whence
Also found in: Legal, Wikipedia.
whence
(wĕns, hwĕns)adv.
1. From where; from what place: Whence came this traveler?
2. From what origin or source: Whence comes this splendid feast?
conj.
1. Out of which place; from or out of which.
2. By reason of which; from which: The dog was coal black from nose to tail, whence the name Shadow.
[Middle English whennes : whenne, whence (from Old English hwanon; see kwo- in Indo-European roots) + -es, genitive sing. suff.; see -s3.]
Usage Note: The construction from whence has been criticized as redundant since the 1700s. It is true that whence incorporates the sense of from: a remote village, whence little news reached the wider world. But from whence has been used steadily by reputable writers since the 1300s, among them Shakespeare, John Milton, Jane Austen, and the translators of the King James Bible: "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help" (Psalms). Such a respectable precedent makes it difficult to label the construction, which is fairly rare and very formal in any case, as incorrect.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
whence
(wɛns)adv
from what place, cause, or origin?
pron
(subordinating) from what place, cause, or origin
[C13 whannes, adverbial genitive of Old English hwanon; related to Old Frisian hwana, Old High German hwanan]
Usage: The expression from whence should be avoided, since whence already means from which place: the tradition whence (not from whence) such ideas flowed
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
whence
(ʰwɛns, wɛns)adv.
1. from what place?: Whence comest thou?
2. from what source, origin, or cause?: Whence has he wisdom?
conj. 3. from what place, source, cause, etc.: He told whence he came.
[1250–1300; Middle English whennes, whannes=whanne (by syncope from Old English hwanone whence) + -s -s1]
usage: Although sometimes criticized as redundant on the grounds that “from” is included in the meaning of whence, the idiom from whence is old in the language, well established, and standard: She finally settled in Paris, from whence she bombarded us with letters and postcards. Among its users are the King James Bible, Shakespeare, Dryden, and Dickens. The parallel construction from thence occurs infrequently. Both are easy to avoid if desired.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
| Adv. | 1. | whence - from what place, source, or cause |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Translations
من أيْن؟
hvorfra
d’oùoù
honnan?
hvaîan
ne yüzdennereden
whence
[wens] ADV1. (poet) (= from where) → de donde; (interrog) → ¿de dónde?
2. (frm) (= from which) → por lo cual; (= therefore) → y por consiguiente
whence I conclude that → por lo cual concluyo que ...
whence I conclude that → por lo cual concluyo que ...
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
whence
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
when
(wen) adverb at what time(?). When did you arrive?; When will you see her again?; I asked him when the incident had occurred; Tell me when to jump.
(wən, wen) conjunction1. (at or during) the time at which. It happened when I was abroad; When you see her, give her this message; When I've finished, I'll telephone you.
2. in spite of the fact that; considering that. Why do you walk when you have a car?
whence (wens) adverb from what place or circumstance (?); from where (?).
whenˈever adverb, conjunction1. at any time that. Come and see me whenever you want to.
2. at every time that. I go to the theatre whenever I get the chance.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.