whereof
English
Etymology
From Middle English wherof; equivalent to where + of. Compare the parallel formations of Swedish varav and Dutch waaraf.
Pronunciation
- (General American) IPA(key): /(h)wɛɹˈʌv/
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /wɛəɹˈɒv/
Audio (Berkshire, UK) (file) - Rhymes: -ɒv, -ʌv
Conjunction
whereof
- (formal) Of what.
- (formal) Of which.
- 1885–1888, Richard F[rancis] Burton, transl. and editor, “Night 558”, in A Plain and Literal Translation of the Arabian Nights’ Entertainments, now Entituled The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night […], volume (please specify the volume), Shammar edition, [London]: […] Burton Club […], OCLC 939632161:
- Then they set somewhat of food before me, whereof I ate my fill, and gave me somewhat of clothes wherewith I clad myself anew and covered my nakedness; after which they took me up into the ship, […]
-
- (formal) Of whom.
- 1885–1888, Richard F[rancis] Burton, transl. and editor, “Night 547”, in Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night […], volume (please specify the volume), Shammar edition, [London]: […] Burton Club […], OCLC 939632161:
- Now one day of the days, […] the Sultan cast his eyes upon her as she stood before him, and said to his Grand Wazir, "This be the very woman whereof I spake to thee yesterday, so do thou straightway bring her before me, that I may see what be her suit and fulfil her need."
-
- (archaic) With or by which.
Related terms
Translations
of what; of which; of whom
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Adverb
whereof (not comparable)
- (archaic) Of what.
- c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act I, scene i]:
- In sooth, I know not why I am so sad.
It wearies me; you say it wearies you;
But how I caught it, found it, or came by it,
What stuff 'tis made of, whereof it is born,
I am to learn;
And such a wantwit sadness makes of me,
That I have much ado to know myself.
- 1922, Ludwig Wittgenstein, trans. C. K. Ogden, Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, proposition 7:
- Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent.
-
- (archaic) Of which.
Derived terms
- know whereof one speaks
References
- “whereof”, in The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1989, →ISBN.
See also
- (about): hereabout, thereabout, whereabout
- (abouts): hereabouts, thereabouts, whereabouts
- (after): hereafter, thereafter, whereafter
- (again): thereagain
- (against): thereagainst, whereagainst
- (among): thereamong, whereamong
- (amongst): whereamongst
- (around): therearound
- (as): thereas, whereas
- (at): hereat, thereat, whereat
- (before): herebefore, therebefore
- (beside): therebeside
- (between): therebetween, wherebetween
- (by): hereby, thereby, whereby
- (for): herefor, therefor, wherefor
- (fore): herefore, therefore, wherefore
- (from): herefrom, therefrom, wherefrom
- (hence): herehence, therehence
- (in): herein, therein, wherein
- (in after): hereinafter, thereinafter, whereinafter
- (in before): hereinbefore, thereinbefore, whereinbefore
- (into): hereinto, thereinto, whereinto
- (of): hereof, thereof, whereof
- (on): hereon, thereon, whereon
- (to): hereto, thereto, whereto
- (tofore): heretofore, theretofore, wheretofore
- (under): hereunder, thereunder, whereunder
- (unto): hereunto, thereunto, whereunto
- (upon): hereupon, thereupon, whereupon
- (with): herewith, therewith, wherewith
- (withal): herewithal, therewithal, wherewithal
Anagrams
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