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why

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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EnglishWikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Etymology 1

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FromMiddle Englishwhy, fromOld Englishhwȳ(“why”), fromProto-Germanic*hwī(“by what, how”), fromProto-Indo-European*kʷey, instrumental case of*kʷís(“who”),*kʷid(“what”).

Cognate withOld Saxonhwī(“why”),hwiu(“how; why”),Middle High Germanwiu(“how, why”), archaicDanish andNorwegian Bokmålhvi(“why”),Norwegian Nynorskkvi(“why”),Swedishvi(“why”),Faroese andIcelandichví(“why”),Latinquī(“why”),Doric Greekπεῖ(peî,“where”),Ukrainianчи(čy,“if”),Polishczy,Czechči(“or”),Serbo-Croatianči(“if”). CompareOld Englishþȳ(“because, since, on that account, therefore, then”, literally“by that, for that”). Seethy.

Pronunciation

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Adverb

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why (notcomparable)

  1. (interrogative) Forwhatcause,reason, orpurpose.
    1. Introducing a complete question.
      Why is the sky blue?
      Why did you do that?
      I don’t knowwhy he did that
      Tell mewhy the moon changes phase.
      1. With a negative, used rhetorically to make a suggestion.
        Why don't you ask her out for dinner?
    2. Introducing a verb phrase (bare infinitive clause).
      Why spend money on something you already get for free?
      Why not tell him how you feel?
    3. Introducing a noun or other phrase.
      Why him?Why not someone taller?
  2. (relative) Forwhichcause,reason, orpurpose.
    That's the reasonwhy I did that.
  3. (fused relative) Thecause,reason, orpurpose for which.
    That iswhy the sky is blue.
    • 2013 July 20, “Welcome to the plastisphere”, inThe Economist, volume408, number8845:
      Plastics are energy-rich substances, which iswhy many of them burn so readily. Any organism that could unlock and use that energy would do well in the Anthropocene. Terrestrial bacteria and fungi which can manage this trick are already familiar to experts in the field.
Synonyms
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Translations
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(interrogative) for what reason
(relative), (fused relative)
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions atWiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

Noun

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why (pluralwhysorwhy'sorwhies)

  1. Reason.
    A good article will cover the who, the what, the when, the where, thewhy and the how.
    • 2022 May 11, Sandra E. Garcia, “Butt Lifts Are Booming. Healing Is No Joke.”, inThe New York Times Magazine‎[1]:
      Within months of leaving, she became the new owner of Dream Body Recovery in Miami, which has three rooms that can accommodate up to six clients. “Being a part of this journey with other ladies, knowing how it changed my life, that’s mywhy,” she told me.
Synonyms
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Translations
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the reason

Interjection

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why

  1. (dated or literary)An exclamation used to express pleasant or unpleasant mildsurprise, indignation, or impatience.
    Why, that’s ridiculous!
    Why, how kind of you!
    Why yes, that’s true.
Derived terms
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Terms derived from the adverb, conjunction, noun, or interjectionwhy
Translations
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exclamation of surprise

Verb

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why (third-person singular simple presentwhysorwhies,present participlewhying,simple past and past participlewhyedorwhied)

  1. (intransitive, transitive) To ask (someone) thequestion "why?".
Derived terms
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Etymology 2

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Noun

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why (pluralwhies)

  1. (Yorkshire, obsolete) Ayoungheifer.
    • 1796, William Marshall,The Rural Economy of Yorkshire:
      At two years old, also, the HEIFERS - provincially, “whies,” are generally put to the bull.

Etymology 3

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Noun

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why

  1. Alternative form ofwye;the name of theLatin-script letterY/y.
    • 1881 April, J. B. Rundell, “The Irregularities of English Spelling: what they Cost and what they are Worth”, inThe Spelling Reformer, and Journal of the English Spelling Reform Association, volume I, number10, London, page147:
      ee,why,ee,ess, eyes
    • 1996,Sycamore Review, volume 8, page116:
      eff you see kaywhy oh you.
    • 2009,Eric Barnes,Shimmer, Denver, Colo.: Unbridled Books,→ISBN, page91:
      I hear you. But hear me out, all right? Because I mean what I’m about to say. Eff-you-see-kay-why-oh-you. Fuck you.
    • 2016, Daniel DiPrinzio, “Come Quickly”, inThe Great Stone Robbery or A Parade of Idiots,→ISBN, page184:
      Like many folks do when taking medicine past its expiration date, Jerry had questioned its effectiveness. The pill had answered with a resoundingwhy ee ess, and Jerry couldn’t tell between the Custom Costume in his pocket and himself.
    • 2016,Rachel Cohn,David Levithan,The Twelve Days of Dash & Lily, Electric Monkey,→ISBN,page73:
      Miss said, “Love your outfit, bee-tee-double-u.” It took me a second to realize she meant “btw.” “Is it vintage?” / I looked down at my school uniform. Fudgsicles. “Tee-why,” said Jahna, for “ty.” “Andwhy-ee-ess yes!”
Derived terms
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References

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Further reading

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Anagrams

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Cornish

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Alternative forms

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  • hwi(Standard Written Form)

Etymology

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FromProto-Celtic*swīs (compareBretonc’hwi,Welshchi,Old Irishsíi), fromProto-Indo-European*wos.

Pronunciation

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Pronoun

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why

  1. (Standard Cornish, Standard Written Form with Traditional Graphs)you(formal or plural)
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