Whither
/ˈwɪðər/noun
An archaic or literary word meaning to what place, direction, or condition.
Did you know?Whither comes from the same ancient interrogative root as Latin *quid* and English *what*, making it part of a deep Indo-European family of “question words” that once carried the power to point, summon, and demand answers.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kʷo- / *kʷi-
“interrogative and relative pronoun base, used for questioning and relation”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*hwīþaraz
“which of two; which way, to what place”
Old English
English
hwider
“to what place, in what direction”
Middle English
English
whider
“to what place; where to”
Modern English
English
whither
“to what place or condition”