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Why vs For - What's the difference?

why | for |

As nouns the difference between why and for

is that why is reason or why can be (uk|dialect) a young heifer while for is oven.

As an adverb why

is for what cause, reason, or purpose.

As an interjection why

is an exclamation used to express indignation, mild surprise, or impatience "well, i'll tell you".

why

English

(wikipedia why)

Etymology 1

From (etyl), from (etyl) . See (l).

Adverb

(-)
  • For what cause, reason, or purpose.
  • #
  • Why is the sky blue?
  • Why did you do that?
  • I don’t know why he did that
  • Tell me why the moon changes phase.
  • #
  • Why spend money on something you already get for free?
  • Why not tell him how you feel?
  • #
  • Why''' him? '''Why not someone taller?
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-20, volume=408, issue=8845, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= Welcome to the plastisphere , passage=Plastics are energy-rich substances, which is why many of them burn so readily. Any organism that could unlock and use that energy would do well in the Anthropocene. Terrestrial bacteria and fungi which can manage this trick are already familiar to experts in the field.}}
    Synonyms
    * how come, wherefore

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • reason
  • A good article will cover the who, the what, the when, the where, the why and the how .
    Synonyms
    * wherefore

    Interjection

    (en interjection)
  • An exclamation used to express indignation, mild surprise, or impatience. "Well, I'll tell you...".
  • * Daniel Defoe
  • Why , child, I tell thee if I was thy mother I would not disown thee; don't you see I am as kind to you as if I was your mother?”
    Derived terms
    * whyever * why in God's name * why not * why on Earth * whys and wherefores * why the Devil * why the dickens * why the fuck

    Etymology 2

    Noun

    (whies)
  • (UK, dialect) A young heifer.
  • (Grose)

    Statistics

    *

    for

    English

    (wikipedia for)

    Conjunction

    (English Conjunctions)
  • Because.
  • * 1900 , , (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz) , Chapter 23
  • "By means of the Golden Cap I shall command the Winged Monkeys to carry you to the gates of the Emerald City," said Glinda, "for it would be a shame to deprive the people of so wonderful a ruler."

    Preposition

    (English prepositions)
  • Towards.
  • The astronauts headed for the moon.
  • Directed at, intended to belong to.
  • I have something for you.
  • Supporting (opposite of against ).
  • All those for the motion raise your hands.
  • Because of.
  • He wouldn't apologize; and just for that, she refused to help him.
    (UK usage) He looks better for having lost weight.
    She was the worse for drink.
  • * Shakespeare
  • with fiery eyes sparkling for very wrath
  • Over a period of time.
  • They fought for days over a silly pencil.
  • * Garth
  • To guide the sun's bright chariot for a day.
  • Throughout an extent of space.
  • * Shakespeare
  • For many miles about / There's scarce a bush.
  • On behalf of.
  • I will stand in for him.
  • Instead of, or in place of.
  • * Bible, Exodus xxi. 23, 24
  • And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for' life, eye '''for''' eye, tooth '''for''' tooth, hand '''for''' hand, foot ' for foot.
  • In order to obtain or acquire.
  • I am aiming for completion by the end of business Thursday.
    He's going for his doctorate.
    Do you want to go for coffee?
    People all over Greece looked to Delphi for answers.
    Can you go to the store for some eggs?
    I'm saving up for a car.
    Don't wait for an answer.
    What did he ask you for ?
  • * Denham
  • He writes not for' money, nor ' for praise.
  • In the direction of:
  • Run for the hills!
    He was headed for the door when he remembered.
  • * Francis Bacon
  • We sailed from Peru for China and Japan.
  • By the standards of, usually with the implication of those standards being lower than one might otherwise expect.
  • Fair for its day.
    She's spry for an old lady.
  • Despite, in spite of.
  • * 1892 August 6, , "The Unbidden Guest", in All the Year Round , ] [http://books.google.com/books?id=XNwRAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA133&dq=%22but+for%22 page 133,
  • Mr. Joseph Blenkinshaw was perhaps not worth quite so much as was reported; but for all that he was a very wealthy man
  • * 1968 , J. J. Scarisbrick, Henry VIII (page 240)
  • For all his faults, there had been something lofty and great about him - as a judge, as a patron of education, as a builder, as an international figure.
  • For that to happen now is incredibly unlikely.'' (=''It is incredibly unlikely that that will happen now. )
    All I want is for you to be happy.'' (=''All I want is that you be happy. )
  • (chiefly, US) Out of;
  • (cricket) (used as part of a score to indicate the number of wickets that have fallen)
  • Indicating that in the character of or as being which anything is regarded or treated; to be, or as being.
  • * Cowley
  • We take a falling meteor for a star.
  • * John Locke
  • If a man can be fully assured of anything for' a truth, without having examined, what is there that he may not embrace ' for true?
  • * Dryden
  • Most of our ingenious young men take up some cry'd-up English poet for their model.
  • * Philips
  • But let her go for an ungrateful woman.
  • See the entry for the phrasal verb.
  • (obsolete) Indicating that in prevention of which, or through fear of which, anything is done.
  • * Beaumont and Fletcher
  • We'll have a bib, for spoiling of thy doublet.

    Antonyms

    * against

    Derived terms

    * for good * for good and all * for good measure * for it * for kicks * for real * for the record * once and for all

    Statistics

    *

    References

    * Andrea Tyler and Vyvyan Evans, "Spatial particles of orientation", in The Semantics of English Prepositions: Spatial Scenes, Embodied Meaning and Cognition , Cambridge University Press, 2003, 0-521-81430 8