Obs. Forms: 1 hwæþ(e)re, 2 hweðer(e, 4–5 queþer, qwhethir, 5 qwhedyr, queder. [OE. hwæþ(e)re, advb. formation from hwæþer WHETHER pron.] Nevertheless, however, and yet, for all that.
Beowulf, 555. Hwæþre me ʓyfeþe wearð, þæt ic aʓlæcan orde ʓeræhte, hildebille.
c. 1000. Sax. Leechd., II. 256. Ne sceal mon hwæþere þisne drincan sellan on foreweardne þone ece.
a. 1175. Cott. Hom., 225. He cweð þat him of-þuhte þat he erre mancinn ȝesceop þa wes hweðere an man richwis et-foran gode.
13[?]. Cursor M., 4622 (Gött.). ‘Do queþer,’ he said, ‘þar-of na strijf.’
13[?]. S. Erkenwolde, 153, in Horstm., Altengl. Leg. (1881), 269. Queþer mony porer in þis place is putte into graue.
a. 1400–50. Wars Alex., 581. Queþer ȝit, for any quat a quyle latt him kepe.
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., VIII. xxviii. 4791. He said: ‘Na hast’; qwhedyr perfay His folk walde fayne haf beyn away.
b. in comb. THOUGH-WHETHER (the-whether), q.v.
12[?]. Moral Ode, 131 (Egerton MS.). Þeh [v.r. þeih] hweðer we it iluuet wel.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 11009. Þair modres þoqueþer bath mild, Yoede at ans wit þair child.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, I. 332. The quhethir he glaid was and ioly.
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., VIII. xxxix. 6949. Þe qwheþir oft ryot walde þai ma To preik and poynde.
¶ Never þe queder: app. a confusion of nevertheless and the-whether.
a. 1400–50. Bk. Curtasye, 715, in Babees Bk., 323. The ouer bassyn þay halde neuer þe queder, Quylle þo keruer powre water in-to þe nedur.
c. app. as adversative conj. Although.
a. 1400–50. Wars Alex., 2090. Quethire days thre þurȝe-out thraly we foȝten,… And ȝit þe lawest at þe last vs limpid to bee.
