(a) A thing; ?also, error for wat n.(1) [last quot.]; on ~, one single thing; (b) anything; something; ~ litles, any little thing, some little thing; ~ hores (iveles), any foulness (harm); ~ swiches, something of the same kind; ~ ther-of, any of them; al ~, everything, all sorts of things; ani ~, elles ~, litel ~, lit ~, mani ~, most ~, muchel ~, muche ~, other ~, som ~, q.v.; (c) the wherewithal, means; haven ~; (d) in idiomatic construction with witen v.(1): wite ye (wostou) ~, do you know what, let me tell you something.

As interrog. pron. in direct questions, referring to a thing or an abstraction: (a) as subj. or pred. nom., chiefly with copulative verbs: what sort of thing?, what?;—sometimes with ellipsis of verb; also with genitive following [quot. c1175]; ~ is (to) you, ~ is (eileth) the, etc., what is wrong with you?, what’s the matter?, etc.; ~ to me and to the, what do you want with me?, what have you to do with me?; (b) as direct obj.: what?; (c) as obj. of prep.: for ~ [see for-what pronominal adv. & conj. (a)]; thurgh ~, by means of what?, how?; (d) as subj. in an introductory clause: ~ is that, what is the reason that (sth. is so), why is it that?; (e) as subj. or direct obj., with intensifying addition; ~ (the) devel, what devel that ever, what the devil?

As interrog. pron. in rhetorical questions, freq. implying a negative response, referring to a thing, an abstraction, etc.: (a) as subj. or direct obj.: what?; ~ (…) but, what (…) besides?, what (…) but?; also, what did one do other than (do sth.)? [quot. a1225(?OE)]; ~ doth…but, etc., of course (sb.) does no action other than; ~ is…but, etc., surely (sth.) is nothing other than (sth. else); also with comp. adj. and than; ~ nedeth, there is no need; (b) ~ is…to, of what importance is (sth.) to (sb.)?, (sth.) means nothing to (sb.); also with ellipsis of verb; (c) in comb. with subordinating conjunctions in elliptical constructions: ~ and (if, though), what would happen if (sth. is or was the case)?, what will or would happen even if (sth. happens)?; suppose that (sth. is or was so); it does not matter if (sth. is or was so), so what if; (d) in an inverted exclamation resembling a rhetorical question: what a lot, how much [cp. what adv. 4.].

As interrog. pron. in truncated or elliptical constructions, referring to an abstraction: (a) as a request or demand for clarification of a previous utterance: what is it?, what do you mean?; also, as an emphatic repetition attached to a rhetorical question: what, I ask you?; ~ nou, what is it now?, what’s wrong this time?; (b) ~ for-than (ther-fore, ther-of), what of that?, so what?; ac ~ for-thi, but nothing came of that, but all for nought; (c) as a device in narration: ~ thanne, and what happened then?, so then.

As interrog. pron. referring to a person, God, etc., used as subj. or pred. nom.: (a) in direct questions: who?; what manner of person or being?; (b) in rhetorical questions, usu. implying a negative response: no one (has heard sth., knows sth.); ~…but (withouten), surely (sb. is) nothing other than (sb.) or without (sth.).

As rel. pron. usu. used for an inanimate antecedent, introducing adj. clauses: (a) as subj. or direct obj.: which, that; ech on ~, whatever; (b) as obj. of prep.: which thing, which; mid (thurgh, with) ~, by means of which, whereby; also, with which; ther-inne on ~, into the things in which; (c) in comb. with al n. [could also be construed as al lim. adj. & what pron. 4a.]: everything that, all that; al ~ (that.

As an independent relative referring to a thing, an abstraction, etc., introducing noun clauses: what, what sort of thing or things; that which, that thing that, those things that: (a) functioning as direct obj. of a verb, verb phrase, or inf. in main clause, with pron. as subj., extraposed subj., or pred. nom. in its own clause; also functioning as appositive to direct obj. in main clause [quot. a1325, 2nd]; also, how great [quot. a1400, 1st]; ~ that; al ~, what all; (b) functioning as direct obj. of a verb, verb phrase, or inf. in main clause, with pron. as direct obj. in its own clause; also functioning as logical obj. of passive verb in main clause [last quot.]; also functioning as appositive to direct obj. in main clause, with pron. as appositive to direct obj. in its own clause; also with inf. phrase in place of noun clause; ~ that; (c) functioning as subj. or extraposed subj. in main clause, with pron. as subj., pred. nom., or direct obj. in its own clause; also functioning as appositive to subj. of main clause [quot. c1275]; (d) functioning as direct obj. of a verb in main clause, with pron. as obj. of prep. in its own clause; also functioning as obj. of a prep. in main clause, with pron. as subj. in its own clause [quots. ?c1200 & a1425]; for ~ [see also for-what pronominal adv. & conj. (b)]; (e) in elliptical or truncated constructions of the type in either (a) or (b).

As an independent relative referring to a person, God, etc., introducing noun clauses: (a) functioning as direct obj. of verb, verb phrase, or inf. in main clause, with pron. as subj. or pred. nom. in its own clause: who, what manner of person(s or being(s, the sort of person(s who, the manner of being that; also functioning as appositive to direct obj. in main clause [quots. a1393 & a1450]; (b) functioning as direct obj. in main clause, with pron. as direct obj. of elliptical verb phrase in its own clause: whom; (c) functioning as direct obj. in main clause, with pron. as subj. in its own truncated clause, in collocation: ich-ne-wot ~, some unknown entity.

As an independent relative introducing noun clauses serving as indirect questions: (a) functioning as direct obj. in main clause, with pron. as subj. or pred. nom. in its own clause, referring to a thing, an abstraction, etc.: what, what thing; ~ hire were, ~ me is, what was troubling her, what is wrong with me; (b) functioning as direct obj. in main clause, with pron. as direct obj. in its own clause, referring to a thing, an abstraction, etc.: what, what thing or things; also, with pron. as obj. of prep. in its own clause: thurgh ~, by what means, how [quot. c1175(?OE) HRood]; (c) functioning as direct obj. in main clause, with pron. as subj. in its own clause, referring to a person: who, what sort of person or persons; ~ that.

As an independent relative introducing noun clauses, in misc. constructions: (a) standing alone in headings or marginalia: what, what thing; also with ellipsis of verb phrase [quot. ?a1425, 2nd occurrence]; (b) preceded by lo interj.: what; what a thing; (c) in idiomatic expressions with witen v.(1): witen ~ is ~, to have a clear understanding of a circumstance or situation; also, possess all one’s wits, be in one’s wits; wost thou ~ is, do you know how it really is?, do you know what the situation is?; (d) in parenthetical clause used adverbially: ~ is more wonder, what is even more to be remarked, even more surprisingly; (e) in correl. construction with what adj.: what swich thing…~, what thing (could sb. do) like to what (sb. else did).

As an independent relative with indefinite or generalizing force referring to a thing, an abstraction, etc.: anything that, everything that, all things that; whatever;—introducing noun clauses: (a) functioning as direct obj. of verb or inf. in main clause, with pron. as subj. or pred. nom. in its own clause; ~ that ever; (b) functioning as direct obj. of verb, inf., or ppl. in main clause, with pron. as direct obj. in its own clause;—freq. with ellipsis of verb in modal constructions in noun clause; also functioning as obj. of prep. in main clause [quot. c1225]; ~ that; ~…ever, ~ that (as) ever; (c) functioning as subj. or pred. nom. in main clause, with pron. as subj. or direct obj. in its own clause; ~ that ever; ~ litles, what little; (d) functioning as an appositive to a pron. used as either the subj. or the direct obj. in the main clause, with pron. as direct obj. in its own clause, freq. with conditional or concessive force: whatever; also, if (…) anything, no matter what [difficult to distinguish from sense 6a.(c) and vice versa]; ~ as (ever; ~ that; ~ litles so, the little that; (e) in idiomatic construction with loken v.(2) 14.: loke ~ [OE lōca hwæt], whatever, that which.

As an independent relative with indefinite or generalizing force referring to a person, introducing noun clauses: (a) functioning as direct obj. in main clause, with pron. as subj. in its own clause: anyone who, whoever; (b) functioning as an appositive to a pron. used as either the subj. or the direct obj. in the main clause, with pron. as subj. in its own clause: whoever; also, with concessive force: no matter who [difficult to distinguish from sense 6b. and vice versa]; (c) functioning as subj. in main clause, with pron. as obj. compl. in its own clause, in collocation: ~ calle-ye-him, whatever-you-call-him, what’s-his-name.

As an independent relative with indefinite or generalizing force referring to a thing, an abstraction, etc., introducing adv. and adj. clauses, usu. with concessive force: (a) introducing adv. clauses: whatever; no matter what, regardless of what; ~ as (that) ever; (b) introducing conventionalized, more or less parenthetical adv. clauses: ~ bifalle (bitide, itide), bitide (tide) ~ bitide, tide so ~, etc., come what may, in any event, no matter what; ~ (as) thou wilt, as you like, however you wish; (c) introducing more or less parenthetical adv. or adj. clauses: ~ hit be (is, were), ~ as (that) ever hit be, ~ that hit be, be ~ hit ever be, whatever it may be, no matter what it is; also, of any sort whatsoever [cp. sense 5a.(d)]; which ~, of whatever kind, regardless of what sort.

As an independent relative with indefinite or generalizing force referring to a person, introducing adj. clauses: whatever ones, any that; also, with concessive force: no matter who [cp. sense 5b.(b)]; ~ that.