Langimage
English

who

|who|

A1

/huː/

identity inquiry

Etymology
Etymology Information

'who' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'hwā', where 'hw-' meant 'who'.

Historical Evolution

'hwā' changed from Old English to Middle English as 'who', and eventually became the modern English word 'who'.

Meaning Changes

Initially, it meant 'who', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.

Meanings by Part of Speech

Pronoun 1

used to introduce a clause giving further information about a person or people previously mentioned.

The woman who called yesterday is my aunt.

Synonyms

Pronoun 2

used to ask about the identity of a person or people.

Who is coming to the party?

Synonyms

Idioms

Last updated: 2025/01/11 11:35