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1828.mshaffer.com › Word [which]
WHICH, pron. relative or substitute. [I have not found this word in any other language. I think it may be from the root of quick. See What and Wight.] 1. A word called a relative or pronoun relative, because it relates to another word or thing, usually to some word that precedes it in the sentence. I call it also a substitute, as it supplies the place of a noun, or of an adjective, or of a sentence or clause. 1. The garden which I cultivate, that is , the garden, which garden I cultivate. 2. We are bound to obey all the divine commands, which we cannot do without divine aid. Here which represents the words, obey the divine commands. 3. You declared him to be innocent, which he is not. Here which stands for innocent. In the foregoing uses, which is not used int eh masculine gender, that is, it does not in modern usage represent a person.2. Which is much used in asking questions, for the purpose of obtaining the designation of a particular person or thing by the answer, and in this use, it is of the masculine as well as of the neuter gender. There are two or three things to be done; which shall I do first? Which man is it?Which of you convinceth me of sin? John 8.For which of those works do ye stone me? John 10.3. That which. Take which you will, that is, take any one of the whole.The which, by the which. The use of the before which, is obsolete.
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Evolution (or devolution) of this word [which]
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WHICH, pron. relative or substitute. [I have not found this word in any other language. I think it may be from the root of quick. See What and Wight.] 1. A word called a relative or pronoun relative, because it relates to another word or thing, usually to some word that precedes it in the sentence. I call it also a substitute, as it supplies the place of a noun, or of an adjective, or of a sentence or clause. 1. The garden which I cultivate, that is , the garden, which garden I cultivate. 2. We are bound to obey all the divine commands, which we cannot do without divine aid. Here which represents the words, obey the divine commands. 3. You declared him to be innocent, which he is not. Here which stands for innocent. In the foregoing uses, which is not used int eh masculine gender, that is, it does not in modern usage represent a person.2. Which is much used in asking questions, for the purpose of obtaining the designation of a particular person or thing by the answer, and in this use, it is of the masculine as well as of the neuter gender. There are two or three things to be done; which shall I do first? Which man is it?Which of you convinceth me of sin? John 8.For which of those works do ye stone me? John 10.3. That which. Take which you will, that is, take any one of the whole.The which, by the which. The use of the before which, is obsolete. |
WHICH, pron. [If this is from the Saxon hwilc or hwylc, it is from the Gothic kweleiks, which coincides with the Latin qualis; D. welk, G. welche, welcher, Dan. hwilken, hwilket, Sw. hwilken. This is the probable origin of the word, and its true sense is that of the Latin quis, qualis, quicunque. In these senses it occurs in all Saxon books. Its proper use was as a pronoun of interrogation, “Hwylc man is of eow?” what man is there of you? Matth. vii, 9. “Hwylc is min modor?” who is my mother? Mark iii, 33. Its use for who, Saxon hwa, as in the Lord's prayer, “Our father which art in heaven,” is an improper application of the word. In its original sense it is used for all genders; as, which man, which woman, which thing? As an interrogative we still use it in this manner. Its use for who was of long continuance, but is happily discontinued; and our present practice accords with its original use in the Saxon.]- A pronoun or word of interrogation, in all genders; as, which man is it? which woman was it? which is the house?
- In reference to things, or in the neuter gender, it is a relative referring to something before mentioned; as, “God rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.” Gen. ii, 2. In some phrases, the relative may precede the noun to which it refers.
- Which, like other pronouns, may be used as a substitute for another word or for a sentence. “We are bound to obey all the divine commands, which we can not do without divine aid.” Here which is a substitute for obey all the divine commands. The man was said to be innocent, which he was not. Here which is a substitute for innocent.
- That which; those which; as, take which you will.
The which, by the which, &c. are obsolete.
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Which
- Of what sort or kind; what; what a; who.
- A interrogative pronoun, used both substantively
and adjectively, and in direct and indirect questions, to ask for, or refer
to, an individual person or thing among several of a class; as,
which man is it? which woman was it? which is the
house? he asked which route he should take; which is best, to
live or to die? See the Note under What, pron.,
1.
- A relative pronoun, used esp. in referring to an
antecedent noun or clause, but sometimes with reference to what is
specified or implied in a sentence, or to a following noun or clause
(generally involving a reference, however, to something which has
preceded). It is used in all numbers and genders, and was formerly used of
persons.
- A compound relative or indefinite pronoun,
standing for any one which, whichever, that which,
those which, the . . . which, and the like; as, take
which you will.
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Which WHICH, pronoun relative or substitute. [I have not found this word in any other language. I think it may be from the root of quick. See What and Wight.]
1. A word called a relative or pronoun relative, because it relates to another word or thing, usually to some word that precedes it in the sentence. I call it also a substitute, as it supplies the place of a noun, or of an adjective, or of a sentence or clause. 1. The garden which I cultivate, that is , the garden, which garden I cultivate. 2. We are bound to obey all the divine commands, which we cannot do without divine aid. Here which represents the words, obey the divine commands. 3. You declared him to be innocent, which he is not. Here which stands for innocent. In the foregoing uses, which is not used in the masculine gender, that is, it does not in modern usage represent a person.
2. which is much used in asking questions, for the purpose of obtaining the designation of a particular person or thing by the answer, and in this use, it is of the masculine as well as of the neuter gender. There are two or three things to be done; which shall I do first? which man is it?
WHICH of you convinceth me of sin? John 8:9.
For which of those works do ye stone me? John 10:6.
3. That which Take which you will, that is, take any one of the whole.
The which by the which The use of the before which is obsolete.
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