what

Meanings

1. 1
   det

   Which, especially which of an open-ended set of possibilities.

   What colour are you going to use?

2. 2
   det

   Which.

   I wonder what colour he is going to use.

3. 3
   det

   Any ... that; all ... that; whatever.

   He seems to have lost what sense he had.

4. 4
   det

   Emphasises that something is noteworthy or remarkable in quality or degree, in either a good or bad way; may be used in combination with certain other determiners, especially 'a', less often 'some'.

   This shows what beauty there is in nature.

5. 5
   pron

   Which thing, event, circumstance, etc.: used in asking for the specification of an identity, quantity, quality, etc.

   Hammer in that nail —What with? I didn't bring my set of tools.

6. 6
   pron

   That which; those that; the thing(s) that.

   He knows what he wants and what to do to get it.

7. 7
   pron

   Anything that; all that; whatever.

   I will do what I can to help you.

8. 8
   pron

   That; which; who.

   Look! It's that bloke again what was 'ere yesterday!

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *kʷ- Proto-Indo-European *kʷís Proto-Germanic *hwat Proto-West Germanic *hwat Old English hwæt Middle English what English what From Middle English what, from Old English hwæt (“what”), from Proto-West Germanic *hwat, from Proto-Germanic *hwat (“what”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷód (“what”), neuter form of *kʷós (“who”). Cognate with Scots what, whit (“what”), North Frisian wat (“what”), Saterland Frisian wat (“what”), West Frisian wat (“what”), Dutch wat (“what”), Low German wat (“what”), German was (“what”), Danish hvad (“what”), Norwegian Bokmål hva (“wh…