when
pronoun
No English definition recorded for this entry.
L333992 on Wikidata ↗conjunction
- at what time.
- at such time as
- at the time of the action of the following clause
- conjunction
adverb
- at what time, in which moment
- at which, on which, during which
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈwɛn/ / [ˈwɛn] / /ˈwɪn/
adv
Etymology: From Middle English when(ne), whan(ne), from Old English hwonne, from Proto-West Germanic *hwannē, from Proto-West Germanic *hwan, from Proto-Germanic *hwan (“at what time, when”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷís (interrogative base). Cognate with Scots whan (“when”), Dutch wanneer (“when”), wan (“when”) and wen (“when, if”), Low German wannehr (“when”), wann (“when”) and wenn (“if, when”), German wann (“when”) and wenn (“when, if”), Gothic 𐍈𐌰𐌽 (ƕan, “when, how”), Latin quandō (“when”). More at who. Interjection sense: a playful misunderstanding of "say when" (i.e. say something / speak up when you want me to stop) as "say [the word] when".
- At what time? At which time? Upon which occasion or circumstance? Used to introduce direct or indirect questions about time.
“When will they arrive?”
“Do you know when they arrived?”
- At what time? At which time? Upon which occasion or circumstance? Used to introduce direct or indirect questions about time.
“The site's all bugged. Fix when?”
“Tank class buff when?”
- At an earlier time and under different, usually less favorable, circumstances.
“He's mister high and mighty now, but I remember him when.”
- At which, on which, during which: often omitted or replaced with that.
“That was the day when the Twin Towers fell.”
“Not a week goes by when I don't mourn that loss.”
- The time at, on or during which.
“I recall when they were called the Greys.”
“Next year is when we elect a new mayor.”
- A circumstance or situation in which.
“Love is when you can't get enough of someone.”
conj
Etymology: From Middle English when(ne), whan(ne), from Old English hwonne, from Proto-West Germanic *hwannē, from Proto-West Germanic *hwan, from Proto-Germanic *hwan (“at what time, when”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷís (interrogative base). Cognate with Scots whan (“when”), Dutch wanneer (“when”), wan (“when”) and wen (“when, if”), Low German wannehr (“when”), wann (“when”) and wenn (“if, when”), German wann (“when”) and wenn (“when, if”), Gothic 𐍈𐌰𐌽 (ƕan, “when, how”), Latin quandō (“when”). More at who. Interjection sense: a playful misunderstanding of "say when" (i.e. say something / speak up when you want me to stop) as "say [the word] when".
- At (or as soon as) that time that; at the (or any and every) time that; if.
“Pavlov's dogs salivate when [i.e. at any and every time that] they hear a bell.”
“When [i.e. at any and every time that] he speaks to her, he is always polite.”
- During the time that; at the time of the action of the following clause or participle phrase.
“They dream when [i.e. during the time that] they sleep.”
“I'm happiest when [during the time that, or at any time that] I’m working.”
- At what time; at which time.
“I am here till Friday, when [i.e. at which time] I leave for Senegal.”
“I was just walking down the street, when [i.e. at which time] all of a sudden it started to rain.”
- Since; given the fact that; considering that.
“I don't see the point of putting up Christmas decorations when I am the only person who is going to see them.”
- Whereas; although; at the same time as; in spite of the fact that.
“You're picking at your scabs when you should be letting them heal.”
“He keeps changing things when the existing system works perfectly well.”
intj
Etymology: From Middle English when(ne), whan(ne), from Old English hwonne, from Proto-West Germanic *hwannē, from Proto-West Germanic *hwan, from Proto-Germanic *hwan (“at what time, when”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷís (interrogative base). Cognate with Scots whan (“when”), Dutch wanneer (“when”), wan (“when”) and wen (“when, if”), Low German wannehr (“when”), wann (“when”) and wenn (“if, when”), German wann (“when”) and wenn (“when, if”), Gothic 𐍈𐌰𐌽 (ƕan, “when, how”), Latin quandō (“when”). More at who. Interjection sense: a playful misunderstanding of "say when" (i.e. say something / speak up when you want me to stop) as "say [the word] when".
- That's enough: a command asking someone to stop adding something, especially an ingredient or portion of food or drink; used in, or as if in, literal response to 'Say when'.
“HOCKEN: Say “when”, Frank. / DREBIN: Whe—”
“When we go out to a restaurant, we're the guys who never say "when" when the waiter is grinding fresh pepper on our salads.”
- Expressing impatience.
“Why when I ſay?[…]Off with my boots, you rogues: you villaines, when?[…]Out you rogue[…]”
“Set parſon, ſet, the dice die in my hand: / VVhen parſon, vvhen! vvhat can ye finde no more?”
noun
Etymology: From Middle English when(ne), whan(ne), from Old English hwonne, from Proto-West Germanic *hwannē, from Proto-West Germanic *hwan, from Proto-Germanic *hwan (“at what time, when”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷís (interrogative base). Cognate with Scots whan (“when”), Dutch wanneer (“when”), wan (“when”) and wen (“when, if”), Low German wannehr (“when”), wann (“when”) and wenn (“if, when”), German wann (“when”) and wenn (“when, if”), Gothic 𐍈𐌰𐌽 (ƕan, “when, how”), Latin quandō (“when”). More at who. Interjection sense: a playful misunderstanding of "say when" (i.e. say something / speak up when you want me to stop) as "say [the word] when".
- The time at which something happens.
“A good article will cover the who, the what, the when, the where, the why and the how.”
“For the moment, suffice it to say that the stories told through the whens and hows of building a scene differentiate individual desires and needs more clearly than shared speech was up to then able to communicate.”
pron
Etymology: From Middle English when(ne), whan(ne), from Old English hwonne, from Proto-West Germanic *hwannē, from Proto-West Germanic *hwan, from Proto-Germanic *hwan (“at what time, when”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷís (interrogative base). Cognate with Scots whan (“when”), Dutch wanneer (“when”), wan (“when”) and wen (“when, if”), Low German wannehr (“when”), wann (“when”) and wenn (“if, when”), German wann (“when”) and wenn (“when, if”), Gothic 𐍈𐌰𐌽 (ƕan, “when, how”), Latin quandō (“when”). More at who. Interjection sense: a playful misunderstanding of "say when" (i.e. say something / speak up when you want me to stop) as "say [the word] when".
- What time; which time.
“Since when do I need your permission?”
“[...] ſhortly [...] I'le reſolue you [...] / Theſe happend accidents: till when, be cheerefull [...]”