As indef. pron. referring to a person and used as subj.: (a) anyone, someone, one; also [last quot.], each one;—sometimes with ellipsis of verb; (b) in subordinate clauses introduced by but, if, or though (the: a person, someone, anyone; som ~, q.v.

As indef. pron., used as subj. in conventional parenthetical clauses with as [could also be construed as independent relative; cp. senses 4a.(a) & 5.(a)]: (a) as ~ seieth, etc., interpreting a preceding utterance: that is to say, in other words, which is as much as to say that; (b) as ~ seieth, etc., interpreting a preceding action: as if to say, as though saying; (c) as ~ seieth, etc., qualifying a single word or phrase, either preceding or following: in a manner of speaking, as it were, you might say, as they say; also, in the manner of, as you might say [quot. a1400]; (d) as ~ seieth, introducing the response to a preceding rhetorical question: in a word; the answer is; (e) with other verbs: as ~ bieth (distilleth, sholde sellen, etc.), as one might buy (an ox), distill (lye), etc.

As interrog. pron. in direct questions, referring to a person or an animate being and used as subj.: who?;—sometimes in truncated or elliptical constructions; also, in partitive or disjunctive constructions: which one or ones?, which? [quots. a1382 & c1385]; also, referring to a reified abstraction: what? [quot. ?a1425].

As interrog. pron. in rhetorical questions, referring to a person, God, etc. and used as subj.: (a) with referent strongly implied, or supplied in the following context, usu. in a phrase with but: who?; who (but sb., but God)?; (b) suggesting the nonexistence of an appropriate referent: can there be anyone who?, does such a one exist who?;—used to produce the effect of a denial: surely there is no one who, nobody; (c) suggesting arrogance or presumption on the part of the intended referent, usu. in constructions with ben and that clause: ~ art thou, who do you think you are (that you do sth.)?; ~ am ich (is he); ~ is so hardi (fers), who is so foolhardy (that he will do sth.), etc.?; also, in constructions with inf.: ~ makede the so hardi (taughte the), how did you dare (to do sth.)?

As rel. pron. introducing adj. clauses, used for an animate antecedent (sg. or pl.) and as subj.: who.

As an independent relative referring to a person or persons and used as subj. or pred. nom., introducing noun clauses: (a) functioning usu. as direct obj. of a verb, verb phrase, or inf. of perception, communication, etc. in main clause: who;—sometimes in elliptical or truncated constructions; also in fig. context [quot. ?a1425]; also with clause functioning as subj. or extraposed subj. [quots. 1st & c1175]; ~ that; also, in name of allegorical character: ich wot not (never) ~ [quots. a1450]; knouen ~ was ~, to be able to identify or recognize which person was which of a pair or group; (b) functioning as direct obj. of a verb of inquiry and serving as an indirect question: who; ~ that.

As an independent relative with indefinite or generalizing force referring to a person or persons and used as subj. or pred. nom., introducing noun clauses: (a) functioning as subj. in main clause: one who, the person or persons who, anyone who; whoever; also functioning as subj. of inf. phrase [quot. a1525]; ~ that; (b) functioning as an appositive to a pron. used as subj. in the main or an adjacent clause: the person or persons who, he who, she who; whoever; also functioning as an appositive to a noun, in inverted construction [quot. c1475]; ~ as ever; ~ that; loke ~ that, whoever; (c) in constructions of the type in (b) but with impv. verb and omission of subj. in main clause: the person who, whoever…let that person (do or be sth.); ~ that; (d) functioning as an appositive to a pron. used as direct obj., indirect obj., or obj. of prep. in main clause: the one who, those who, whoever; also functioning in loose relationship to a pron. in the genitive in main clause; ~ that; loke ~ that, whoever; (e) functioning as direct obj. in main clause: the one or ones who, someone who, anyone who; also introducing inf. phrase [quot. a1250]; also functioning as appositive to direct obj. in elliptical constructions [quot. a1382]; daþeit ~ [see daþeit n. (b)]; (f) functioning as obj. of prep. in main clause: anyone who, whoever; ~ that; also, used adverbially with concessive force: maugre ~, no matter who (does sth.).

As an independent relative with indefinite or generalizing force referring to a person or persons and used as subj., introducing adv. clauses: (a) with conditional force: if anyone, if someone, should one; ~ that; (b) with concessive force: no matter who, regardless of who; ~ as ever, ~ that (ever.

As an independent relative, freq. with indefinite or generalizing force, referring to a person or persons and used as direct obj., introducing noun clauses: (a) functioning as direct obj. in main clause: the one or ones whom, whom; anyone whom, whomever; also introducing inf. phrase [last quot.]; (b) functioning as an appositive to a pron. used as subj. in main clause: the one whom, he whom, whomever; ~ that.