▪ I. † whatkin, n. Obs. rare—1.
[f. what D. 1 + -kin.]
A little ‘something’; a minute particle.
| 1674 N. Fairfax Bulk & Selv. 112 It self [sc. a leasting or atom] being an unthroughfaresom whatkin. |
▪ II. † ˈwhatkin, -kins, a. Sc. and north. dial. Obs.
(Sometimes as two words.) Forms: see what pron. and kin n.1; also 5 what skynnes.
[f. what a.1 + kin n.1 6 b. In later use Sc.; cf. what'n.]
1. Interrogative or exclamatory: Of what kind; what kind or sort of; what.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 963 Tell me..Howgat and wit quatkin⁓thing, I sal couer þi saghteling. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. A. 771 Quat-kyn þyng may be þat lambe, Þat þe wolde wedde vnto hys vyf? 13.. Gosp. Nicodemus (G.) 28 We wate wele Ioseph was a wright,..and mari vs menes his moder hight, we, whatkin goddes er þise? c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) xvi. 76 If ȝe will wit whatkyn letters þai vse, here ȝe may here þam. c 1425 Wyntoun Cron. ii. Prol. 1 Now haf ȝhe herd on qwhatkyn wyse I haf contenyt þis tretyis. c 1475 Rauf Coilȝear 592 Quhat kin a fallow was that ane? 1561 Winȝet Bk. Questions Wks. (S.T.S.) I. 60 Quha declaris expreslie quhatkin a faith thai haif in God. |
| β 13.. Cursor M. 3687 (Gött.) ‘Sir,..þi mete es graid.’ ‘And quatkines mete?’ ‘sir, venisun.’ Ibid. 10442 Ne wate þu noght..Quatkines a fest it es to day? a 1450 Myrc Par. Pr. 1526 Take gode hede on hys de-gre, Of what skynnes lyuynge þat he be. 1457 Harding Chron. in Engl. Hist. Rev. (1912) Oct. 751 To spye..whatkyns passage wer for an hoste to ryde. |
2. Relative: That kind of..which, such..as; usually in generalized sense (sometimes with so or soever): Whatever.
| a 1300 E.E. Psalter lv. 10 [lvi. 9] In what-kin dai I cal the nou, Loke, I knew that mi God art þou. c 1380 Wyclif Sel. Wks. III 515 Men clepid men of holi Chirche may..do what kynne sinne, what kynne tresoun, likeþ hem. 1435 Misyn Fire of Love i. vii. 14 Slike one & so grete he is, whatkyns or so mykill none odyr is, no neuer may be. a 1450 Myrc Par. Pr. 210 On what skynnes maner so hyt be wroȝt, Dedly synne hyt ys forthe broght. |