swedish vad (“what”), Norwegian Nynorsk kva (“what”), Icelandic hvað (“what”), Latin quod (“what, which”).

• (General American)
  • (wine–whine merger) enPR: wŭt, IPA^(key): /wʌt/, (sometimes also in General American) /wɑt/

    • Audio (US, stressed form, wine–whine merger):

      (file)

  • (without the wine–whine merger) enPR: hwŭt, IPA^(key): /ʍʌt/

    • Audio (US, stressed form, without the wine–whine merger):

      (file)

  • (unstressed form) IPA^(key): (flapped) , (glottalized)

    • Audio (US, unstressed form, flapped, wine–whine merger):

      (file)

    • Audio (US, unstressed form, glottalized, wine–whine merger):

      (file)

• (UK, New Zealand, New York City)
  • (wine–whine merger) enPR: wŏt, IPA^(key): (glottalized) /wɒt/

    • Audio (UK, wine–whine merger):

      (file)

    • Audio (New York City, glottalized, wine–whine merger):

      (file)

  • (without the wine–whine merger) enPR: hwŏt, IPA^(key): /ʍɒt/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /wɔt/
• (Canada) IPA^(key): /wʌt/
  • (Dialectal) IPA^(key): /hɒt/
• (General South African) enPR: wŏt, IPA^(key): /wɑt/, /wɜt/
• (Singapore) IPA^(key): /wʌt/, (as a particle) , (now rare) /ʍʌt/
• Homophones: Watt, watt, wot (all only in British, Australian, New Zealand, New York City accents with the wine–whine merger)
• Rhymes: -ɒt, -ʌt

what

1. (interrogative) Which, especially which of an open-ended set of possibilities.

   What colour are you going to use?

   What time is it?

   What kind of car is that?

   Did you buy the groceries? — With what money? We barely have any left.

2. (indirect interrogative) Which.

   I wonder what colour he is going to use.

   I know what colour I am going to use.

   That depends on what answer is received.

3. (relative) Any ... that; all ... that; whatever.

   He seems to have lost what sense he had.

   What money I earn is soon spent.

   • 1860 December – 1861 August, Charles Dickens, chapter III, in Great Expectations , volume I, London: Chapman and Hall, , published October 1861, →OCLC, page 40:

     He crammed what little food was left, into the breast of his grey jacket.

4. Emphasises that something is noteworthy or remarkable in quality or degree, in either a good or bad way; may be used in combination with certain other determiners, especially 'a', less often 'some'.

   This shows what beauty there is in nature.

   You know what nonsense she talks.

   I found out what a liar he is.

   1. (exclamative) Used to form exclamations indicating that something is remarkable, in either a good or bad way.

      Synonym: such

      What nonsense!

      Wow! What a speech.

      What beautiful children you have.

      With what passion she sings!

      • Little Red Riding Hood, traditional folk tale

        “Oh Granny, what big eyes you have,” said Little Red Riding Hood.

In cases where both "what" and "which" are possible, with similar meaning, "what" is preferred for open-ended choices, while "which" is preferred for choices from a closed group or set. For example, "Which one of these do you want?" not "What one of these do you want?".

As used to begin an exclamation, what and such are largely interchangeable, with a few exceptions:

• Nouns modified by such need not appear at the beginning of the sentence: She sings with such passion.
• such requires that the noun phrase it modifies be gradable in some way. Such a disaster! is acceptable because a disaster may be minor or major in degree, but Such a movie! is not (except with the unusual meaning that the movie under discussion has especially "movie-like" qualities).

how is another word used at the beginning of a sentence to form an exclamation (How quickly he ran!), but it modifies different syntactic elements (verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and certain determinatives).

what

1. (interrogative) Which thing, event, circumstance, etc.: used in asking for the specification of an identity, quantity, quality, etc.

   Hammer in that nail —What with? I didn't bring my set of tools.

   What is your name?

   My kids set the neighbor's cat on fire. —They did what?

   Ask them what they want.

   What d’you say that made him so angry?

   I’ve broken the exhaust manifold gasket. - You’ve broken the what?

   • 2016, VOA Learning English (public domain)

     The gym is across from … what? — The gym is across from the lounge. — Across from the lounge. Right. Thanks!

2. (fused relative) That which; those that; the thing(s) that.

   He knows what he wants.

   What is amazing is his boundless energy.

   And, what's even worse, I have to work on Sunday too.

   What is astonishing, she doesn't want the job. -What’s even more staggering, neither of her friends does either.

3. (fused relative) Anything that; all that; whatever.

   I will do what I can to help you.

   What is mine is yours.

4. (relative, nonstandard) That; which; who.

   'Ere! There's that bloke what I saw earlier!

   • 1887, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, A Study in Scarlet, page 60:

     "I'll tell it ye from the beginning," he said. "My time is from ten at night to six in the morning. At eleven there was a fight at the 'White Hart'; but bar that all was quiet enough on the beat. At one o'clock it began to rain, and I met Harry Murcher—him who has the Holland Grove beat—and we stood together at the corner of Henrietta Street a-talkin'. Presently—maybe about two or a little after—I thought I would take a look round and see that all was right down the Brixton Road. It was precious dirty and lonely. Not a soul did I meet all the way down, though a cab or two went past me. I was a strollin' down, thinkin' between ourselves how uncommon handy a four of gin hot would be, when suddenly the glint of a light caught my eye in the window of that same house. Now, I knew that them two houses in Lauriston Gardens was empty on account of him that owns them who won't have the drains seen to, though the very last tenant what lived in one of them died o' typhoid fever. I was knocked all in a heap therefore at seeing a light in the window, and I suspected as something was wrong. When I got to the door——"

   • 1902, J. M. Barrie, The Admirable Crichton:

     That’s her; that’s the thing what has stole his heart from me.

   • 2017, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2:

     For, it is a name what strikes fear in the heart of anyone what hears it.

what (not comparable)

1. (interrogative) In what way; to what extent.

   What does it matter?

   What do you care?

2. Used before a prepositional phrase to emphasise that something is taken into consideration as a cause or reason; usually used in combination with 'with' (see what with), and much less commonly with other prepositions.
   • 1787, Henry St. John, Lord Viscount Bolingbroke, Letters on the Study and Use of History: A Letter to Sir William Windham, page 83:

     In short; what by the indiscretion of people here, what by the rebound which came often back from London, what by the private interests and ambitious views of persons in the French court, and what by other causes unnecessary to be examined now, the most private transactions came to light [...]

   • 1815, Rev. Mr. Milne, letter reprinted in The Evangelical Magazine and Missionary Chronicle, Volume 23, page 82.

     The Chinese of all ranks, and in every place, received my books gladly, and listened with patience to what I had to say about the true God.—So that what from opportunities of attending to the object of my Mission among the Chinese—what from seasons of religious instruction to Dutch and English—what from intercourse with gentlemen of education and knowledge of the world—what from occasions of stating clearly the object of Missions, and of endeavouring to remove prejudices against them—and what from the view of a highly cultivated country, happy under an enlightened and liberal government, I have much reason to be satisfied with this journey

what

1. An expression of surprise or disbelief.

   What! That’s amazing!

   wait this song is so good whattt

   • c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):

     What, have his daughters brought him to this pass?

2. What do you want? An abrupt, usually unfriendly enquiry as to what a person desires.

   What? I'm busy.

3. (British, colloquial, dated) Clipping of what do you say? Used as a type of tag question to emphasise a statement and invite agreement, often rhetorically.

   It’s a nice day, what?

   • 1918, Denis Garstin, The Shilling Soldiers‎, London: Hodder and Stoughton, page 83:

     “That’s riled them,” said my compaion. “Good work, what?”

   • 1991 May 12, “Kidnapped!”, in Jeeves and Wooster, Series 2, Episode 5:

     Chuffy: WHAT? No, no, no, no, no. My casa is your casa, what?

4. What did you say? I beg your pardon? This usage is often considered impolite, with the more polite "Pardon?" or "Excuse me?" preferred.

   — Could I have some of those aarrrrrr mmmm ...
   — What?

5. Indicating a guess or approximation, or a pause to try to recall information.

   I must have been, what, about five years old.

• wha
• wat

• (colloquial British interjection): what-what, wot
• (what did you say?): come again, pardon; see also Thesaurus:say again

what (countable and uncountable, plural whats)

1. (obsolete, uncountable) Something; thing; stuff.
   • 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book VI, Canto IX”, in The Faerie Queene. , London: [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 7:

     They prayd him sit, and gave him for to feed / Such homely what as serves the simple clowne, / That doth despise the dainties of the towne […]

2. (countable) The identity of a thing, as an answer to a question of what.
   • 2005, Norman K. Denzin, Yvonna S. Lincoln, The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research, page 493:

     The emphasis on the interplay between the hows and whats of interpretive practice is paramount.

3. (countable) Something that is addressed by what, as opposed to a person, addressed by who.
   • 2012, "We Are Both", season 2, episode 2 of Once Upon a Time

     Regina: What are you?

     Rumplestiltskin: What? What? What? My, my, what a rude question! I am not a what.

what

1. (Manglish, Singlish) Emphasizes the truth of an assertion made to contradict an evidently false assumption held by the listener.

   Pitch contour: low , low-dipping

   — Sian sia, nearby here don’t have library.
   — The National Library is a five-minute walk from here what, no meh?

   • 1978, L. C. Cheong, Youth in the Army, page 142:

     Most things come from Europe what.

   • 1989, Eleanor Wong, Jackson on a Jaunt, or, Mistaken Identities, page 8, lines 5–9:

     Susan: Jalan Sultan, ah? Quite far from Jurong, you know. I may not be able to get there on time.
     Jackson: […] I’ll tell Beng Huat to wait for you, lah. It’s not that far, what.

   • 2007, yansimon52, soc.culture.singapore (Usenet):

     […] they can't be the same what?

   • 2007, Elangovan, P, Singapore, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 85‒86:

     I told him to go to Woodlands to buy durian for me. He came back and said no durian. But he some more said-ah, he got see people selling durian in Bukit Timah. I ask him-ah. Why you never buy from Bukit Timah. On your way what.

   • 2009, Jean Tay, Boom, Epigram Books, →ISBN, Act I, scene ii, page 21:

     boon: […] You want to go see snow or not, Ma?
     mother: See for what? I open freezer can see already what.
     boon: Not the same, lah… Imagine snowflakes drifting down, melting when they touch your skin. […]

   • 2024, Jojo Chia, Afternoon Yuan Yang Club, Epigram Books, →ISBN:

     Aiyah, we will always chat or message what... We’ll keep in touch lah, hor?

Only used at the end of sentences.

• (Singlish particles): ah, hor, know, lah, leh, liao, lor, mah, meh, one, sia

• Low, Ee Ling, Brown, Adam (2005) English in Singapore: An Introduction, →ISBN
• Kuteva, Tania, Rhee, Seongha, Ziegeler, Debra, Sabban, Jessica (2018) “On sentence-final “what” in Singlish: Are you the Queen of England, or what?”, in Journal of Language Contact‎

• HAWT, Thaw, Wath, hawt, thaw, wath

• What

From clipping of English WhatsApp.

what

1. (Hong Kong Cantonese) to WhatsApp; to send via WhatsApp

From Old English hwæt, from Proto-West Germanic *hwat, from Proto-Germanic *hwat, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷód.

• whad, whote, watte, wath, wad, qhat
• whæt, whæht, waht, waet, wæht, weht, hweat (Southern West Mid)

• IPA^(key): /ʍat/, /wat/

what

1. what

• English: what
• Scots: what, whate, whit, whut, wha', quhat, quat, fat, faht, phat, fit, fut, fout, at
• Yola: faade, fhaade, faad, fade, f'ad

what

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1. Why.
   • 1387–1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, “The Sompners Tale”, in The Canterbury Tales, , →OCLC; republished in [William Thynne], editor, The Workes of Geffray Chaucer Newlye Printed, , : [Richard Grafton for] Iohn Reynes , 1542, →OCLC:

     What shulde I tel the answere of the knyght?

     Why should I tell the answer of the knight?

   • 1641 May, John Milton, Of Reformation Touching Church-Discipline in England: And the Cavvses that hitherto have Hindred it; republished as Will Taliaferro Hale, editor, Of Reformation Touching Church-Discipline in England (Yale Studies in English; LIV), New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1916, →OCLC:

     But what do I stand reckoning upon advantages and gains lost by the misrule and turbulency of the prelates?

2. Used to introduce each of two coordinate phrases or concepts; both...and...
   • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, “primum”, in Le Morte Darthur, book III:

     And as for on C good knyghtes I haue my self / but I fawte / l / for so many haue ben slayne in my dayes / and so Ladegreans delyuerd his doughter Gweneuer vnto Merlyn / and the table round with the C knyghtes / and so they rode fresshly with grete royalte / what by water and what by land / tyl that they came nyghe vnto london

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

• Yola: fad

• “what, pron.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
• “what, adv. & conj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

what

1. Alternative form of whate

From Middle English what, from Old English hwæt, from Proto-West Germanic *hwat. Cognates include English what and Yola faade.

• whate, whit, whut, wha', quhat, quat, fat, faht, phat, fit, fut, fout, at

• IPA^(key): , , , , ^[1]
• (Shetland) IPA^(key): ^[1]

what

1. (interrogative) what?
2. (relative) that, which

what

1. (interrogative) how?
2. (interrogative) why?
3. (relative) as, than, how
4. (exclamatory) how!

what

1. (interrogative) what?
2. (relative) what, which
3. (exclamatory) what a lot of! how many!

From Middle English whetten, from Old English hwettan, from Proto-West Germanic *hwattjan. Cognates include English whet.

• whatt

• IPA^(key): ^[2]

what (third-person singular simple present whats, present participle whatin, simple past whatt, past participle whatt)

1. (transitive) to whet, hone, sharpen

From Middle English whetten, from Old English hwettan, from Proto-West Germanic *hwattjan.

• IPA^(key): /hwat/

what

1. to whet
   • 1867, “ABOUT AN OLD SOW GOING TO BE KILLED”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 1, page 106:

     A skudhelès, lhaung roosta, wull glaude leth aam what.

     The knives, that were long rusty, well-pleased let them whet.

• Jacob Poole (d. 1827) (before 1828) William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, published 1867, page 78