hwelc

• hwilċ, hwȳlċ, hwælc

From Proto-Germanic *hwilīkaz ~ *hwalīkaz (“what kind of”), a compound of *hwaz and *-līkaz.

• IPA^(key): /xwelt͡ʃ/, [ʍeɫt͡ʃ]

hwelċ

1. which

   Hwelċes blēos is þīn hemeþe?

   What color is your shirt?

   Hwelċe bōc on þisse sċielfan hæfst þū oftost ġerǣden?

   Which book on this shelf have you read most often?

   "Of hwelcre tīde eart þū?" "Nis sēo āscung of hwelcre tīde, ac of hwelcre weorolde."

   "What time are you from?" "The question isn't what time, but what world."

   • The Dialogues of Solomon and Saturn

     Hwelċ mann āþōhte ǣrest mid sylh tō erienne?

     Which person first thought of plowing the ground with a plow?

   • c. 995, Ælfric, Extracts on Grammar in English

     Sume naman sind þēodisċe. Þā ġetācniaþ hwelcre þēode sum mann sīe: Graecus ("Crēcisċ"), Anglus ("Englisċ").

     Some nouns are gentile. They tell you what nation someone belongs to: Graecus ("Greek person"), Anglus ("English person").

   • c. 995, Ælfric, Extracts on Grammar in English

     Sum þāra dǣla hātte analogiā on Crēcisċ, þæt is on Lǣden similium rērum comparātiō and on Englisċ "ġelīcra þinga wiþmetennes." Ġif þū nāst sumne Lǣdennaman hwelċes cynnes hē sīe on þǣm cræfte, þonne sċēawa þū be sumum ōðrum þe him ġelīċ sīe, and þū wāst þonne.

     One part [of the study of grammar] is called analogia in Greek, that is in Latin similium rerum comparatio and in English "comparison of similar things." If you don't know what gender a certain word is in Latin, think of another word like it, and then you'll know.

2. what kind of

   Hwelċe bēċ rǣtst þū?

   What kind of books do you read?

   Hwelċ mann wolde swelċes dōn?

   What kind of person would do such a thing?

   • The Legend of St. Andrew

     Ġēa hlāford, and hwæt ġif iċ swelcne mann ġemēte? Hwelċe mēde sċeal iċ him behātan?

     Yes lord, and what if I find someone like that? What kind of reward should I promise them?

   • c. 994, Ælfric, On the Seasons of the Year

     Menn magon cēpan be þæs mōnan blēo hwelċ weder tōweard biþ.

     People can observe from the color of the moon what kind of weather is coming.

3. some, any
   • 11th century, "Æcerbot Charm"

     Hēr is sēo bōt hū þū meaht þīne æcras bētan ġif hīe nyllaþ wel weaxan oþþe þǣr hwelċ unġedēfe þing on ġedōn biþ on drȳ oþþe on lyblāce.

     Here is the remedy for how you can improve your fields if they won't grow well or something harmful [lit. some harmful thing] has been done to them by a wizard or through witchcraft.

hwelċ

1. which one

   Þȳ hwelċ ēower dyde þæt þing?

   So which one of you did the thing?

   Hēr sind þrēo hors. Hwelċ is þīn?

   There are three horses here. Which one is yours?

   • c. 990, Wessex Gospels, Matthew 19:16-19

     And þā ġenēalǣhte him ān mann tō and cwæþ, "Lā gōda lārēow! Hwæt gōdes dō iċ þæt iċ ēċe līf hæbbe?" Þā cwæþ hē, "Hwæt āscast þū mē be gōde? Ān God is gōd. Sōðlīċe ġif þū wilt on līf becuman, heald þā bebodu." Þā cwæþ hē, "Hwelcu?" Þā cwæþ sē Hǣlend, "Ne dō þū mansliht, ne dō þū unryhthǣmed, ne stel þū, ne sæġe þū lēase ġewitnesse, weorða þīnne fæder and mōdor, and lufa þīnne nīehstan swā swā þē selfne."

     Then someone came up to him and said, "Teacher! What good do I have to do to have eternal life?" Jesus said, "Why are you asking me about 'good'? Only God is good. If you want to enter life, follow the commandments." Then he asked, "Which ones?" And Jesus said, "Don't commit murder, don't commit adultery, don't steal, don't give false testimony, respect your parents, and love your neighbor like you love yourself."

   • c. 992, Ælfric, "The Invention of the Holy Cross"

     Hēo becōm tō þǣre stōwe and āfand þrēo rōde. Ān wæs þæs Hǣlendes, and þā ōðra þāra þēofa. Þā nysse hēo ġewiss hwelcu wǣre Cristes rōd.

     She came to the place and discovered three crosses. One was Jesus', and the others belonged to the thieves. But she didn't know for sure which cross was Christ's.

2. anyone, anything; someone, something
3. who
   • c. 992, Ælfric, "The Nativity of St. Andrew the Apostle"

     "Zachéus wæs sum rice mann, and cepte þæs Hælendes fær, and wolde geseon hwilc hé wære; ac he ne mihte for ðære menigu ðe him mid ferde, forðan ðe hé wæs scort on wæstme.

     "Zacchæus was a rich man, and had observed the Saviour's course, and would see who he was; but he could not for the many that went with him, because he was short of stature.

hwelċ

1. what (used in exclamations)
   • c. 995, Ælfric, Extracts on Grammar in English

     Ō is tōclipiendlīċ bīword: Ō magister, docē mē! ("Ēalā þū lārēow, tǣċ mē!"). Hē is ēac wundriendlīċ: Ō quālis faciēs! ("Ēalā hwelcu ansīen!")

     O is a vocative adverb: O magister, doce me! ("Oh teacher, teach me!") It also expresses admiration: O qualis facies! ("Oh, what a face!").

• ǣlċ
• ġehwelċ
• hwelcnes

• English: which
• Scots: whilk