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Wherefore vs Whereof - What's the difference?

wherefore | whereof |

Wherefore is a see also of whereof.


In context|archaic|lang=en terms the difference between wherefore and whereof

is that wherefore is (archaic) because of which while whereof is (archaic) of what.

As adverbs the difference between wherefore and whereof

is that wherefore is (conjunctive|archaic) why, for what reason, because of what while whereof is (archaic) of what.

As conjunctions the difference between wherefore and whereof

is that wherefore is (archaic) because of which while whereof is of what; of which; of whom.

As a noun wherefore

is an intent or purpose; a why.

wherefore

English

Adverb

(-)
  • (conjunctive, archaic) Why, for what reason, because of what.
  • * 1920 , (Herman Cyril McNeile), Bulldog Drummond Chapter 1
    • "Good morning, Mrs. Denny," he said. "Wherefore this worried look on your face? Has that reprobate James been misbehaving himself?"
  • * "Job", Holy Bible King James Version, 21:7:
    • Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power?
  • * 1595 ,
    • Romeo, O Romeo. Wherefore art thou, Romeo?
  • * 1595 ,
    • Every why hath a wherefore .
  • (conjunctive, archaic, or, formal) Therefore.

    • Usage notes

    * A common misconception is that wherefore means where''; it has even been used in that sense in cartoon depictions of Romeo and Juliet, often played for comedic effect. In ''Romeo and Juliet'', the meaning of “Wherefore art thou Romeo?” () is not “''Where'' are you, Romeo?” but “''Why are you Romeo?” (i.e. “Why did you have to be a Montague?”).

    See also

    *

    Conjunction

    (English Conjunctions)
  • (archaic) Because of which.
  • :* Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel, Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and stay thereon:
    Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant.     (Isaiah 30:12-13)
  • :* {{quote-book
    • , year=1914 , year_published=2009 , edition=HTML , editor= , author=Edgar Rice Burroughs , title=The Mucker , chapter= citation , genre= , publisher=The Gutenberg Project , isbn= , page= , passage=Wherefore it was that by the time the authorities awoke to the fact that something had happened Billy Byrne was fifty miles west of Joliet, bowling along aboard a fast Santa Fe freight. }}

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An intent or purpose; a why.
  • *

    • Derived terms

    * whys and wherefores

    References

    English conjunctive adverbs English pronominal adverbs

    whereof

    English

    Conjunction

    (English Conjunctions)
  • Of what; of which; of whom.

    • Related terms

    * whence

    Adverb

    (-)
  • (archaic) Of what.
  • (archaic) Of which.

    • References

    *

    See also

    * thereabout, thereafter, thereagainst, thereat, thereby, therefor, therefore, therefrom, therein, thereinafter, thereof, thereon, thereto, theretofore, thereunder, thereunto, thereupon, therewith, therewithal * hereabout, hereafter, hereat, hereby, herein, hereinafter, hereinbefore, hereinto, hereof, hereon, hereto, heretofore, hereunto, hereunder, hereupon, herewith * whereabouts, whereas, whereafter, whereat, whereby, wherefore, wherefrom, wherein, whereinto, whereof, whereon, whereto, whereunder, whereupon, wherever, wherewith, wherewithal, wherenot English pronominal adverbs