whanne

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old English hwonne, from Proto-Germanic *hwannē (“when”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷís (“who, what, which”).

Alternative forms

• whan, whane, whain, whaune, whenne, when, whene, whon, whonne, wanne, wan, wane, waen, wahan, wenne, wen, wene, wehn, wehen, vhen, vhanne, van, qwhan, qwhen, qwan, qwanne, qwuan, qwen, qwene, qwon, quanne, quan, quane, quenne, quen, quene, qien
• wȝon, ȝwen (West Midlands)
• huanne (Kent)
• ȝwanne, ȝwan, ȝwane (Southwestern)
• wæne, wonne, won, wone (southwest Midlands)
• hwan, hwanne, hwænne, hwenne, hwen, hwene, hwon, hwonne, uan, vien, qvanne (Early Middle English)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhwan(ə)/, /ˈhwɛn(ə)/

Adverb

whanne

1. when

Conjunction

whanne

1. when
   • 1390, John Gower, Confessio Amantis‎^[1]:

     Bot often for defalte of bondes Al sodeinliche, er it be wist, A Tonne, whanne his lye arist, Tobrekth and renneth al aboute, Which elles scholde noght gon oute […]

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 1387–1400, [Geoffrey] Chaucer, “Here Bygynneth the Book of the Tales of Caunt́burẏ”, in The Tales of Caunt́bury (Hengwrt Chaucer; Peniarth Manuscript 392D), Aberystwyth, Ceredigion: National Library of Wales, published c. 1400–1410], →OCLC, folio 2, recto:

     Whan that Auerill w^t his shoures soote / The droghte of march hath ꝑced to the roote / And bathed euery veyne in swich lycour / Of which v̄tu engendred is the flour […]

     When that April, with its sweet showers / Has pierced March's drought to the root / And bathed every vein in fluid such that / with its power, the flower is made […]

   • 1407, The Testimony of William Thorpe, pages 40–41:

     Maister Ion Aston taughte and wroot acordingli and ful bisili, where and whanne and to whom he myghte, and he vsid it himsilf, I gesse, right perfyghtli vnto his lyues eende.

     Master John Aston taught and wrote accordingly and really busily, where, when, and to whoever he wanted, and he used it himself, I take it, very well until the end of his life.

Descendants

• English: when
• Scots: whan
• Yola: fan, van, phen

References

• “whanne, adv. & conj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 2

Verb

whanne

1. Alternative form of wonnen: simple past plural of winnen