when
Language: English
Part of speech: conj
Pronunciation: enpr: hwĕn
enpr: wĕn
ipa: /ʍɛn/
ipa: /wɛn/
ipa: /ʍɪn/
ipa: /wɪn/
enpr: hwĕn
ipa: /ʍɛn/
enpr: wĕn
ipa: /wɛn/
rhymes: -ɛn
homophone: wen (wine–whine merger)
homophone: win (wine–whine merger, pin–pen merger)
Forms: form: wen
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".
Senses: examples: text: Pavlov's dogs salivate when [i.e. at any and every time that] they hear a bell.
text: When [i.e. at any and every time that] he speaks to her, he is always polite.
text: Put your pencil down when [i.e. as soon as, at the moment that] the timer goes off.
text: A player wins when [as soon as, or at any time that, if] she has four cards of the same suit.
text: A student is disqualified when [as soon as, if] they cheat.
text: Don't forget to signal when (you are) turning right.
text: When she'd written her letters, she did some gardening.
text: Jose, when he finally managed to go to sleep, had a series of bad dreams.
text: Turning back, then, toward the basement staircase, she began to grope her way through blinding darkness, but had taken only a few uncertain steps when, of a sudden, she stopped short and for a little stood like a stricken thing, quite motionless save that she quaked to her very marrow in the grasp of a great and enervating fear.
ref: 1914 November, Louis Joseph Vance, “An Outsider […]”, in Munsey’s Magazine, volume LIII, number II, New York, N.Y.: The Frank A[ndrew] Munsey Company, […], published 1915, →OCLC, chapter III (Accessory After the Fact), page 382, column 1:
text: Energy has seldom been found where we need it when we want it.
ref: 2013 July-August, Henry Petroski, “Geothermal Energy”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 4:
glosses: At (or as soon as) that time that; at the (or any and every) time that; if.
examples: text: They dream when [i.e. during the time that] they sleep.
text: I'm happiest when [during the time that, or at any time that] I’m working.
text: It was raining when I came yesterday.
text: The game is over when the referee says it is.
text: Be careful when crossing the street.
text: When (you are) angry, count to ten before speaking or acting.
text: The Baggies had offered little threat until the 28th minute, but when their first chance came it was a clear one.
ref: 2012 April 22, Sam Sheringham, “Liverpool 0-1 West Brom”, in BBC Sport:
glosses: During the time that; at the time of the action of the following clause or participle phrase.
examples: text: I am here till Friday, when [i.e. at which time] I leave for Senegal.
text: I was just walking down the street, when [i.e. at which time] all of a sudden it started to rain.
text: I am at London only to provide for Monday, when I shall use that favour which my Lady Bedford hath afforded me, of giving her name to my daughter; which I mention to you, […]
ref: 1839, John Donne, The Works of John Donne: Sermons, Letters, Poems, page 310:
text: He sat at the door of his kitchen watching, and seeing there was nothing else for it we buckled to and soon had the job done; when we were admitted to the kitchen and given a really good meal.
ref: 1929, Donald John Munro, The Roaring Forties and After, page 38:
glosses: At what time; at which time.
examples: text: I don't see the point of putting up Christmas decorations when I am the only person who is going to see them.
glosses: Since; given the fact that; considering that.
examples: text: You're picking at your scabs when you should be letting them heal.
text: He keeps changing things when the existing system works perfectly well.
text: Oh age! / Where only wealthy men are counted happy: / How ſhall I pleaſe thee? how deſerve thy ſmiles? / When I am only rich in miſery?
ref: c. 1604–1626, doubtfully attributed to Francis Beaumont, John Fletcher, “The Faithful Friends”, in Henry [William] Weber, editor, The Works of Beaumont and Fletcher, in Fourteen Volumes: […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] F[rancis] C[harles] and J[ohn] Rivington; […], published 1812, →OCLC, Act II, scene ii, page 53:
glosses: Whereas; although; at the same time as; in spite of the fact that.
Synonyms: sense: as soon as
word: as soon as
sense: as soon as
word: immediately
sense: as soon as
word: once
sense: every time that
word: whenever
sense: during the time that
word: while
word: whilst
word: while
sense: at any time that
word: whenever
sense: given the fact that
word: given that
word: seeing that
word: because
sense: in spite of the fact that
word: but
sense: in spite of the fact that
word: where
sense: in spite of the fact that
word: whereas