which
Part of speech: det
pron
Morphological type: simple
Etymology: From Middle English which, hwic, wilche, hwilch, whilk, hwilc, from Old English hwelċ (“which”), from Proto-Germanic *hwilīkaz (“what kind”, literally “like what”), derived from *hwaz.
Cognates include Scots whilk (“which”), West Frisian hokker (“which”), Dutch welk (“which”), Low German welk (“which”), German welcher (“which”), Danish hvilken (“which”), Swedish vilken (“which”), Norwegian hvilken (“which”), Icelandic hvílíkur (“which”).
Inflected forms:
form: whiche
pos: det
tags: alternative
obsolete
form: wich
pos: det
tags: alternative
Jamaica
form: whiche
pos: pron
tags: alternative
obsolete
form: wich
pos: pron
tags: alternative
Jamaica
Senses:
gloss: What, of those mentioned or implied.
pos: det
tags: interrogative
examples: Which song shall we play?
They couldn't decide which song to play.
Which one is bigger?
Show me which one is bigger.
gloss: The/Any ... that; whichever.
pos: det
examples: Take which one you want.
You may go which way you please.
gloss: Designates the one(s) previously mentioned.
pos: det
tags: relative
examples: After glaring upon the smoking philosopher, who took his misfortunes with such positive nonchalance, he growled out an oath in German, which language is particularly adapted for growling in; then, raising his hand, he dealt him a blow on his pipe, which sent it, like a rocket, into the midst of the players.
Whitaker’s blog post, housed on a website called Minutes Before Six, goes on to make references to Albert Camus’ 1947 classic, The Plague, dips into a Camus-inspired existential ramble and returns to an attempt to convey the detail of Prieto’s being essentially “noble,” which fact, he admits, will be lost in translation to anyone unfamiliar with death row units.
All the phones come in plastic bodies that have been given a brushed-metal finish and carry 64-bit processors from Intel, which fact they proudly announce with an Intel Inside logo on the back.
He once owned a painting of the house, which painting would later be stolen.
She only speaks Chinese, which language I can hardly follow.
For several seconds he sat in silence, during which time the tea and sandwiches arrived.
I'm thinking of getting a new car, in which case I'd get a red one.
gloss: What one or ones (of those mentioned or implied).
pos: pron
tags: interrogative
examples: Which is which?
By now, you must surely know which is which.
Which is bigger, the red one or the blue one?
I'm unable to determine which is bigger.
Which's your spouse? -The one in trousers.
Which of these banes of modern business life is worse remains open to debate. But what is clear is that office workers are on a treadmill of pointless activity. Managers allow meetings to drag on for hours. Workers generate e-mails because it requires little effort and no thought. An entire management industry exists to spin the treadmill ever faster.
gloss: The/Any ones that; whichever.
pos: pron
examples: Please take which you please.
gloss: In a non-restrictive relative clause, referring to something previously mentioned.
pos: pron
tags: relative
examples: I dropped a saucepan, which knocked over the eggs, which went all over the kitchen floor.
I found my camera, which I thought I'd lost, under the bed.
I entered the room, at the far end of which was a small table.
Sunning himself on the board steps, I saw for the first time Mr. Farquhar Fenelon Cooke.[…]A silver snaffle on a heavy leather watch guard which connected the pockets of his corduroy waistcoat, together with a huge gold stirrup in his Ascot tie, sufficiently proclaimed his tastes.
There was a neat hat-and-umbrella stand, and the stranger's weary feet fell soft on a good, serviceable dark-red drugget, which matched in colour the flock-paper on the walls.
Many genes with reproductive roles also have antibacterial and immune functions, which indicate that the threat of microbial attack on the sperm or egg may be a major influence on rapid evolution during reproduction.
gloss: In a non-restrictive relative clause, referring to something previously mentioned.
pos: pron
tags: archaic
relative
examples: She had a young child, which cried incessantly.
gloss: In a non-restrictive relative clause, referring to something previously mentioned.
pos: pron
tags: relative
examples: The front door was open, which concerned me.
He had to leave, which was very difficult.
She saved my life, for which I am eternally grateful.
Plastics are energy-rich substances, which is why many of them burn so readily.
The structure's exterior is clad in aluminum-oxidized pine, which gives it a reflective quality that complements the galvanized-steel roof.
gloss: In a restrictive relative clause, referring to a noun previously mentioned.
pos: pron
tags: proscribed
relative
sometimes
examples: This is the letter which I received.
This is the letter in which he explains his decision.
Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us...
gloss: In a restrictive relative clause, referring to a noun previously mentioned.
pos: pron
tags: archaic
proscribed
relative
sometimes
examples: The men which acompanyed him on his waye stode amased, for they herde a voyce, butt sawe no man.
Derived words: every which way
every which where
whichever
which is to say
which is which
which-path information
whichsoever
Translations: