Whether
/ˈwɛðər/noun
Used to introduce alternatives or express doubt about two or more possibilities.
Did you know?Whether is historically tied to words for a split choice or alternative, and its old Germanic form helped shape the idea of decision-making long before modern English grammar.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kʷo- / *kʷe-
“Interrogative and relative base meaning "who? which?"”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*hwat
“Interrogative pronoun meaning "what, which"”
Old English
English
hwæðer
“Which of two; either of two”
Middle English
English
whether
“Which of two; if; introducing an alternative”
Modern English
English
whether
“Used to introduce alternatives or express doubt”