Wiktionary

wherefore

English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Middle English wherfor, wherfore, hwarfore, equivalent to where- (“what”) +‎ for. Compare Dutch waarvoor (“what for, wherefore”), German wofür (“for what, what for, why”), Danish and Norwegian hvorfor (“wherefore, why”), Swedish varför (“wherefore, why”). More at where, for.

Pronunciation

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  • enPR: wâ(r)'fô(r)", hwâ(r)'fô(r)", IPA(key): /ˈwɛə(ɹ)ˌfɔː(ɹ)/, /ˈʍɛə(ɹ)ˌfɔː(ɹ)/
  • (obsolete) enPR: hwûr'fôr", IPA(key): /ˈʍɜːɹˌfɔːɹ/[1]
  • Rhymes: -eə(ɹ)fɔː(ɹ)
  • Hyphenation: where‧fore

Adverb

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wherefore (not comparable)

  1. (conjunctive, interrogative, archaic) Why, for what reason, because of what.
  2. (conjunctive, indicative, archaic or formal) Therefore; thus.
    • 1830, Joseph Smith Jr., chapter 4, in The Book of Mormon‎[2], Jacob:
      For behold, by the power of his word man came upon the face of the earth, which earth was created by the power of his word. Wherefore, if God being able to speak and the world was, and to speak and man was created, O then, why not able to command the earth, or the workmanship of his hands upon the face of it, according to his will and pleasure?
    • 2010 March 17, House of the United States, House Resolution 1031‎[3]:
      Wherefore, Judge G. Thomas Porteous, Jr., is guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors and should be removed from office.

Usage notes

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A common misconception is that wherefore means where; it is occasionally so used in retellings of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet—often for comedic effect. In Romeo and Juliet, the meaning of “Wherefore art thou Romeo?” (Act II, scene ii, line 33) is not “Where are you, Romeo?” but “Why are you Romeo?” (“Why do you have to be a Montague?”, that is, a member of the family which was feuding with Juliet’s family).[2]

Derived terms

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See also

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Here-, there-, and where- words
Pronominal adverbs
about abouts across after again against along among amongst anent[3] around as at beit beside between beyond by ever for fore forth forward forwards from hence inabove inafter inbefore inbelow inelsewhere insoever into inunder mid[4] of on out over so soever somedever[5] somever[5] through throughout to tofore unto up upon ward wards with withal within without
hence — — — henceafter — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — henceforth henceforward henceforwards hencefrom — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
here hereabout hereabouts — hereafter — hereagainst — hereamong hereamongst hereanent — — hereat — — — — hereby — herefor herefore hereforth hereforward hereforwards herefrom herehence hereinabove hereinafter hereinbefore hereinbelow hereinelsewhere hereinsoever hereinto hereinunder heremid hereof hereon hereout hereover — heresoever — — herethrough herethroughout hereto heretofore hereunto — hereupon — — herewith herewithal herewithin —
hither — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — hitherto — hitherunto — — hitherward hitherwards — — — —
how — — — — — — — — — — — — — howbeit — — — however — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — howso howsoever howsomedever howsomever — — — — — — — — — — — — —
thence — — — thenceafter — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — thenceforth thenceforward thenceforwards thencefrom — — — — — — — — — — — — thenceout — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
there thereabout thereabouts thereacross thereafter thereagain thereagainst therealong thereamong thereamongst thereanent therearound — thereat — therebeside therebetween therebeyond thereby therever therefor therefore thereforth — — therefrom therehence thereinabove thereinafter thereinbefore thereinbelow — — thereinto thereinunder theremid thereof thereon thereout thereover — theresoever — — therethrough therethroughout thereto theretofore thereunto thereup thereupon — — therewith therewithal therewithin therewithout
thither — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — thitherinsoever — — — — — — — — — — — — — thitherto — — — — thitherward thitherwards — — — —
what — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whatever — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whatso whatsoever whatsomedever whatsomever — — — — — — — — — — — — —
when whenabout whenabouts — — — — — — — — — whenas — — — — — — whenever — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whenso whensoever — whensomever — — − — − — — − − — — — —
whence — — — whenceafter — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whencever — — whenceforth whenceforward — whencefrom — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whenceward whencewards — — — —
where whereabout whereabouts — whereafter — whereagainst wherealong whereamong whereamongst whereanent wherearound whereas whereat — wherebeside wherebetween wherebeyond whereby wherever wherefor wherefore whereforth — — wherefrom wherehence whereinabove whereinafter whereinbefore whereinbelow — whereinsoever whereinto whereinunder wheremid whereof whereon whereout whereover whereso wheresoever — wheresomever wherethrough wherethroughout whereto wheretofore whereunto whereup whereupon — — wherewith wherewithal wherewithin wherewithout
whither — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whitherever — — — — — — — — — — — — whitherinsoever — — — — — — — whitherso — — — — — whitherto whithertofore — — — whitherward whitherwards — — — —
why — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whyever whyfor — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whyso whysoever — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
  1. ^ Jespersen, Otto (1909) A Modern English Grammar on Historical Principles (Sammlung germanischer Elementar- und Handbücher; 9)‎[1], volumes I: Sounds and Spellings, London: George Allen & Unwin, published 1961, § 4.36, page 124.
  2. ^ Gary Martin (1997–) “O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?”, in The Phrase Finder, retrieved 26 February 2017.
  3. ^ Scottish
  4. ^ from Middle English mid
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 old dialectal form

Conjunction

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wherefore

  1. (archaic) Because of which.
    • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Isaiah 30:12–13, column 1:
      Wherefore, thus ſaith the holy one of Iſrael, Becauſe ye deſpise this word, and truſt in oppreſſion and peruerſeneſſe, and ſtay thereon: Therefore this iniquitie ſhalbe to you as a breach ready to fall, ſwelling out in a high wall, whoſe breaking commeth ſuddenly at an inſtant.
    • 1914 October – 1916 July, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Mucker, Chicago, Ill.: A[lexander] C[aldwell] McClurg & Co., published 31 October 1921, →OCLC:
      Wherefore it was that by the time the authorities awoke to the fact that something had happened Billy Byrne was fifty miles west of Joliet, bowling along aboard a fast Santa Fe freight.

Translations

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Noun

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wherefore (plural wherefores)

  1. An intent or purpose; a why.
    • c. 1594 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Comedie of Errors”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii], page 88, column 2:
      Ant[ipholus of Syracuse]. Shall I tell you why? / S. Dro. [Dromio of Syracuse] I, ſir, and wherefore; for they ſay, euery why hath a wherefore.
    • 1905, Lord Dunsany [i.e., Edward Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany], The Gods of Pegāna, London: [Charles] Elkin Mathews, […], →OCLC:
      Let Us make one to seek, to seek and never to find out concerning the wherefore of the making of the gods.
    • 1996, Richard Bausch, Good Evening Mr. & Mrs. America, and All the Ships at Sea, page 72:
      They want their money without reference to the hows and wherefores.

Derived terms

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See also

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Here-, there-, and where- words

References

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