As interrog. pron. in direct questions: (a) referring to a person or a personification, used as subj. or pred. nom.: who?; which one?; also, what kind of person?; (b) referring to a thing, an abstraction, etc., used as subj. or pred. nom.: what?; what kind of thing?; which one?; also in truncated or elliptical constructions; (c) referring to God or a thing, an abstraction, etc., used as obj. of prep.: which one?; to ~.

As rel. pron. used for an animate, usu. human, antecedent (sg. or pl.), introducing restrictive adj. clauses [occas. difficult to distinguish from sense 2b. and vice versa]: (a) as subj.: who, that; also with antecedent in the genitive [quot. a1393]; also with pleonastic subj. pron. later in the clause [quot. a1425]; ~ that; the ~; (b) as direct obj.: whom, that; also with pleonastic obj. pron. later in clause [quot. c1395]; (c) as obj. of prep.: whom; also with pleonastic subj. pron. in a subsequent subordinate clause [quots. ?1387 & ?a1475] and with pleonastic prep. in postposition [quot. c1380]; the ~; (d) in constructions with a following genitive: ~…here presence, whose presence; ~ his name, whose name.

As rel. pron. used for an animate, usu. human, antecedent (sg. or pl.), introducing nonrestrictive adj. clauses: (a) as subj.: who; also with antecedent in the genitive [quots. c1400 & a1425(a1400)]; also with ellipsis of verb or with ppl. for verb [quot. c1384] and with pleonastic subj. pron. later in the clause [quot. c1400]; ~ that; the ~; also, with pers. pron. in apposition to rel. pron.: ~ thou; (b) as direct obj.: whom; ~ that; the ~; (c) as obj. of prep.: whom; also with ellipsis of verb [quot. a1420] and sometimes with pleonastic repetition of prep. phrase; the ~; (d) in constructions with genitive or partitive phrases: ~…on, one of which; ~…hires, whose (men and castle these are) [both exx. could also be construed as sense 6.(a)]; whiches, whose (branch).

As rel. pron. used for an inanimate antecedent (sg. or pl.), introducing restrictive adj. clauses [occas. difficult to distinguish from sense 3b. and vice versa]: (a) as subj.: which, that; also with pleonastic subj. pron. in main clause [quot. c1450 Metham]; ~ as (that); the ~; (b) as direct obj.: which, that; ~ as (that); the ~; (c) as obj. of a prep.: which;—sometimes with pleonastic prep. in postposition; ~ as (that); the ~; ther ben of the ~, there are some [i.e., wounds] of which (the lips, etc.).

As rel. pron. used for an inanimate antecedent (sg. or pl.), introducing nonrestrictive adj. clauses: (a) as subj.: which; also with pleonastic subj. pron. later in clause [quots. a1425 & c1460] and in absolute constructions [quots. c1350 & c1475]; ~ that; the ~; (b) as direct obj.: which; also, with pleonastic obj. pron. later in clause [quots. ?a1425 & 1449]; the ~ (that; (c) as obj. of prep.: which, which thing; also with ellipsis of verb [quots. a1400 (2nd occurrence) & a1450]; ~ that; the ~; (d) in construction with genitive in loose relationship to a previous antecedent: whiches proces, ?concerning the doing of which.

As an independent relative referring to a person, God, an animal, etc., introducing noun clauses: (a) functioning as subj. in main clause, with pron. as subj. in its own clause: the one who, he who; also, which persons who [1st quot.]; ~ that; the ~; (b) 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 person or persons; what sort of person, persons, or bird; also, which one (of a group of people or animals); also with clause functioning as appositive to obj. of prep. in main clause [quot. a1500(?c1440)]; ~ that; the ~; ~ is ~; (c) functioning as direct obj. in main clause, with pron. as direct obj. in its own clause: which one (of a group of persons); (d) functioning as direct obj. of verb or lo interj. in main clause, with pron. as obj. of prep. in its own clause: whom; (e) in truncated or elliptical constructions, usu. functioning as direct obj. in main clause, with pron. as subj. in its own clause; also with clause functioning as appositive to direct obj. in main clause [quot. a1400] or to obj. of prep. in main clause [quot. ?a1400]: who he is, which one it or he is, which ones they are; also, which ones come; which ones should serve; which ones did (right).

As an independent relative referring to a thing, an abstraction, 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: what, what thing or things; what kind of thing or things; also, which one [last quot.]; that thing which [quot. c1475 Chartier Quad.(1)]; also with clause functioning as appositive to direct obj. in main clause; ~ that; ~ is ~, whether is ~; (b) functioning as direct obj. of verb or gerund in main clause, with pron. as direct obj. in its own clause: which one or ones; also, that thing or those things which [quots. a1393 & c1450 C.d’Orl. & Capgr.]; (c) in truncated or elliptical constructions, usu. functioning as direct obj. in main clause, with pron. as subj. in its own clause: what it is or was; which one is (venial, a pronoun, etc.); also in headings, titles, etc., in various constructions [quots. c1400 Brut-1333, a1500(c1410), & last].

As an independent relative with indefinite or generalizing force referring to a person, introducing noun clauses: (a) functioning as subj. in main clause, with rel. pron. usu. as subj. in its own clause: whoever, whichever one or ones; also, anyone who [last quot.]; also, with rel. pron. as direct obj. in its own clause: anyone whom [quot. a1450]; also, with rel. pron. as obj. of prep. in its own clause: ~…on, the one on whom (a flower falls) [1st quot.]; (b) functioning as an appositive to a pron. used as subj. in the main or an adjacent subordinate clause, with rel. pron. as subj. in its own clause, usu. in a partitive construction and freq. with slight conditional force: whoever, whichever one or ones; also, if any (of you, them); also with clause functioning as an appositive to a pron. in the genitive in main clause [quot. a1420] or to a pron. used as direct obj./subj. of inf. in main clause [quot. a1400]; also with pron. as obj. of prep. in its own clause [1st quot.]; (c) functioning as direct obj. of verb, verb phrase, inf., or ppl. in main clause, with rel. pron. as subj. or direct obj. in its own clause: whichever one or ones; whomever, anyone whom; also with clause functioning as appositive to direct obj. in main clause [quot. 1389]; ~ as; (d) functioning as obj. of prep. in main clause, with rel. pron. as subj. in its own clause: whichever one; those who, any who.

As an independent relative with indefinite or generalizing force referring to a thing, an abstraction, etc., introducing noun clauses: (a) functioning as subj. in main clause, with rel. pron. as subj. in its own clause: one which; (b) functioning as direct obj. of verb or inf. in main clause, with rel. pron. as subj. or direct obj. in its own clause: which or whichever one; also, whatever [last quot.]; (c) functioning as an appositive to the subj. or direct obj. in the main or an adjacent clause, with rel. pron. as subj., pred. nom., or direct obj. in its own clause: whichever one or ones, which one; also, whatever [sometimes difficult to distinguish from adv. constructions with concessive force: no matter which one or ones, no matter what; cp. what pron. 6a.]; also with ellipsis [quot. a1425 Here begynnes, 2nd occurrence]; (d) functioning as obj. of prep. in main clause, with rel. pron. as subj. in its own clause: whatever; also, used adverbially with concessive force: in ~ that ever, in whatever place (a wound occurs).

(a) As a loose connective in anacoluthic or illogical constructions: such that; and, as to which [some exx. could also be construed as rel. pron. with ellipsis of preceding prep.]; ~ that; (b) ?error for wis(e n.(1); (c) ?error for whi n. (c).