Proto-Indo-European

*kʷ-

‘the primary interrogative root’

Every word has its own definition in its root. These English words share one: Proto-Indo-European *kʷ-.

31 English words in this record descend from Proto-Indo-European *kʷ-, most familiar first.

• what ← hwæt ← *hwat ← *hwat ← *kʷís
• when ← when(ne) ← hwonne ← *hwannē ← *hwan
• who ← hwā ← *hwaʀ ← *hwaz ← *kʷos
• which ← hwelċ ← *hwilīkaz ← *hwaz ← *kʷos
• how ← hū ← *hwō ← *hwō ← *kʷís
• where ← wher ← hwǣr ← *hwār ← *hwar
• why ← hwȳ ← *hwiu ← *hwī ← *kʷey
• whether ← hweþer ← *hwaþar ← *hwaþeraz ← *hwaz
• whose ← whos ← hwæs ← *hwes ← *hwaz
• whom ← hwām ← *hwammai ← *hwaz ← *kʷos
• neutral ← neutrālis ← neuter ← uter ← *kʷoteros
• quantity ← quantite ← quantité ← quantitās ← quantus

More words from *kʷ-

• ubiquitous
• whence
• rapunzel
• quip
• ubiquity
• whither
• cadenza
• quiddity
• alexiteric
• cadency
• quiddle
• ubiety
• ubicity
• ubicate
• ubiquitist
• ubiquitary
• ubication
• ubiquiter
• ubiquitism

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *kʷ-