which

Meanings

1. 1
   det

   Used to ask about a particular one or ones from a known group.

   Which song shall we play next?

2. 2
   pron

   What one or ones of those mentioned.

   Here are two pens; which is yours?

3. 3
   pron

   Used to add extra information about a thing already mentioned.

   I dropped the glass, which broke into pieces.

4. 4
   pron

   Used to identify the particular thing being talked about.

   This is the letter which I received yesterday.

From Middle English which, hwic, wilche, hwilch, whilk, hwilc, from Old English hwelċ (“which”), from Proto-Germanic *hwilīkaz (“what kind”, literally “like what”), derived from *hwaz. By surface analysis, who + like. Cognates include Scots whilk (“which”), West Frisian hokker (“which”), Dutch welk (“which”), Low German welk (“which”), German welcher (“which”), Danish hvilken (“which”), Swedish vilken (“which”), Norwegian hvilken (“which”), Icelandic hvílíkur (“which”).

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