English

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Etymology

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From why +‎ ever.

Pronunciation

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Adverb

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whyever (not comparable)

  1. (interrogative) Why ever: an emphatic form of why.
    Whyever would someone do that?
  2. (uncommon) For whatever reason.
    You can use it whenever you want and whyever you want.
    • 1918, Wilson Follett, The Modern Novel: A Study of the Purpose and the Meaning of Fiction, page 79:
      Whatever we do, and whyever we do it, does not every motive originate in self, and does not every act proceed out of the individual's instinct for self-fulfilment ?
    • 1975, Steven Polgar, Population, Ecology, and Social Evolution, page 74:
      Whyever they began, there was no perceptible wolf at their door.
    • 2006, David Weber, Linda Evans, Hell's Gate:
      "And whyever they were doing it, they were the ones responsible for what happened to her and all of the rest of my friends in the first place."
  3. (uncommon) Regardless of the reason (why).
    I don't care what you want. Whyever you're here, please go away.
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Translations

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See also

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Pronominal adverbs
about abouts across after again against along among amongst anent[1] 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[2] of on out over so soever somedever[3] somever[3] 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 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. ^ Scottish
  2. ^ from Middle English mid
  3. 3.0 3.1 old dialectal form

Other emphatic forms of why: