whereof, adv. Now formal or arch.
(hwɛərˈɒv)
[f. where 15 + of prep. Cf. (M)Sw. hveraf, Da. hvoraf; Du. waarvan.]
I. interrog. Of what.
1. † a. in various obsolete senses of of: esp. From what source, whence; to what purpose, what..for; for what reason, wherefore.
| c 1200 Ormin 2931 He sahh þatt ȝho wiþþ childe wass, & nisste he nohht whæroffe. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 3530 Hu he sulen maken Ðe tabernacle, and wor-of taken Ðe gold, and siluer. a 1300 Cursor M. 9687 Quar-of serues ani a-sise Of sothfastnes, or of iustise, Bot for to yeme þe pes in land. c 1400 Pety Job 283 in 26 Pol. Poems 130 Wherof than shulde I presume To be hygh-herted or lyghtly wroth? 1528 More Dyaloge iv. Wks. 273/2 Wherof shal reason serue if man had no power of himself towarde the direccion of his own workes? 1579–80 North Plutarch (1595) 19 marg., Manipulares whereof so called. |
b. in various current senses of of.
| c 1400 26 Pol. Poems 64 Where-of is mad al mankynde? c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) xxxiii. 150 Whare off þe wall es made, can na man tell. c 1400 Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton) v. i. (1859) 71, I not what to asken, ne wherof for to speke. 15.. in Dunbar's Poems (S.T.S.) II. 310 Thus wait I nocht quhairof to wryte. 1596 Shakes. Merch. V. i. i. 4 What stuffe 'tis made of, whereof it is borne, I am to learne. 1605 ― Lear i. iv. 312 Now Gods that we adore, Whereof comes this? 1667 Milton P.L. vii. 64 To know..how this World..first began, When, and whereof created. 1755 Johnson s.v., Whereof was the house built? |
II. rel. Of which.
2. a. From or out of which (as source or origin, in the way of result or consequence, liberation or privation, etc.), whence (of I–III).
| a 1225 Ancr. R. 12 Auh hwarse wummon liueð oðer mon bi him one..of þincges wiðuten hwarof scandle ne kume, nis nout muche strencðe. c 1275 Lay. 26090 Telle of þine cunne war of þou hart ispronge. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. iv. 60 A cours of kynde wher-of we comen alle. 1481 Caxton Godfrey ccix. 305 The holy sepulcre where he laye deed in, and out wherof he aroos fro deth to lyf. 1562 Turner Herbal ii. 96 b, [Polygala] hath sede besyde euery lefe, wherof it is called the male. 1567 Satir. Poems Reform. iv. 5 The ruite quhair of I did spring. 1611 Bible Deut. xxviii. 27 The itch, whereof thou canst not bee healed. 1613 W. Cowper Holy Alph. 236 Wherof we learn, that..if when we haue fallen, we rise & repent, it is euer to be imputed to God that teacheth vs. 1688 Holme Armoury iii. 259/2 By Avoir-du-pois Weight is weighed..all things whereof comes waste. |
b. Of which material substance (of VII).
| a 1300 Cursor M. 368 Þe mater of þe four elements..Quar of was serenes siþen scapen. 1594 T. B. La Primaud. Fr. Acad. ii. 49 That matter whereof Kernels are made. c 1620 A. Hume Brit. Tongue (1865) 10 These and al other diphthonges I wald counsel the teacheres not to name be the vouales quherof they are maed. 1667 Milton P.L. vi. 518 Mineral and Stone, Whereof to found thir Engins. 1794 R. J. Sulivan View Nat. I. 107 The pre-existent..matter whereof bodies are formed. |
3. For, by reason of, because of, or on account of which; wherefore (of 13, 14). Chiefly in constructional dependence on certain classes of words.
| a 1325 MS. Rawl. B. 520 lf. 80 b, Send .iiij.i. chosene kniȝttes..to seon were he be sik ware of he soined him of sik bedde. 1411 Rolls of Parlt. III. 650/2, I knowe wele that I haue failled..yow,..wherof I beseke yow of grace and mercy. 1484 Caxton Fables of Auian xi, [He] oughte to doo good..wherof other may preyse hym. c 1489 ― Sonnes of Aymon iii. 106 He knewe well that they were of his faders folke. Werof he was full sory for it. a 1533 Ld. Berners Huon lxii. 215 Huon gaue her a ryche gyft, wherof humbly she thanked hym. 1539 Bible (Great) Ps. cxxvi. 3 The Lorde hath done greate thynges for vs all ready, wherof we reioyse. 1606 Shakes. Tr. & Cr. i. iii. 139 The Feauer, whereof all our power is sicke. 1618 Southampton Crt. Leet Rec. (1907) iii. 544 The wall..is much impared & verye daungerous whereof wee desier the same to be amendyd verye speedelye. |
4. By means of which, with which, whereby, wherewith (of VI). Obs. or rare arch. exc. with full, etc. (= of which).
Also with ellipsis of antecedent as obj. of a vb.: = that by which, that with which: cf. wherewith 2 b. wherewithal 2 b.
| 1340 Ayenb. 119 Þise byeþ þe graces huer-of he wes al uol. 1377 [see whereby 2]. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) Pref. 2 For þe whilk land ilke a gude Cristen man þat may, and has wharoff, suld enforce him for to conquere oure right heritage. c 1450 Mirk's Festial 4 Ȝe hadden ynogh wherof to haue fed me. 1585 T. Washington tr. Nicholay's Voy. iv. xxxi. 154 [They] kept their wyues..vnder lock and key, for feare least they should gette of theyr neyghbours, whereof sometymes theyr iealous husbandes could not furnish them. c 1592 Marlowe Jew of Malta iii. iv, Borgia's wine, Whereof his sire..was poyson'd. 1607 Shakes. Timon iv. iii. 194 Dry vp thy Marrowes, Vines, and Plough-torne Leas, Whereof ingratefull man..greases his pure minde. |
5. a. About or concerning which; in regard to or in respect of which (of VIII, IX, XI).
In quot. c 1400 ellipt. or as comp. rel. = in that in respect of which.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 1624 Als it in noe flod be-fell, Quare of i sal yow siþen tell. c 1400 Rom. Rose 2311 Where of that thou be vertuous, Ne be not straunge ne daungerous. 1526 Tindale Acts xvii. 19 Thys newe doctrine wher off thou speakest. 1560 T. Wilson Rhet. Prol. to Rdr., That I was in farther perill, then wherof I was aware. 1585 T. Washington tr. Nicholay's Voy. i. xvii. 19 b, He had vnderstanding, that the Frigate..was of Malta, whereof he thought very straunge. 1611 Bible 1 John iv. 3 This is that spirit of Antichrist, whereof you haue heard, that it should come. 1672 Marvell Corr. Wks. (Grosart) II. 408 We shall now shortly come to a good issue. Whereof therefore you may please to advertise your worthy Society. 1742 H. Walpole Let. to Mann 25 Sept., Our Duke goes..they say, to marry a Princess of Prussia, whereof great preparations have been making. 1868 Morris Earthly Par. (1870) I. i. 382 More precious gifts..Whereof not e'en in dreams they could have thought. |
b. Phr. to know whereof one speaks (or writes, etc.): to know what one is talking about, to speak from experience.
| 1922 H. Van Loon Story of Mankind xliii. 256 He [sc. Erasmus] had travelled a great deal and knew whereof he wrote. 1967 R. Stein Great Cars 165/1 Ettore Bugatti knew whereof he spoke when he advised people griping about hard starting to keep their cars in heated garages. 1975 Publishers Weekly 24 Mar. 42/2 Fischer has been a lifelong reporter on public affairs and was on LBJ's Commission on Rural Poverty, so he knows whereof he writes. |
6. Of which, in objective senses (of X).
| 1469 Bury Wills (Camden) 50 In wittenesse qwherof I haue set to myn seele. 1561 T. Norton Calvin's Inst. i. To Rdr., Whereof I geue to the godly reders a new profe in this setting fourth of this boke. 1592 Shakes. Ven. & Ad. 880 Like one that spies an adder,..iust in his way, The feare whereof doth make him shake, & shudder. 1647 Clarendon Hist. Reb. i. §18 In dispensing whereof, he was guided more by the rules of Appetite, than of Judgement. 1676 Ray Corr. (1848) 123 Reputation (to the vanity of any affectation whereof I desire to be wholly mortified). 1827 Hood Plea Mids. Fairies xxxv, We be the handmaids of the Spring, In sign whereof, May..Hath wrought her samplers on our gauzy wing. |
7. Of which or whom, in partitive sense (of XIII).
Also with ellipsis of antecedent as obj. of a vb.: = some or something of which (of 45).
| c 1390 in Rel. Ant. II. 54 To han wherof to spenden on these myraclis. 1459 Paston Lett. I. 473, xiij. spones, wherof oon is gilt, weiyng xvij. unces. 1535 Coverdale Gen. iii. 11 Hast thou not eaten of the tre, wherof I commaunded the, y{supt} thou shuldest not eate? 1593 Shakes. Rich. II, i. ii. 11 Edwards seuen sonnes (whereof thy selfe art one). 1610 ― Temp. v. i. 38 The greene sowre Ringlets..Whereof the Ewe not bites. 1667 Milton P.L. ii. 584 Lethe the River of Oblivion.., whereof who drinks, Forthwith his former state and being forgets. 1726 Swift Gulliver ii. vii, Civil Wars, the last whereof was happily put an end to by this Prince's Grandfather. 1827 Lytton Pelham lxix, I presume that you have many titles, whereof some are more grateful to your ears than others. 1865 Dickens Mut. Fr. i. iv, The two bottles: whereof one held Scotch ale and the other rum. |
8. Of which, in possessive and related senses (of XIV).
| a 1400–50 Wars Alex. 4380 Þe faire floryscht filds of floures & of herbys, Quare-of þe breth as of bawme blawis in oure noose. 1554 in Strype Eccl. Mem. (1721) III. App. xvii. 43 By reason wherof we affirm Purgatory..to be the Doctrin of Antichrist. 1576 Turberv. Venerie xxviii. 72 You shal seke the hart in heaths and broomie places, wherof they then delight to crop the flowers and toppes. 1661 J. Childrey Brit. Baconica 23 Bodmin..hath one street..on the South side whereof it hath a great high hill. 1753 Stewart's Trial 219 In the eyes of those tenants whereof he had assumed to be protector. 1821 Scott Kenilw. xviii, Dangerous sickness, the issue whereof is in the will of Heaven. 1882 Besant All Sorts xxxiii, All that work for your grandfather whereof you now sweetly reap the benefit. |
† 9. To which, whereto (of 58). Obs. rare—1.
| 1659 J. Leak Waterwks. 25 Let there be a water wheel to the Axtree, whereof let there be fastned a Wheel of thirty six Teeth or more. |
Hence † where-ˈoffen adv., in quot. in sense 5.
| c 1450 Lovelich Grail xxxvii. 11 Where-offen they spoken ful pleyn. |