English

whether

/ˈwɛðə(ɹ)/
Introduces a simple indirect question (without a correlative).

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    Origin

    From Middle English whether, whather, from Old English hweþer, hwæþer, from Proto-West Germanic *hwaþar, from Proto-Germanic *hwaþeraz, comparative form of *hwaz (“who”). Cognate with North Frisian weđer (“if, whether”), German weder (“neither”), Swedish var (“each, every”), Icelandic hvor (“each of two, which of two”).

    From Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    Lineage

    • rootProto-Indo-European*kʷ-
    • inheritedMiddle Englishwhether
      • inheritedOld Englishhweþer
        • inheritedProto-West Germanic*hwaþar
          • inheritedProto-Germanic*hwaþeraz

    Related: North Frisian weđer, German weder, Swedish var, Icelandic hvor

    Sources