pron. arch. Forms: see WHO and SO: also 2–3 hwa se, hwase, (2 wa se), 3 hw(a)o se, Orm. whas(e, 3–5 wo se, 4 Sc. quha se, (woys), 4–5 whos, 4–6 whose, hose, 5 Sc. quhais, (9 dial. whos’). [ME. wha swa, hwa se, reduced form of OE. swá hwá swá, generalized form of hwá WHO: see SO adv. 17 d.]
1. = WHOEVER 1: Any (one) who.
1154. O. E. Chron. (Laud MS.), an. 1135. Wua sua bare his byrthen gold & sylure, durste nan man sei to him naht bute god.
c. 1200. Ormin, 677. Whas itt iss þatt wæpnedd iss wiþþ fulle trowwþe o Criste.
c. 1205. Lay., 3657. Wha swa wulle libba, alde þas sibba [c. 1275 Wo so wole libbe holde þas sibbe]. Ibid., 22307. Wha swa [c. 1275 wose] come gladliche he sculden wurðe riche.
? 12[?]. in Kemble, Cod. Dipl., V. 236. Ho so hit beo ðæt ðis my dede in oðere wise hit buturne oðer ȝewanye.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 46. Et uhtsonge schal siggen hwo se con Domine labia mea.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 6253. Ofte wo so coueiteþ al, al leseþ.
13[?]. Cursor M., 5829 (Gött.). Qua sua wil noght trou þe first, To trow þe toder him es best.
c. 1330. King of Tars, 894. And hose nil not cristned be Hong hem heighe uppon a tre.
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), iii. 10. Wha so weddes ofter þan anes, þaire childer er bastardes.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 5551. Wo so staris on þis story, or stodis þerin, Take hede on þe harmys & the hard lures!
1498. in J. Bulloch, Pynours (1887), 57. And quhais doys in the contrar … salbe punist.
1522. More, De quat. Noviss., Wks. 73/2. Now whoso seeth not, that his laughter is more madde than the laughter of the mad man, I hold him madder than they both.
1539. Bible (Great), John vi. 54. Whoso eateth my flesshe & dryncketh my bloude, hath eternall lyfe.
1607. Shaks., Timon, V. i. 212. Who so please To stop Affliction, let him take his haste.
1667. Milton, P. L., IX. 724. This Tree, That whoso eats thereof, forthwith attains Wisdom.
1727. Pope, etc., Art of Sinking, 118. Whoso loseth his place … hath forfeited his share in publick praise.
a. 1825. Forby, Voc. E. Anglia, s.v., Whos’ wull may do that.
1859. Whittier, On a Prayer-Book, 12. Let whoso can before such praying-books Kneel on his velvet cushion.
1883. Whitelaw, Sophocles, Antigone, 35. Whoso does this deed, A public death by stoning is his doom.
1891. Conan Doyle, White Company, xxxvii. The last stern welcome to whoso should join with them.
2. = WHOEVER 2: No matter who; † in early use often with mere unemphatic conditional force: If any one, if one.
c. 1300. Beket (Percy Soc.), 35. Woldestou,… ho so it wolde bede the, Tholie deth for thi Louerdes love?
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., C. 5. For quo-so suffer cowþe syt, sele wolde folȝe.
c. 1475. Rauf Coilȝear, 675. With Dosouris to the duris dicht, quha sa wald deme.
1876. Morris, Æneids, VIII. 122. ‘Come forth,’ he said, ‘whoso ye be.’
