how come

== English == === Etymology === Earliest use in its modern form can also be found in The Trial of Titus Oates, referring to a trial that took place in 1685: In this text, it also co-occurs with forms such as "How come she to lie there?" and "How come you to remember those Days of the Month?". Compare West Frisian hoe kom (“how come”), Dutch hoe komt het (“how comes it; why”), Afrikaans hoekom (“how come; why”). According to Partridge's slang dictionary: US English, 1848, probably from older forms such as "How comes it that... ?" or "How does it come that... ?" and "How did it come to be like this?" === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /haʊ kʌm/ === Adverb === how come (idiomatic, informal) Why; why is it; for what reason or purpose; due to what cause? Synonym: why come ==== Usage notes ==== How come differs from why in that the word order of the question is the same as that of a statement. Compare: You left. (statement) How come you left? (statement order) Why did you leave? (question order) ==== Synonyms ==== how's come ==== Descendants ==== → Jamaican Creole: ou kom ==== Translations ==== === References ===