whether
/ˈwɛðə(ɹ)/
Word Rarity
Common
Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.32 in modern English
16
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
conj
Introduces a simple indirect question (without a correlative).
conj
Indicates doubt between possibilities (usually with correlative or).
conj
Introduces a disjunctive adverbial clause qualifying the main clause (with correlative or).
det
Which of two.
Obsolete
pron
Which of two.
Obsolete
Example Sentences
- "Whether we'll be on time I'm unsure."
- "Do you know whether he's coming?"
- "He chose the correct answer, but whether by luck or by skill I don't know."
- "I can't decide whether to get divorced now or wait."
- "As a political system democracy seems to me extraordinarily foolish,[…]. My servant is, so far as I am concerned, welcome to as many votes as he can get.[…]I do not suppose that it matters much in reality whether laws are made by dukes or cornerboys, but I like, as far as possible, to associate with gentlemen in private life."
- "The incident immediately revived the debate about goal-line technology, with a final decision on whether it is introduced expected to be taken in Zurich on 5 July."
Etymology
From Middle English whether, whather, from Old English hweþer, hwæþer, from Proto-West Germanic *hwaþar, from Proto-Germanic *hwaþeraz, comparative form of *hwaz (“who”). Cognate with North Frisian weđer (“if, whether”), German weder (“neither”), Swedish var (“each, every”), Icelandic hvor (“each of two, which of two”).
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: *kʷ-, whether, hweþer, *hwaþar, *hwaþeraz