wherefore, wherefor, adv. (n.)
(ˈhwɛəfə(r)), (hwɛəˈfɔː(r))
Forms: α. 2–3 hwarfore, 3 waruore, quor-fore, 4 quar-fore, quer-fore, huervore, werfore, 4–5 warfore, 4–7 wherfore, 5 wharfore, wher-ffore, qw(h)erf(f)ore, Sc. qwharfore, 5–6 Sc. quharfore, 6 Sc. quhairfore. β. 3 werefore, ware uore, 4 warefore, where-fore, 5 wharefore, qwereffore, Sc. quharefore, 6 Sc. quherefore, 5– wherefore. γ. 4 wharfor, quarfor, querfor, 4–5 warfor, 4–6 Sc. quharfor, 5 werfor, qwer for, 5–6 wherf(f)or, 6 Sc. qwarfor, quhairfoir, 6–8 Sc. quhairfor, 7 Sc. quherfoer. δ. 4 quere-for, 6, 9 wherefor.
[f. where 15 + for prep. Cf. Du. waarvoor, ON. hvar fyrir, MSw. hvarfore, Sw. varfor, Da. hvorfor, G. wofür. For the spellings cf. therefore.]
I. Interrogative uses.
For the dependent or indirect interrogative use, and its distinction from the relative, cf. what A. I.**
1. For what? esp. for what purpose or end? (Often scarcely distinguishable from 2.)
| c 1200 Vices & Virtues 45 Þu finst feawe ðe wile ȝiuen ðe ani þing, bute hie witen hwarfore. a 1300 Cursor M. 1296 Seth þen sette him spell o-nend And tald him warfor þat he was send. 13.. Ibid. 1734 (Gött.), He teld þat resun to mani a man, Quarfor he suilk a schip bigan. 1476 Stonor Papers (Camden) II. 12 (MS.) I vnderstonde there schalle be a gret Counsell, whereffore I wat nere. 1555 in Feuillerat Revels Q. Mary (1914) 199 As herunder the partyes names and somes of monye due and wherfore perticlerly ensue. 1590 Shakes. Com. Err. iii. i. 40 E. Ant... Open the dore. S. Dro. Right sir, Ile tell you when, and you'll tell me wherefore. Ant. Wherefore? for my dinner. 1593 ― Rich. II, ii. iii. 122 Wherefore was I borne? 1667 Milton P.L. iv. 657 But wherfore all night long shine these..? 1846 A. Marsh Fr. Darcy xxix, Here I am—wherefore come, I have to learn. |
2. For what cause or reason? on what account? why? (Freq. with ellipsis; often coupled with why for emphasis.)
| c 1230 Hali Meid. 15 Þe feondes flan fleoð awei aȝain on him seluen, and loke hwarfore. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 1632 Iacob calde ðat stede betel; Quor-fore he it dede, he wiste wel. c 1325 Metr. Hom. 31 His felau thoht herof ferly, And asked him quarfor and qui. 1423 Jas. I Kingis Q. ii, As I lay In bed allone waking,..Fell me to mynd of many diuerse thing, Off this and that; can I noght say quharfore. 1535 Coverdale 2 Sam. xii. 23 Now that it is deed, wherfore shulde I fast? 1585 Jas. I Ess. Poesie (Arb.) 54 Ze may maruell paraventure, quhairfore I sould haue writtin in that mater. 1663 Butler Hud. i. i. 8 Whose honesty they all durst swear for, Though not a man of them knew wherefore. 1781 Cowper Truth 12 Hard lot of man—to toil for the reward Of virtue, and yet lose it! Wherefore hard? 1809 Malkin Gil Blas x. ix. (Rtldg.) 362 You..ran away..without leaving me word why or wherefore. 1853 Dickens Bleak Ho. xx, If he be ever asked how, why, when, or wherefore, he shuts up one eye and shakes his head. 1873 Longfellow Michael Ang. i. iv, But wherefore should I jest? |
II. Relative uses.
3. For which. Now distinguished by stress and spelling (whereˈfor).
† without anything wherefore, without a return or equivalent; † to do wherefore, to make a return, give an equivalent.
| 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 7526 Willam hit sende hire vaire inou wiþoute eny þing ware uore. 1377 [see whereby 2]. a 1400 in Engl. Gilds (1870) 353 No wollemongere..ne may habbe no stal in þe heye-stret of Wynchestre bote he do war-fore. c 1400 Rule St. Benet (prose) 27/22 Þa þat serue sal ta yeme til þam þat etes, þat tay haue na defaute of þat tay sal haue, wharfore þai make na noise. 1530 Tindale Answ. More iii. i. Wks. (1573) 304/1 That we be bounde to beleue the church in thinges, wherefore they haue no scripture. 1551 Crowley Pleas. & Payne 62, I..gaue you that wherefore ye sought. 1599 Shakes. Hen. V, v. ii. 1 Peace to this meeting, wherefore we are met. 1913 Act 3 & 4 Geo. V c. 20 §118 (1) (d) All sums (not exceeding..one hundred pounds) due in respect of compensation under the Workmen's Compensation Act, 1906, the liability wherefor accrued before the said date. |
4. On account of or because of which; in consequence or as a result of which. Chiefly with n. (esp. reason or cause) as antecedent. arch.
| c 1250 Kent. Serm. in O.E. Misc. 28 Gode werkes þet bieth þo offringes..werefore se christenman..of-seruet þo blisce of heuene. a 1300 Cursor M. 10784 Þar es resuns..Quar-for godd wald sco spused were. 1340 Ayenb. 45 Greate blasfemies of god and of his halȝen hueruore god him wreþeþ. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) xxxii. 145 Þou schall fynd na thing with vs wharfore þou schuld werray apon vs. 1474 Caxton Chesse i. iii. (1883) 13 The causes wherfore this playe was founden ben thre. 1495 Liber Festivalis v iij/2, I denounse..all tho that purchasen lettres of ony lordes courte wherfore letynge is made in cristen courte. 1597 Hooker Eccl. Pol. v. lxiii. §1 The true reason wherfore Christ doth loue belieuers is because their belief is the gift of God. 1829 Southey Sir T. More II. 187 The reason is sufficiently manifest wherefore a preference for republican institutions should hitherto have been shown. |
5. Introducing a clause expressing a consequence or inference from what has just been stated: On which account; for which reason; which being the case; and therefore. (Now always ˈwherefore.)
| a 1300 Cursor M. 16806 Þen com word to sir pilat..Of all thingez þat by-fell, Wharfor he wex radd. 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 1194 Whar-for worldes worshepe may be cald Noght elles. 1456 Sir G. Haye Law Arms (S.T.S.) 232 This barne is all innocent.., quharefore he aw nocht to be grevit. c 1500 Melusine 361 And ryght forth said geffray, ‘I chalenge the, wherfor deffende the.’ 1500–20 Dunbar Poems xxviii. 15 Sowtaris, with schone weill maid and meit, Ȝe mend the faltis of ill maid feit, Quhairfoir to Hevin ȝour saulis will fle. c 1620 A. Hume Brit. Tongue (1865) 10 Quherfoer in this case I wald commend to our men the imitation of the greek and latin. 1766 Goldsm. Vic. W. xxii, I could not continue a silent spectator of her distress: wherefore, assuming a degree of severity in my voice and manner [etc.]. 1842 Tennyson Morte d'Arthur 248 More things are wrought by prayer Than this world dreams of. Wherefore, let thy voice Rise like a fountain for me night and day. 1882 Besant All Sorts xxix, A person, you see, is an individual, or an indivisible thing. Wherefore, let us not despise our neighbour. |
† b. Followed by soever: For whatever reason; on whatever account. Obs. rare.
| c 1230 Hali Meid. 61 Sone so þu telles te betere þen an oðer—beo it hwerfore se hit eauer beo,..þu marres ti meidenhad. c 1530 Ld. Berners Arth. Lyt. Bryt. lxxv. (1814) 331 He is in a great study, wherfore so euer it be. 1587 Golding De Mornay xxxii. (1592) 514 But come they once in Question, wherefore soeuer it bee, let them not escape. |
III. 6. as n. A question beginning with wherefore, or (more usually) the answer to such question; cause, reason. Often following why similarly used.
| 1590 Shakes. Com. Err. ii. ii. 45 Ant. Shall I tell you why? S. Dro. I sir, and wherefore; for they say, euery why hath a wherefore. 1624 Fletcher Rule a Wife iii. i, Such as are understanding in their draughts, And dispute learnedly the whyes and wherefores. 1641 ‘Smectymnuus’ Vind. Answ. xiii. 144 But let him first answer our Therefores, and wee will quickly answer his Wherefores. 1719 Ramsay To Arbuckle 6 [He] disna care for A how, a what way, or a wherefore. 1838 Dickens O. Twist xxxi, They will have the why and the wherefore, and will take nothing for granted. 1884 A. S. Swan Dor. Kirke xiv, I am carried back to the days when I rebelled and demanded the wherefore of all God's dealings with me. |