Whence

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Whence \Whence\, adv. [OE. whennes, whens (with adverbial s,
     properly a genitive ending; -- see {-wards}), also whenne,
     whanene, AS. hwanan, hwanon, hwonan, hwanone; akin to D.
     when. See {When}, and cf. {Hence}, {Thence}.]
     [1913 Webster]
     1. From what place; hence, from what or which source, origin,


        antecedent, premise, or the like; how; -- used
        interrogatively.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Whence hath this man this wisdom?     --Matt. xiii.
                                                    54.
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              Whence and what art thou?             --Milton.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. From what or which place, source, material, cause, etc.;
        the place, source, etc., from which; -- used relatively.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Grateful to acknowledge whence his good
              Descends.                             --Milton.
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     Note: All the words of this class, whence, where, whither,
           whereabouts, etc., are occasionally used as pronouns by
           a harsh construction.
           [1913 Webster]
  
                 O, how unlike the place from whence they fell?
                                                    --Milton.
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     Note: From whence, though a pleonasm, is fully authorized by
           the use of good writers.
           [1913 Webster]
  
                 From whence come wars and fightings among you?
                                                    --James iv. 1.
           [1913 Webster] Of whence, also a pleonasm, has become
           obsolete.
           [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  whence
       adv : from what place or origin or source; "whence did he come?";
             "whence comes this splendid feast?"; "sketches the
             lawless society whence the ballads sprang"-DeLancey
             Ferguson [syn: {wherefrom}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  42 Moby Thesaurus words for "whence":
     accordingly, away, because of that, because of this, consequently,
     derivation, ergo, for that, for that cause, for that reason,
     for this cause, for this reason, for which reason, forth, fountain,
     hence, hereat, inception, off, on that account, on that ground,
     on this account, origin, out, propter hoc, provenance, provenience,
     root, then, thence, thereat, therefor, therefore, therefrom,
     thereof, thus, thusly, thuswise, well, wellspring, wherefore,
     wherefrom