Whence
/wɛns/noun
From what place, source, or origin.
Did you know?Whence is an old fused form of Old English hwanon, and its final -s comes from the same source as the -s in hence and thence, not from a plural or possessive ending.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kʷo-
“Interrogative stem meaning "who/what?"”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*hwanan
“"from where"; an adverb of source or origin”
Old English
English
hwonan
“From where, whence”
Middle English
English
whennes
“From where; from what place”
Modern English
English
whence
“From what place, source, or origin”