Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/hwaz

This Proto-Germanic entry contains reconstructed words and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Germanic

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *kʷos, *kʷis.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /xʷɑz/

Pronoun

*hwaz

(interrogative) who, what
(interrogative, in genitive) whose
(interrogative, in dative) whom
(interrogative, in instrumental) with whom, with what, how, in what way

Inflection

The feminine forms were likely already rare: they do not survive anywhere outside Gothic, and are obsolescent even there. They were used only when the person being asked about was known to be female. For a person of unknown gender, the masculine forms were used.

Declension of *hwaz (irregular)

	masculine	feminine	neuter
	singular
nominative	*hwaz	*hwō	*hwat
accusative	*hwanǭ	*hwǭ	*hwat
genitive	*hwes	*hwezōz	*hwes
dative	*hwammai	*hwezōi	*hwammai
instrumental	hwē, hwī, *hwō	*hwezō	hwē, hwī, *hwō

Derived terms

Related terms

Descendants

Old English: hwā, hū
- Middle English: who, how
  - Scots: wha, what, hoo, fa, foo
  - English: who, what,
Old Frisian: hwā, hwet
- Saterland Frisian: wäl, wät, wo
- West Frisian: wa, wat
Old Saxon: hwē, hwat
- Low German: we (regional), wen (regional), wo, wat
Old Dutch: wie
- Middle Dutch: wie
  - Dutch: wie
  - Limburgish: wae
Old High German: wēr, waz, wiu
- Middle High German: wer, waz, wie
  - Cimbrian: bèar, bas, bia
  - German: wer, was, wie
  - Yiddish: ווער‎ (ver), וואָס‎ (vos), ווי‎ (vi)
Old Norse: *hver, *hvar, hverr (paradigm merged with *hwarjaz), hvat, hví, hvé
- Icelandic: hver, hvað, hví
- Faroese: hvør, hvat, hví
- Norwegian: hvem (from the dative), hva, hvis (from the genitive), hvi, hvo (archaic)
- Norwegian: kven (from the accusative), kva, kvi (poetic, dialectal)
- Old Swedish: hvar, hwar, hwo; hvat
  - Swedish: vem (from the dative), vad; vi, ho (archaic)
- Danish: hvem (from the dative), hvad, hvis (from the genitive), hvi, hvo (archaic)
- Jamtish: hut, hvuð, horreg
- Westrobothnian: hvo, hwem, wåm, ho, hȯrä, huri, hyri
Gothic: 𐍈𐌰𐍃 (ƕas), 𐍈𐌰 (ƕa), 𐍈𐌴 (ƕē)

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