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?