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whatmore about what

what


  3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  What  \What\,  pron.,  a.,  &  adv  [AS.  hw[ae]t,  neuter  of  hw[=a] 
  who  akin  to  OS  hwat  what  OFries  hwet,  D.  &  LG  wat,  G. 
  was  OHG.  waz,  hwaz  Icel.  hvat,  Sw  &  Dan.  hvad,  Goth.  hwa. 
  [root]182.  See  {Who}.] 
  1.  As  an  interrogative  pronoun,  used  in  asking  questions 
  regarding  either  persons  or  things  as  what  is  this?  what 
  did  you  say?  what  poem  is  this?  what  child  is  lost? 
 
  What  see'st  thou  in  the  ground?  --Shak. 
 
  What  is  man,  that  thou  art  mindful  of  him?  --Ps. 
  viii.  4. 
 
  What  manner  of  man  is  this  that  even  the  winds  and 
  the  sea  obey  him!  --Matt.  viii. 
  27. 
 
  Note:  Originally,  what  when  where  which  who  why,  etc., 
  were  interrogatives  only,  and  it  is  often  difficult  to 
  determine  whether  they  are  used  as  interrogatives  or 
  relatives.  What  in  this  sense  when  it  refers  to 
  things  may  be  used  either  substantively  or 
  adjectively;  when  it  refers  to  persons,  it  is  used  only 
  adjectively  with  a  noun  expressed,  who  being  the 
  pronoun  used  substantively. 
 
  2.  As  an  exclamatory  word: 
  a  Used  absolutely  or  independently;  --  often  with  a 
  question  following.  ``What  welcome  be  thou.'' 
  --Chaucer. 
 
  What  could  ye  not  watch  with  me  one  hour? 
  --Matt.  xxvi. 
  40. 
  b  Used  adjectively,  meaning  how  remarkable,  or  how 
  great;  as  what  folly!  what  eloquence!  what  courage! 
 
  What  a  piece  of  work  is  man!  --Shak. 
 
  O  what  a  riddle  of  absurdity!  --Young. 
 
  Note:  What  in  this  use  has  a  or  an  between  itself  and  its 
  noun  if  the  qualitative  or  quantitative  importance  of 
  the  object  is  emphasized. 
  c  Sometimes  prefixed  to  adjectives  in  an  adverbial 
  sense  as  nearly  equivalent  to  how  as  what  happy 
  boys! 
 
  What  partial  judges  are  our  love  and  hate! 
  --Dryden. 
 
  3.  As  a  relative  pronoun: 
  a  Used  substantively  with  the  antecedent  suppressed, 
  equivalent  to  that  which  or  those  [persons]  who  or 
  those  [things]  which  --  called  a  compound  relative. 
 
  With  joy  beyond  what  victory  bestows.  --Cowper. 
 
  I'm  thinking  Captain  Lawton  will  count  the  noses 
  of  what  are  left  before  they  see  their 
  whaleboats.  --Cooper. 
 
  What  followed  was  in  perfect  harmony  with  this 
  beginning.  --Macaulay. 
 
  I  know  well  .  .  .  how  little  you  will  be 
  disposed  to  criticise  what  comes  to  you  from  me 
  --J.  H. 
  Newman. 
  b  Used  adjectively,  equivalent  to  the  .  .  .  which  the 
  sort  or  kind  of  .  .  .  which  rarely,  the  .  .  .  on  or 
  at  which 
 
  See  what  natures  accompany  what  colors.  --Bacon. 
 
  To  restrain  what  power  either  the  devil  or  any 
  earthly  enemy  hath  to  work  us  woe.  --Milton. 
 
  We  know  what  master  laid  thy  keel,  What  workmen 
  wrought  thy  ribs  of  steel.  --Longfellow. 
  c  Used  adverbially  in  a  sense  corresponding  to  the 
  adjectival  use  as  he  picked  what  good  fruit  he  saw. 
 
  4.  Whatever;  whatsoever;  what  thing  soever;  --  used 
  indefinitely.  ``What  after  so  befall.''  --Chaucer. 
 
  Whether  it  were  the  shortness  of  his  foresight,  the 
  strength  of  his  will  .  .  .  or  what  it  was  --Bacon. 
 
  5.  Used  adverbially,  in  part  partly;  somewhat;  --  with  a 
  following  preposition,  especially,  with  and  commonly  with 
  repetition. 
 
  What  for  lust  [pleasure]  and  what  for  lore. 
  --Chaucer. 
 
  Thus  what  with  the  war,  what  with  the  sweat,  what 
  with  the  gallows,  and  what  with  poverty,  I  am  custom 
  shrunk.  --Shak. 
 
  The  year  before  he  had  so  used  the  matter  that  what 
  by  force,  what  by  policy,  he  had  taken  from  the 
  Christians  above  thirty  small  castles.  --Knolles. 
 
  Note:  In  such  phrases  as  I  tell  you  what  what  anticipates 
  the  following  statement,  being  elliptical  for  what  I 
  think,  what  it  is  how  it  is  etc  ``I  tell  thee  what 
  corporal  Bardolph,  I  could  tear  her.''  --Shak.  Here 
  what  relates  to  the  last  clause,  ``I  could  tear  her;'' 
  this  is  what  I  tell  you  What  not  is  often  used  at  the 
  close  of  an  enumeration  of  several  particulars  or 
  articles,  it  being  an  abbreviated  clause,  the  verb  of 
  which  being  either  the  same  as  that  of  the  principal 
  clause  or  a  general  word  as  be  say  mention, 
  enumerate,  etc.,  is  omitted.  ``Men  hunt,  hawk,  and  what 
  not.''  --Becon.  ``Some  dead  puppy,  or  log  orwhat 
  not.''  --C.  Kingsley.  ``Battles,  tournaments,  hunts, 
  and  what  not.''  --De  Quincey.  Hence  the  words  are 
  often  used  in  a  general  sense  with  the  force  of  a 
  substantive,  equivalent  to  anything  you  please,  a 
  miscellany,  a  variety,  etc  From  this  arises  the  name 
  whatnot,  applied  to  an  ['e]tag[`e]re,  as  being  a  piece 
  of  furniture  intended  for  receiving  miscellaneous 
  articles  of  use  or  ornament. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  What  \What\,  n. 
  Something  thing  stuff.  [Obs.] 
 
  And  gave  him  for  to  feed,  Such  homely  what  as  serves 
  the  simple  ?lown.  --Spenser. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  What  \What\,  interrog.  adv 
  Why?  For  what  purpose?  On  what  account?  [Obs.] 
 
  What  should  I  tell  the  answer  of  the  knight.  --Chaucer. 
 
  But  what  do  I  stand  reckoning  upon  advantages  and  gains 
  lost  by  the  misrule  and  turbulency  of  the  prelates? 
  What  do  I  pick  up  so  thriftily  their  scatterings  and 
  diminishings  of  the  meaner  subject?  --Milton. 




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