whence

Everyday

1. (old-fashioned) From where: «Whence did he come?» means «Where did he come from?». tree →
2. (formal) From which place or reason: «the town whence she came». tree →
3. (formal) Which is why: «He was late, whence the trouble.» tree →

In the lessons

You mostly meet «whence» in old stories, poems, the Bible and fairy tales, where it gives an old, grand feel. In modern speech people use «where … from» instead. In the Bible: «I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help» (Psalm 121, King James Version). Related old words: «hence» (from here), «thence» (from there), «whither» (to where).

Examples

• «Whence came you, stranger?» asked the old king. tree →
• The river flows back to the mountains whence it came. tree →
• In the old poem the knight returned to the land whence he had set out. tree →
• «From whence cometh my help?» we read in the psalm. tree →
• Nobody knew whence the strange noise came. tree →
• Today we would say «Where did you come from?» instead of «Whence came you?» tree →
• "Whence do you come?" asked the mother. tree →

Note

Strictly «whence» already means «from where», so «from whence» repeats «from» — but it is very common in old texts and the Bible, so it is not wrong there. Do not confuse with «when» (time) or «hence» (so, from here). Do not use it in normal writing; it sounds very old.

In Jewish tradition

Old word meaning "from where"; it asks or tells where someone or something came from. In the primary lessons: You mostly meet «whence» in old stories, poems, the Bible and fairy tales, where it gives an old, grand feel. In modern speech people use «where … from» instead. In the Bible: «I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help» (Psalm 121, King James Version). Related old words: «hence» (from here), «thence» (from there), «whither» (to where).

Examples

• and Pathrusim, and Casluhim — whence went forth the Philistines — and Caphtorim. (Torah GEN.10.14, JPS 1917) tree →
• And Jacob said unto them: 'My brethren, whence are ye?' And they said: 'Of Haran are we.' (Torah GEN.29.4, JPS 1917) tree →
• Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. (Torah GEN.3.23, JPS 1917) tree →
• and Pathrusim, and Casluhim — from whence came the Philistines — and Caphtorim. (Writings 1CH.1.12, JPS 1917) tree →
• I will lift up mine eyes unto the mountains: from whence shall my help come? (Writings PSA.121.1, JPS 1917) tree →
• And Elisha said unto him: 'Whence comest thou, Gehazi?' And he said: 'Thy servant went no whither.' (Prophets 2KI.5.25, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Strictly «whence» already means «from where», so «from whence» repeats «from» — but it is very common in old texts and the Bible, so it is not wrong there. Do not confuse with «when» (time) or «hence» (so, from here). Do not use it in normal writing; it sounds very old.

Early Modern English

Meaning

From what place or source. tree →

Then and now

Today it is old-fashioned and formal; we usually say "where from" or "from where".

Examples

• and Pathrusim, and Casluhim — whence went forth the Philistines — and Caphtorim. (Torah GEN.10.14, JPS 1917) tree →
• Whence do you come?" she asked. (Indian Fairy Tales) tree →
• In usual Hebrew grammatical terminology, the term ‘mothers’ is reserved for the אִמּוֹת קְרִיאָה immot qeriʼah, ‘mothers of reading’ (whence Latin matres lectionis), the letters אהו״י Alef-Heh-Waw-Yod which can serve to represent either consonants or vowels. (Sefer Yetzirah, Sefaria community translation) tree →

Note

Today: from where.