▪ I. † whon1, interrog. and rel. pron. Obs.
Forms: 1–3 hwon, hwan, 3 whan, wan.
[OE. hwon, used as instrumental case of hwæt what.]
In dependence on a prep. = What, which; esp. in for whon = because of what or which, why, wherefore.
| c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Matt. vi. 31 Quo operiemur, of huon we biðon wriᵹen. c 1000 Guthlac 244 Bi hwon scealt ðu lifᵹan? a 1122 O.E. Chron. (Laud MS.) an. 1104 He wið þone cyng ᵹeworhte, for hwan hine se cyng ealles benæmde. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 191 Þe ne hauen mid hwan hie hem werien. c 1205 Lay. 2679 Maidene castel he wes icleoped, nat ich for wan it was swa idon. a 1250 Owl & Night. 716 Wostu to hwan man wes ibore? To þare blissi of heue[n]ryche. c 1275 Passion our Lord 49 in O.E. Misc. 38 Mvchel volk hym vulede, wyte ye for hwon. |
▪ II. † whon2, n. and a. Obs.
Forms: 1 hwon, huon, 3 whon, wan, 4 qu(h)on(e, 4–6 quhoyn(e.
[OE. hwón, the instrumental case of which, hwéne, is represented by wheen. After c 1200 the word is exclusively northern.]
Few, a few.
Construed in OE. (i) as a n. or an adv. with dependent genitive, (ii) as an adj. (indeclinable), in ME. as an adj. and absol., (iii) as an adv. = a little, a little while (see b, c).
| c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Mark p. 3/18 De septem panibus et paucis pisciculis, of seofa hlafum & hwon lytle fiscas. c 1000 Sax. Leechd. II. 32 Ᵹenim pipor..& hwon sealt. Ibid., Do huniᵹes hwon to. a 1300 Cursor M. 17285 Þaa quon þat heild wit þe þair-witt. Ibid. 19495 O quoner þan o thre, Mai na biscop sacrid be. 13.. Ibid. 19782 (Gött.) He bad þa men be all vte-done, Þat in þat hus left bot a quone [Cott. a fon]. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xxiv. (Alexis) 265 Certis, now are fundine quhon Þat in þat manere wald haf done. 1375 Barbour Bruce xi. 49 We ar quhoyne agayne sa fele. 1513 Douglas æneis x. i. 38 A few wordis on this wys Jupiter said. Bot nocht in quhoyn wordis him answer maid The fresch goldyn Venus. |
b. na whon (= OE. náteshwón, ná tó þæs hwón), not at all.
| c 1205 Lay. 13203 Nusten þa Bruttes na whon whæt Vortiger hæfde idon. |
c. a litel wan (= OE. l{yacu}thwón): a little while.
| c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 69 Þole me louerd alitelwan þat ich bimurne mi sor, er ich wite to þe þestere wunienge. |
▪ III. whon
obs. form of when, var. wone.
▪ IV. whon, whone
obs. forms of one.
| 1482 Cely Papers (Camden) 103 He sent whon of hys clarkys. 1530 Tindale Lev. xv. 18 Yf a woman lye with soche a whone. |