adv. Now formal or arch. [f. WHERE 15 + OF prep. Cf. (M)Sw. hveraf, Da. hvoraf; Du. waarvan.]
I. Interrogative. Of what.
1. † a. in various obsolete senses of OF: esp. From what source, whence; to what purpose, what … for; for what reason, wherefore.
c. 1200. Ormin, 2931. He sahh þatt ȝho wiþþ childe wass, & nisste he nohht whæroffe.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 3530. Hu he sulen maken Ðe tabernacle, and wor-of taken Ðe gold, and siluer.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 9687. Quar-of serues ani a-sise Of sothfastnes, or of iustise, Bot for to yeme þe pes in land.
c. 1400. Pety Job, 283, in 26 Pol. Poems, 130. Wherof than shulde I presume To be hygh-herted or lyghtly wroth?
1528. More, Dyaloge, IV. Wks. 273/2. Wherof shal reason serue if man had no power of himself towarde the direccion of his own workes?
1579–80. North, Plutarch (1595), 19, marg. Manipulares whereof so called.
b. in various current senses of OF.
c. 1400. 26 Pol. Poems, 64. Where-of is mad al mankynde?
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), xxxiii. 150. Whare off be wall es made, can na man tell.
c. 1400. Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton), V. i. (1859), 71. I not what to asken, ne wherof for to speke.
15[?]. in Dunbar’s Poems (S.T.S.), II. 310. Thus wait I nocht quhairof to wryte.
1596. Shaks., Merch. V., I. i. 4. What stuffe ’tis made of, whereof it is borne, I am to learne. Ibid. (1605), Lear, I. iv. 312. Now Gods that we adore, Whereof comes this?
1667. Milton, P. L., VII. 64. To know … how this World … first began, When, and whereof created.
1755. Johnson, s.v., Whereof was the house built?
II. Relative. Of which.
2. From or out of which (as source or origin, in the way of result or consequence, liberation or privation, etc.), whence (OF I–III).
a. 1225. Ancr. R. 12. Auh hwarse wummon liueð oðer mon bi him one … of þincges wiðuten hwarof scandle ne kume, nis nout muche strencðe.
c. 1275. Lay., 26090. Telle of þine cunne war of þou hart ispronge.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. IV. 60. A cours of kynde wher-of we comen alle.
1481. Caxton, Godfrey, ccix. 305. The holy sepulcre where he laye deed in, and out wherof he aroos fro deth to lyf.
1562. Turner, Herbal, II. 96 b. [Polygala] hath sede besyde euery lefe, wherof it is called the male.
1567. Satir. Poems Reform., iv. 5. The ruite quhair of I did spring.
1611. Bible, Deut. xxviii. 27. The itch, whereof thou canst not bee healed.
1613. W. Cowper, Holy Alph., 236. Wherof we learn, that … if when we haue fallen, we rise & repent, it is euer to be imputed to God that teacheth vs.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. 259/2. By Avoir-du-pois Weight is weighed … all things whereof comes waste.
b. Of which material substance (OF VII).
a. 1300. Cursor M., 368. Þe mater of þe four elements … Quar of was serenes siþen scapen.
1594. T. B., La Primaud. Fr. Acad., II. 49. That matter whereof Kernels are made.
c. 1620. A. Hume, Brit. Tongue (1865), 10. These and al other diphthonges I wald counsel the teacheres not to name be the vouales quherof they are maed.
1667. Milton, P. L., VI. 518. Mineral and Stone, Whereof to found thir Engins.
1794. R. J. Sulivan, View Nat., I. 107. The pre-existent … matter whereof bodies are formed.
3. For, by reason of, because of, or on account of which; wherefore (OF 13, 14). Chiefly in constructional dependence on certain classes of words.
a. 1325. MS. Rawl. B. 520, lf. 80 b. Send .iiij.i. chosene kniȝttes … to seon were he be sik ware of he soined him of sik bedde.
1411. Rolls of Parlt., III. 650/2. I knowe wele that I haue failled … yow,… wherof I beseke yow of grace and mercy.
1484. Caxton, Fables of Auian, xi. [He] oughte to doo good … wherof other may preyse hym. Ibid. (c. 1489), Sonnes of Aymon, iii. 106. He knewe well that they were of his faders folke. Werof he was full sory for it.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Huon, lxii. 215. Huon gaue her a ryche gyft, wherof humbly she thanked hym.
1539. Bible (Great), Ps. cxxvi. 3. The Lorde hath done greate thynges for vs all ready, wherof we reioyse.
1606. Shaks., Tr. & Cr., I. iii. 139. The Feauer, whereof all our power is sicke.
1618. Southampton Crt. Leet Rec. (1907), III. 544. The wall … is much impared & verye daungerous whereof wee desier the same to be amendyd verye speedelye.
4. By means of which, with which, whereby, wherewith (OF VI). Obs. or rare arch. exc. with full, etc. (= of which).
Also with ellipsis of antecedent as obj. of a vb.: = that by which, that with which: cf. WHEREWITH 2 b, WHEREWITHAL 2 b.
1340. Ayenb., 119. Þise byeþ þe graces huer-of he wes al uol.
1377. [see WHEREBY 2].
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), Pref. 2. For þe whilk land ilke a gude Cristen man þat may, and has wharoff, suld enforce him for to conquere oure right heritage.
c. 1450. Mirk’s Festial, 4. Ȝe hadden ynogh wherof to haue fed me.
1585. T. Washington, trans. Nicholay’s Voy., IV. xxxi. 154. [They] kept their wyues … vnder lock and key, for feare least they should gette of theyr neyghbours, whereof sometymes theyr iealous husbandes could not furnish them.
c. 1592. Marlowe, Jew of Malta, III. iv. Borgia’s wine, Whereof his sire … was poyson’d.
1607. Shaks., Timon, IV. iii. 194. Dry vp thy Marrowes, Vines, and Plough-torne Leas, Whereof ingratefull man … greases his pure minde.
5. About or concerning which; in regard to or in respect of which (OF VIII, IX, XI).
In quot. c. 1400 ellipt. or as comp. rel. = in that in respect of which.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 1624. Als it in noe flod be-fell, Quare of i sal yow siþen tell.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 2311. Where of that thou be vertuous, Ne be not straunge ne daungerous.
1526. Tindale, Acts xvii. 19. Thys newe doctrine wher off thou speakest.
1560. T. Wilson, Rhet., Prol. to Rdr. That I was in farther perill, then wherof I was aware.
1585. T. Washington, trans. Nicholay’s Voy., I. xvii. 19 b. He had vnderstanding, that the Frigate … was of Malta, whereof he thought very straunge.
1611. Bible, 1 John iv. 3. This is that spirit of Antichrist, whereof you haue heard, that it should come.
1672. Marvell, Corr., Wks. (Grosart), II. 408. We shall now shortly come to a good issue. Whereof therefore you may please to advertise your worthy Society.
1742. H. Walpole, Lett. to Mann, 25 Sept. Our Duke goes … they say, to marry a Princess of Prussia, whereof great preparations have been making.
1868. Morris, Earthly Par. (1870), I. I. 382. More precious gifts … Whereof not e’en in dreams they could have thought.
6. Of which, in objective senses (OF X).
1469. Bury, Wills (Camden), 50. In wittenesse qwherof I haue set to myn seele.
1561. T. Norton, Calvin’s Inst., I. To Rdr. Whereof I geue to the godly reders a new profe in this setting fourth of this boke.
1592. Shaks., Ven. & Ad., 880. Like one that spies an adder,… iust in his way, The feare whereof doth make him shake, & shudder.
1647. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., I. § 18. In dispensing whereof, he was guided more by the rules of Appetite, than of Judgement.
1676. Ray, Corr. (1848), 123. Reputation (to the vanity of any affectation whereof I desire to be wholly mortified).
1827. Hood, Plea Mids. Fairies, xxxv. We be the handmaids of the Spring, In sign whereof, May … Hath wrought her samplers on our gauzy wing.
7. Of which or whom, in partitive sense (OF XIII).
Also with ellipsis of antecedent as obj. of a vb.: = some or something of which (OF 45).
c. 1390. in Rel. Ant., II. 54. To han wherof to spenden on these myraclis.
1459. Paston Lett., I. 473. xiij. spones, wherof oon is gilt, weiyng xvij. unces.
1535. Coverdale, Gen. iii. 11. Hast thou not eaten of the tre, wherof I commaunded the, yt thou shuldest not eate?
1593. Shaks., Rich. II., I. ii. 11. Edwards seuen sonnes (whereof thy selfe art one). Ibid. (1610), Temp., V. i. 38. The greene sowre Ringlets … Whereof the Ewe not bites.
1667. Milton, P. L., II. 584. Lethe the River of Oblivion…, whereof who drinks, Forthwith his former state and being forgets.
1726. Swift, Gulliver, II. vii. Civil Wars, the last whereof was happily put an end to by this Prince’s Grandfather.
1827. Lytton, Pelham, lxix. I presume that you have many titles, whereof some are more grateful to your ears than others.
1865. Dickens, Mut. Fr., I. iv. The two bottles: whereof one held Scotch ale and the other rum.
8. Of which, in possessive and related senses (OF XIV).
a. 1400–50. Wars Alex., 4380. Þe faire floryscht filds of floures & of herbys, Quare-of þe breth as of bawme blawis in oure noose.
1554. in Strype, Eccl. Mem. (1721), III. App. xvii. 43. By reason wherof we affirm Purgatory … to be the Doctrin of Antichrist.
1576. Turberv., Venerie, xxviii. 72. You shal seke the hart in heaths and broomie places, wherof they then delight to crop the flowers and toppes.
1661. J. Childrey, Brit. Baconica, 23. Bodmin … hath one street … on the South side whereof it hath a great high hill.
1753. Stewart’s Trial, 219. In the eyes of those tenants whereof he had assumed to be protector.
1821. Scott, Kenilw., xviii. Dangerous sickness, the issue whereof is in the will of Heaven.
1882. Besant, All Sorts, xxxiii. All that work for your grandfather whereof you now sweetly reap the benefit.
† 9. To which, whereto (OF 58). Obs. rare–1.
1659. Leak, Water-works, 25. Let there be a water Wheel to the Axtree, whereof let there be fastned a Wheel of thirty six Teeth or more.
Hence † Where-offen adv., in quot. in sense 5.
c. 1450. Lovelich, Grail, xxxvii. 11. Where-offen they spoken ful pleyn.
