was
German (Berlin)
/vas/
pronoun
Definitions
- (interrogative) what
- (relative) which (referring to the entire preceding clause)
- (relative) that, which (referring to m
- (relative) that, which (referring to neuter singular nouns, instead of standard m
- (indefinite) something, anything (instead of standard m
Etymology
Inherited from Middle High German waz inherited from Old High German waz inherited from Proto-Germanic *hwat (what) inherited from Proto-Indo-European *kʷod.
Origin
Proto-Indo-European
*kʷod
Gloss
Timeline
Distribution of cognates by language
Geogrpahic distribution of cognates
Cognates and derived terms
- anywhat English
- elsewhat English
- everwhat English
- mostwhat English
- muchwhat English
- nighwhat English
- nowhat English
- otherwhat English
- somewhat English
- what English
- whatchoo English
- whatever English
- whath English
- whatness English
- whatnot English
- whatsoever English
- whatth English
- you-know-what English
- quod Latin
- jawadde Dutch, Flemish
- wablief Dutch, Flemish
- wat Dutch, Flemish
- *kʷod Proto-Indo-European
- *kʷod, *kʷód Proto-Indo-European
- *kʷód Proto-Indo-European
- *hwat Proto-Germanic
- *hwaz Proto-Germanic
- hwæt Old English
- what Middle English
- hvat Old Norse
- hvad Danish
- wat Middle Dutch
- waz Old High German
- wat Afrikaans
- waz Middle High German
- וואָס Yiddish
- *hwat gmw-pro
- wat Old Dutch
- bas Cimbrian
- baz Cimbrian
- hwat Old Saxon
- waas Alemannic German
- kad Lithuanian
- hwet Old Frisian
- ablif Papiamentu
- wataim Tok Pisin
- ferwas Pennsylvania German
- was Pennsylvania German
- was Hunsrik
- wot Kriol