Whath vs Whats - What's the difference?
whath | whats |
(nonstandard) Which ordinal number.
Used as a stand-in to collectively pluralize arbitrary instances of things. Often used along with whys, hows, etc.
* 1871 , Sarah N. Randolph, The Domestic Life of Thomas Jefferson: Comp. from Family Letters and Reminiscences [http://books.google.com/books?vid=LCCN11028850&id=IP8TJneA4SwC&pg=RA1-PA90&lpg=RA1-PA90&dq=%22the+whats%22&as_brr=1]
* 1955 , George Burgess, Barriers and Bridges [http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN097590700X&id=JRbwP02-_b0C&pg=PA104&lpg=PA104&dq=%22the+whats%22+date:1500-1980&sig=_Ph63uwDbuL3u2gGg0NHq_cVfY0]
* 2004 , Joe Caruso, The Power of Losing Control: Finding Strength, Meaning, and Happiness in an Out-Of-Control World [http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN1592400485&id=uCgRsVqwueUC&pg=PA33&lpg=PA33&dq=%22your+whats%22&sig=5wxX5VB7k05b_0EndAld4-H7V1I]
As nouns the difference between whath and whats
is that whath is which ordinal number while whats is plural of lang=en Used as a stand-in to collectively pluralize arbitrary instances of things. Often used along with whys, hows, etc.whath
English
Alternative forms
* whatthNoun
- Thanksgiving is on the whath of November this year?
Usage notes
Although easily understood, this construction is rarely used even in informal speech.Quotations
* 1884 , Selections from the Satires of Juvenal: To which is Added the Fifth Satire of Persius , page 144, Eldredge & Brother *: Macleane explains himself very well when he says that “Whath part?”'' would express ''quota pars'', if we could coin an interrogative adjective after the analogy of the ''seventh'' part, ''eighth , etc. * 1996 March, Constantin Dumitrescu and V. Seleacu, The Smarandache Function , page 111, Erhus University Press *: Namely, for whath triplets... of positive integers the Smarandache function verifies a Fibonacci-like equality * 1996 September 4, Jim Farrell, “Blue eyes cryin' in the rain”, bit.listserv.words-l, Usenet *: It'sometimes [sic. ] amusing, sometimes, well, just majestic, especially King George the whath , E. Rex's father.whats
English
Noun
(head)- Shall I continue this reproaching style, quote all the whats and whys out of Jeremiah's Lamentations, and then present you with some outlines of Job for consolation?
- When learning about people and their circumstances, some tend to form generalizations surrounding the whats and wherefores of the people.
- Now see if you can describe the whys behind some of your whats . In other words, write about why you look the way you do in terms of how you wear your hair or the kind of clothes you wear.