 | ThisProto-Germanic entry containsreconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directlyattested, but are hypothesized to have existed based oncomparative evidence. |
FromProto-Indo-European*kʷos,*kʷís(“interrogative pronoun”).[1]
*hwaz
The feminine forms were likely already rare: they do not survive anywhere outside Gothic, and are obsolescent even there. They were used only when the person being asked about was known to be female. For a person of unknown gender, the masculine forms were used.
| singular | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| masculine | feminine | neuter | |
| nominative | *hwaz | *hwō | *hwat |
| accusative | *hwanǭ | *hwǭ | *hwat |
| genitive | *hwes | *hwezōz | *hwes |
| dative | *hwammai | *hwezōi | *hwammai |
| instrumental | *hwē,*hwī,*hwō | *hwezō | *hwē,*hwī,*hwō |