how so
Word Rarity
Common
Frequency: 6.06 in modern English
11
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
2
Syllables
4
Unique Chars
Meaning
phrase
How?; In what way?
phrase
Why?; For what reason?
adv
Why; For what reason.
adv
Used as an intensifier.
Example Sentences
- "The city of Melbourne has much more culture than Sydney. ― How so?"
- "I'm feeling really depressed. ― How so?"
- "But how so thys money was lent or gyded, at thys daye the cheste remayneth in the chamber of London, wythout money or pledges for the same."
- "But we have groaned over this experience, an O ! dear ! with every breath, and wished ourselves out of it, someway, somehow, no matter what way or how so we were rid of it."
- "Of every wit somewhat he can Out-take that him lacketh rule, His own estate to guide and rule; How so it stood of his speaking, He was not wise in his doing;"
- "Yet how so ere I love, I must be wife."
Etymology
From ellipsis of "how is that so?", and also continuing Middle English how-so, hou-so, hu se (“however, in whatsoever way”). Compare West Frisian hoesa (“how so, why”), Dutch hoezo (“how so, why”), German Low German woso (“how so, why”), German wieso (“how so, why”), Swedish hurså (“how so”). By surface analysis, how + so.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: how-so