▪ I. † whenne, when, adv., conj. Obs.
Forms: α. 1 hwanone, 3 hwanene, whanene, wanene, hweonene, wheonene, wenene, whonene, whonnene, wonene, (whænnenen). β. 2 hwonne, 3 hweonne, whone, wanne, 3–5 whenne, 4 Sc. quhene. γ. 1 hwanon, -an, -un, hwonan, -on, 3 hwannen, whannen, -in, wannen, wanen. δ. 1 huona, hwona. ε. 4 wen, wan, north. quen, Sc. quhen, 4–5 when. See also whyne.
[OE. hwanone, hwanon, hwonan = OS. hwanon, -en, whence (nêthwanen from somewhere or other), OHG. (h)wanana, wanân, wannen (MHG. swannen = *sô wannen sô whencesoever): a derivative of the interrog. stem χwa- who, what, as hen, henne (= hence) is of χi- he, and thenne, then (= thence) of þa-.]
1. interrog. = whence 1, 2.
| Beowulf 333 Hwanon feriᵹeað ᵹe fætte scyldas? Ibid. 2403 Hæfde þa ᵹefrunen, hwanan sio fæhð aras. c 888 ælfred Boeth. v. §3 Wast þu hwonan ælc wuht cume? c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Luke i. 43 Unde hoc mihi ut ueniat mater domini mei ad me, huona [Rushw. hwona; Ags. hwanun; Hatton hwanen] ðis me þætte cyme moder drihtnes mines to me? a 1000 Gosp. Nicod. iv. (Thwaites) 2 Hwanone sceoldest þu specan on Hebreisc? c 1200 Vices & Virtues 69 Ic ðe warni..ðat tu..understande and lierne fastliche ða ȝekyndes of sinnes, hwannen and hwanne hie cumen. c 1205 Lay. 1430 Whonene [c 1275 Wanene] beo ȝe cnihtes? Ibid. 6193 He..hæhte heom suggen wannen heo weoren. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 2407 He esste hom wanen [v.r. of wanne] hi were & wo him þider broȝte. 13.. Guy Warw. (A.) 1724 Gij..seyd, ‘wen comestow, pilgrim?’ 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. xii. 75 He..asked him after, Of when þat he were. c 1380 Sir Ferumb. 2547 ‘Ihesu lord’, quaþ Olyuere; ‘fro wan comeþ al þis gold?’ 1390 Gower Conf. I. 265 Of Envie noman knoweth Fro whenne he cam bot out of helle. a 1425 Cursor M. 13929 (Trin.) Whenne he shal com shal noon knowe. 1483 Cath. Angl. 416/1 Whenne, vnde. |
2. rel. or conj. = whence 3, 4.
| c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Matt. xviii. 25 Þa he næfde hwanon he hyt agulde. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 61 Parais, from hwonne þe engles a-dun follon. c 1205 Lay. 2034 He hire sette name on..to munien his ikunde whone he icomen weore. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 4298 Toward þe wode wanene [v.r. fram wanne] hii come þe brutons gonne to fle. 1390 Gower Conf. I. 212 To..go..To Rome, whenne that sche cam. |
b. Qualified by ever: = whencesoever.
| 1390 Gower Conf. I. 156 He which was a Bacheler, Mi fader, is now mad a Pier; So whenne as evere that I cam, An Erles dowhter now I am. c 1440 Ipomydon 497 Where [v.r. when] he euer come or what he is. |
▪ II. whenne, whennes, -us
obs. ff. when, whence.