Who
/huː/noun
A pronoun used to identify a person or people.
Did you know?The word 'who' is linked to the Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to be' or 'to exist', hinting at the profound connection between identity and existence.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kʷo
“an interrogative pronoun meaning 'who' or 'what'.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ποῖος (poíos)
“an interrogative pronoun meaning 'which' or 'of what kind'.”
Old English
Old English
hwā
“a pronoun used to ask about identity or to refer to a person.”
Middle English
Middle English
who
“retained the Old English form, used to ask for the identity of a person.”
Modern English
English
who
“a pronoun used in questions and clauses to refer to people.”