Historical Grammar
74. Paradigm of hwā, hwæt, who, what?
Note 1.—The derivative interrogatives, hwǣðer (<*hwā-ðer), which of two? and hwilc (<*hwā-līc), which? are declined as strong adjectives (§§ 79-82).
Note 2.—The instrumental case of hwā survives in Mn.E. why = on what account; the instrumental of the definite article is seen in the adverbial the: The sooner, the better = by how much sooner, by so much better.
Note 3.—How were the Mn.E. relative pronouns, who and which, evolved from the O.E. interrogatives? The change began in early West Saxon with hwæt used in indirect questions (Wülfing, l.c. § 310,β): Nū ic wāt eall hwæt ðū woldest, Now I know all that thou desiredst. The direct question was, Hwæt woldest ðū? But the presence of eall shows that in Alfred’s mind hwæt was, in the indirect form, more relative than interrogative.
| Case | Masculine. | Neuter. |
|---|---|---|
| Sing. | ||
| N. | hwā | hwæt |
| G. | hwæs | hwæs |
| D. | hwǣm | hwǣm |
| A. | hwone | hwæt |
| I. | — | hwȳ |
Syntax & Usage — Wülfing
Loquentes translation from Wülfing. Wülfing wrote in German; the English below is a Loquentes translation. The Old English examples are Wülfing’s own and are reproduced exactly as printed. The cleaned German original follows in the collapsible block.
Seventh division. The interrogative pronouns.
A. The interrogative pronoun hwa, hwæt, which occurs only as a noun and predicatively.
1. hwa. hwa asks generally after male or female persons and usually stands alone; occasionally it appears with a partitive genitive.
308. a) hwa alone: α) in the direct question; β) in the indirect question.
309. b) hwa with a partitive genitive, as at Bo. 292, 28 and 328, 15.
2. hwæt.
310. a) hwæt asks first quite generally, or after neuter objects: α) in the direct question; β) in the indirect question.
In the indirect question, Wülfing holds, the transition to the relative meaning of Middle and Modern English is already clearly recognizable — most plainly at Bo. 370, 14, So. 193, 26 and Ps. 37, 9 — and he therefore concludes decisively that the transformation of the interrogative hwæt into the relative was already prepared in Old English. He cites Wohlfahrt (S. 53, 4) and A. Schrader (S. 20) in support.
Examples
hwa mæg hi gerisenlicor nu toworpan
hwa is þæt þe eall ða yfel . . asecgean mæge
hwa is þætte ariman mæge hwæt þær moncynnes forwearð
eala Romane hwa mæg eow nu truwian
hwa nat þæt ða wunda ðæs modes bioð digelran
hwa meahte ieð monnum rædan
eala ge ungewitfullan Galatæ, hwa gehefgade eow
hwæs onlicnesse hæfde Assael ða buton ðara þe hie´ra hatheortnes hie swiðe hrædlice on forspild gelæt
hwa mæg þam wedendan gytsere genoh forgifan
hwa mæg þonne auht oþres cweþan
hwa wæs æfre on ðis andweardan life, oþþe hwa is nu, oððe hwa wyrþ get æfter us on þisse worulde, þæt him . . . .
hwam wille ic ælles befæstan
hwa is swa wod, þæt he . . .
hwa mæg æfre ænigne creft on lytlum firste geleornian
hwa tæcð us teala, and hwa sylð us þa god þe us man gehæt
acsode . . ., hwa ða wigbed & ða heargas þara deofolgylda . . . . toweorpan scolde
þa frægn he me hwæþer ic wiste hwa þæt wære se ðe to me sprecende wæs
hu he het sumne biscep secgan on his gewill hwa his fæder wære
þeh ic hit nu scortlice secgan scyle, hwa þæs ordfruman wæron
ascode, hwone he sendan meahte
þæt he ongiete for hwæs geðyncðum ðæt folc sie genemned heord
ðæt he ongiete hwa earm sie, hwa eadig, & hwone he læran scile swæ earmne, & hwone swæ eadigne
ðæt hie geðencen, hwæs folgeras hie sindon
acsode hine swa hafde eall þæt he wolde on þisse worulde
me þincð nu þæt ic wite hwa Romeburh timbrode
ic . . . . þæt nat, hwilces cynnes ic eom ne hwa min feder wæs oððe modor
gif he nyte hwa hit stæle, geladige hine selfne
hwa wisra monna wile cweþan þæt ænig god man sie bedæled ðæs hehstan godes
hwa unlæredra ne wundraþ þæs roderes færelde & his swiftnesse
hwæt is us to sprecanne, hu hi . . .
and hwæt elles is to secanne wiþ ðam hungre nymþe andlyfen
be hwon magon we þæt witan, hwæþer he si
hwæt sprecest ðu cyning
hwæt dydest ðu
hwæt sceal ic singan
hwæt is ðonne betre
hwæt ðenceað ða þe on swelcum weorcum scinað
hwæt can ic sprecan
hwæt is nu ma ymbe ðis to sprecanne
hwæt wenest ðu
hwæt elles meahte beon getacnod ðurh Ezechiel
hwæt bewearp þe on þas care
hwæt wille we cweþan be þinum twam sunum
hwæt forstod þonne þam betestum mannum . ., þæt hi . . .
hwæt wille we nu elles secgan be ðam ðegnum
hwæt forstod seo menigu þara freonda þam deorlingum þara cyninga, oððe hwæt forstent heo ængum men
Drihten, hwæt is se mann, þe þu swa myclum amanst? oþþe hwæt is se mannes sunu, þe þu oftrædlice neosast
hwæt dyde ic unscyldega wið hi, oþþe hwæt mæg ic nu don
hwæt rohte ic hwæðer ic were gyf ic ne lyfde oððe hwæt rohte ic þæs lyfes gyf ic nawiht nyste
we magon eow sellan halwende geþeahte, hwæt ge don magon
ræddon hwæt him to donne wære
oð þæt he gesawe hwæt he him don wolde
he . . . geleornode ge hwæs he God bæd & to him wilnode, & þæt his bene gehyrede wæron
he ascade, hwæt scolde æt swa lytlum weorode mara fultum
het forbærnan þæt gewrit þe hit on awriten wæs, hwæt mon on geare agiefan scolde
nan monn nyste hwæt se gylt wæs
geþohte . . . . hwæt he hæfde Godes þeowum on oftsiþas to laðe gedon
ðonne is to geðencenne hwæt Crist self cwæð
he . . . geðencean ne can hwæt him losað
ongietað of hwæm ælc costung cymeð
hie . . ne geðenceað no hwæt he don scoldon
mon mæg ongietan of hwæm hit ærest com, & for hwæm
gehierað hwæt of ðæs wisan Salomonnes muðe wæs gecweden
gemyne, to hwæm eall mancynn gesceapen is
mon ne mæg utane on him ongietan . . . hwæt mon tæle
us is . . . to gehieranne hwæt Dryhten ðreatiende cwæð
swæ bið ðæm þe witan willað hwæt hie sellað
ic wundrige . . . hwæt þe seo oþþe hwæt þu mæne
he nat hwæt him toweard biþ
ic wene þeah þæt þu wille nu cweþan þæt þa welgan habban, mid hwam hi mægen þæt eall gebetan
englas habbaþ rihte domas & godne willan, & eall hwæt (Cott.: þæt) hi willniaþ hi begitaþ swiþe eaþe
þa answarode me sum ðing ic nat hwæt, hweðer þe ic sylf þe oðer þing
ic nat hwæd ic don sceal
ac seige nu hwæs þu earnodest
nu ic wot æall hwæt þu woldest
gehyre hwæt ic secge
þu wast nu eall hwæs ic wilnie
gif he næbbe hwæt he selle, sie he self beboht
Original German — Wülfing
Siebente Abteilung. DIE FRAGENDEN FÜRWÖRTER.
Litteratur: E. Einenkel, Syntax. § 149 in Pauls Grundriſs der Germ. Philol. I. 921 ff.
A. Das fragende Fürwort hwa, hwæt, das nur als Hauptwort und prädikativ vorkommt.
1. hwa fragt allgemein nach männlichen oder weiblichen Personen und steht meist allein, vereinzelt auch mit einem partitiven Genitiv.
308. a) hwa allein:
α) In direkter Frage: Be. 517, 1 hwa mæg hi gerisenlicor nu toworpan. Or. 42, 6 hwa is þæt þe eall ða yfel . . asecgean mæge; 50, 13 hwa is þætte ariman mæge hwæt þær moncynnes forwearð; (bei Thorpe:) 446, 1 eala Romane hwa mæg eow nu truwian. Cp. 24, 18 hwa nat þæt ða wunda ðæs modes bioð digelran; 32, 16 hwa meahte ieð monnum rædan; 164, 4, 5; 206, 15 eala ge ungewitfullan Galatæ, hwa gehefgade eow; 230, 21; 248, 14; 294, 18 hwæs onlicnesse hæfde Assael ða buton ðara þe hie´ra hatheortnes hie swiðe hrædlice on forspild gelæt; 393, 8; usw. Bo. 34, 17 hwa mæg þam wedendan gytsere genoh forgifan; 36, 25 hwa mæg þonne auht oþres cweþan; 46, 17 hwa wæs æfre on ðis andweardan life, oþþe hwa is nu, oððe hwa wyrþ get æfter us on þisse worulde, þæt him . . . .; 106, 22; 144, 6; 310, 19. So. 164, 34 hwam wille ic ælles befæstan; 176, 32 hwa is swa wod, þæt he . . .; 180, 1 hwa mæg æfre ænigne creft on lytlum firste geleornian. Ps. 4, 7 hwa tæcð us teala, and hwa sylð us þa god þe us man gehæt; 13, 11; 14, 1; 18, 11; 23, 3.
β) In indirekter Frage: Be. 516, 38 acsode . . ., hwa ða wigbed & ða heargas þara deofolgylda . . . . toweorpan scolde; 619, 38 þa frægn he me hwæþer ic wiste hwa þæt wære se ðe to me sprecende wæs. Or. 3, 13 hu he het sumne biscep secgan on his gewill hwa his fæder wære; 232, 18 þeh ic hit nu scortlice secgan scyle, hwa þæs ordfruman wæron. Cp. 48, 8 ascode, hwone he sendan meahte; 74, 7 þæt he ongiete for hwæs geðyncðum ðæt folc sie genemned heord; 182, 8 ðæt he ongiete hwa earm sie, hwa eadig, & hwone he læran scile swæ earmne, & hwone swæ eadigne; 356, 15 ðæt hie geðencen, hwæs folgeras hie sindon. Bo. VI, 22 acsode hine swa hafde eall þæt he wolde on þisse worulde. So. 204, 14 me þincð nu þæt ic wite hwa Romeburh timbrode; ebenso 17; 18 ic . . . . þæt nat, hwilces cynnes ic eom ne hwa min feder wæs oððe modor. Lc. 62, 28 gif he nyte hwa hit stæle, geladige hine selfne.
309. b) hwa mit einem partitiven Genitiv: Bo. 292, 28 hwa wisra monna wile cweþan þæt ænig god man sie bedæled ðæs hehstan godes; 328, 15 hwa unlæredra ne wundraþ þæs roderes færelde & his swiftnesse.
2. hwæt.
310. a) hwæt fragt zunächst ganz allgemein oder nach sächlichen Gegenständen.
α) In direkter Frage: Be. 489, 25 hwæt is us to sprecanne, hu hi . . .; 494, 15 and hwæt elles is to secanne wiþ ðam hungre nymþe andlyfen; 503, 2 be hwon magon we þæt witan, hwæþer he si; 540, 29 hwæt sprecest ðu cyning; 559, 18 hwæt dydest ðu; 597, 16 hwæt sceal ic singan. Cp. 42, 10 hwæt is ðonne betre; 44, 24 hwæt ðenceað ða þe on swelcum weorcum scinað; 48, 8 hwæt can ic sprecan; 58, 8 hwæt is nu ma ymbe ðis to sprecanne; 62, 1 hwæt wenest ðu; 152, 23 hwæt elles meahte beon getacnod ðurh Ezechiel. Bo. 26, 1 hwæt bewearp þe on þas care; 44, 9 hwæt wille we cweþan be þinum twam sunum; 104, 5 hwæt forstod þonne þam betestum mannum . ., þæt hi . . .; 162, 4 hwæt wille we nu elles secgan be ðam ðegnum; 164, 8 hwæt forstod seo menigu þara freonda þam deorlingum þara cyninga, oððe hwæt forstent heo ængum men. Ps. 8, 5 Drihten, hwæt is se mann, þe þu swa myclum amanst? oþþe hwæt is se mannes sunu, þe þu oftrædlice neosast (Luther: Was ist der Mensch usw.); 10, 3 hwæt dyde ic unscyldega wið hi, oþþe hwæt mæg ic nu don. So. 194, 1 hwæt rohte ic hwæðer ic were gyf ic ne lyfde oððe hwæt rohte ic þæs lyfes gyf ic nawiht nyste.
β) In indirekter Frage; in diesen Fällen ist der Übergang zur relativen Bedeutung des Me. und Ne. schon gut zu erkennen, besonders klar Bo. 370, 14; So. 193, 26; Ps. 37, 9 (s. u.), und ich glaube daher entschieden, daſs sich die Umwandlung des fragenden hwæt zum relativen schon im Ae. vorbereitet hat. Vgl. u. a. auch Wohlfahrt, a. a. O., S. 53. 4. u. A. Schrader, a. a. O., S. 20. Be. 474, 14 we magon eow sellan halwende geþeahte, hwæt ge don magon; 482, 36 ræddon hwæt him to donne wære; 486, 30 oð þæt he gesawe hwæt he him don wolde; 492, 16; 503, 40; 507, 30; 508, 17; 512, 11; 516, 22; 527, 27, 37; 531, 39; 549, 12; 559, 20 he . . . geleornode ge hwæs he God bæd & to him wilnode, & þæt his bene gehyrede wæron; 561, 7. Or. 80, 16 he ascade, hwæt scolde æt swa lytlum weorode mara fultum; 268, 23 het forbærnan þæt gewrit þe hit on awriten wæs, hwæt mon on geare agiefan scolde; 284, 4 nan monn nyste hwæt se gylt wæs; 290, 29 geþohte . . . . hwæt he hæfde Godes þeowum on oftsiþas to laðe gedon. Cp. 28, 7 ðonne is to geðencenne hwæt Crist self cwæð; 38, 1 he . . . geðencean ne can hwæt him losað; 66, 1 ongietað of hwæm ælc costung cymeð; 144, 8 hie . . ne geðenceað no hwæt he don scoldon; 240, 17 mon mæg ongietan of hwæm hit ærest com, & for hwæm; 242, 13 gehierað hwæt of ðæs wisan Salomonnes muðe wæs gecweden; 254, 19 gemyne, to hwæm eall mancynn gesceapen is; 270, 20 mon ne mæg utane on him ongietan . . . hwæt mon tæle; 314, 23 us is . . . to gehieranne hwæt Dryhten ðreatiende cwæð; 342, 22 swæ bið ðæm þe witan willað hwæt hie sellað. Bo. 16, 28 ic wundrige . . . hwæt þe seo oþþe hwæt þu mæne; 48, 21 he nat hwæt him toweard biþ; 144, 25 ic wene þeah þæt þu wille nu cweþan þæt þa welgan habban, mid hwam hi mægen þæt eall gebetan; 370, 14 englas habbaþ rihte domas & godne willan, & eall hwæt (Cott.: þæt) hi willniaþ hi begitaþ swiþe eaþe. So. 164, 26 þa answarode me sum ðing ic nat hwæt, hweðer þe ic sylf þe oðer þing; 165, 13 ic nat hwæd ic don sceal; 166, 1, 2; 171, 9 ac seige nu hwæs þu earnodest; 193, 26 nu ic wot æall hwæt þu woldest. Ps. 33, 12 gehyre hwæt ic secge; 37, 9 þu wast nu eall hwæs ic wilnie. Lc. 60, 24 gif he næbbe hwæt he selle, sie he self beboht.
Source: Johann Ernst Wülfing, Die Syntax in den Werken Alfreds des Grossen, vol. 1, pp. 424-426, §§ 308, 309, 310 (Die fragenden Fürwörter. A. Das fragende Fürwort hwa, hwæt). Scan authority: archive.org diesyntaxindenw02wlgoog; OCR extraction aid: Google Books McUqAAAAMAAJ. Translator: Loquentes. Printed edition in the US public domain.
Loquentes Practice Reference
Our drill practices hwā (who) and hwæt (what).