where

== English == === Alternative forms === quhair, quhar, quher, quhere (all obsolete) === Etymology === From Middle English wher, from Old English hwǣr (“where”, literally “at what place”), from Proto-West Germanic *hwār, from Proto-Germanic *hwar (“where”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷ- (interrogative pronoun). === Pronunciation === (non-rhotic) (England) (Received Pronunciation) (wine–whine merger) IPA(key): /ˈwɛə/, [ˈwɛə] (without the wine–whine merger) IPA(key): /ˈʍɛə/, [ˈʍɛə] (Lancashire, fair–fur merger) IPA(key): /ˈwɜː/, [ˈwɜː] (Standard Southern British) IPA(key): /wɛː/, /ˈwɛə/ (Australian) IPA(key): /ˈweː/, [ˈweː] (New Zealand) (without the cheer–chair merger) IPA(key): /ˈwe̝ə/, [ˈwe̝ə] (cheer–chair merger) IPA(key): /ˈwɪə/, [ˈwɪ̝ə]; /ˈwiə/, [ˈwiə] (rhotic) (General American, Canada) (wine–whine merger) IPA(key): /ˈwɛəɹ/, [ˈwɛəɹ] ~ [ˈwɛɹ̩] (without the wine–whine merger) IPA(key): /ˈʍɛəɹ/, [ˈʍɛəɹ] ~ [ˈʍɛɹ̩] (Scotland) IPA(key): /ˈʍeɹ/, [ˈʍeɹ] Rhymes: -ɛə(ɹ) Homophones: ware, wear (both wine–whine merger); weir, we're (both cheer–chair merger, wine–whine merger); whir (fair–fur merger); were (fair–fur merger, wine–whine merger) === Adverb === where (not comparable) (interrogative) In, at or to what place. Synonym: (to which place; archaic or literary) whither For more quotations using this term, see Citations:where. In what situation. In, at or to the place (that) or a place (that). In, at or to any place (that); wherever; anywhere. (relative) In, at or to which. (fused relative) The place in, at or to which. (fused relative, informal) A situation or case in which. In a/the situation, position, case, etc. in which. ==== Translations ==== === Conjunction === where While on the contrary; although; whereas. July 18 2012, Scott Tobias, AV Club The Dark Knight Rises[1] Where the Joker preys on our fears of random, irrational acts of terror, Bane has an all-consuming, dictatorial agenda that’s more stable and permanent, a New World Order that’s been planned out with the precision of a military coup. For more quotations using this term, see Citations:where. (informal) That. ==== Translations ==== === Pronoun === where (interrogative) What place. === Noun === where (plural wheres) The place in which something happens. ==== Translations ==== === Derived terms === === Descendants === Hawaiian Creole: wea === Anagrams === Hewer, hewer, rehew == Middle English == === Etymology 1 === ==== Noun ==== where (County Durham or Northumberland; Lancashire, North Riding) alternative form of quer === Etymology 2 === ==== Noun ==== where alternative form of werre (“war”)