whoso, pron. arch.
(ˈhuːsəʊ)
Forms: see who and so: also 2–3 hwa se, hwase, (2 wa se), 3 hw(a)o se, Orm. whas(e, 3–5 wo se, 4 Sc. quha se, (woys), 4–5 whos, 4–6 whose, hose, 5 Sc. quhais, (9 dial. whos').
[ME. wha swa, hwa se, reduced form of OE. swá hwá swá, generalized form of hwá who: see so adv. 17 d.]
1. = whoever 1: Any (one) who.
| 1154 O.E. Chron. (Laud MS.) an. 1135 Wua sua bare his byrthen gold & sylure, durste nan man sei to him naht bute god. c 1200 Ormin 677 Whas itt iss þatt wæpnedd iss wiþþ fulle trowwþe o Criste. c 1205 Lay. 3657 Wha swa wulle libba, alde þas sibba. [c 1275 Wo so wole libbe holde þus sibbe]. Ibid. 22307 Wha swa [c 1275 wose] come gladliche he sculden wurðe riche. ? 12.. in Kemble Cod. Dipl. V. 236 Ho so hit beo ðæt ðis my dede in oðere wise hit buturne oðer ȝewanye. a 1225 Ancr. R. 46 Et uhtsonge schal siggen hwo se con Domine labia mea. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 6253 Ofte wo so coueiteþ al, al leseþ. 13.. Cursor M. 5829 (Gött.) Qua sua wil noght trou þe first, To trow þe toder him es best. c 1330 King of Tars 894 And hose nil not cristned be Hong hem heighe uppon a tre. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) iii. 10 Wha so weddes ofter þan anes, þaire childer er bastardes. c 1400 Destr. Troy 5551 Wo so staris on þis story, or stodis þerin, Take hede on þe harmys & the hard lures! 1498 in J. Bulloch Pynours (1887) 57 And quhais doys in the contrar..salbe punist. 1522 More De quat. Noviss. Wks. 73/2 Now whoso seeth not, that his laughter is more madde than the laughter of the mad man, I hold him madder than they both. 1539 Bible (Great) John vi. 54 Whoso eateth my flesshe & dryncketh my bloude, hath eternall lyfe. 1607 Shakes. Timon v. i. 212 Who so please To stop Affliction, let him take his haste. 1667 Milton P.L. ix. 724 This Tree, That whoso eats thereof, forthwith attains Wisdom. 1727 Pope, etc. Art of Sinking 118 Whoso loseth his place..hath forfeited his share in publick praise. a 1825 Forby Voc. E. Anglia s.v., Whos' wull may do that. 1859 Whittier On a Prayer-Book 12 Let whoso can before such praying-books Kneel on his velvet cushion. 1883 Whitelaw Sophocles, Antigone 35 Whoso does this deed, A public death by stoning is his doom. 1891 Conan Doyle White Company xxxvii, The last stern welcome to whoso should join with them. |
2. = whoever 2: No matter who; † in early use often with mere unemphatic conditional force: If any one, if one.
| c 1300 Beket (Percy Soc.) 35 Woldestou,..ho so it wolde bede the, Tholie deth for thi Louerdes love? 13.. E.E. Allit. P. C. 5 For quo-so suffer cowþe syt, sele wolde folȝe. c 1475 Rauf Coilȝear 675 With Dosouris to the duris dicht, quha sa wald deme. 1876 Morris æneids viii. 122 ‘Come forth’, he said, ‘whoso ye be’. |