different between why vs forthy

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English why, from Old English hw? (“why”), from Proto-Germanic *hw? (“by what, how”), from Proto-Indo-European *k?ey, instrumental case of *k?is (“who”), *k?id (“what”).

Cognate with Old Saxon hw? (“why”), hwiu (“how; why”), Middle High German wiu (“how, why”), archaic Danish and Norwegian Bokmål hvi (“why”), Norwegian Nynorsk kvi (“why”), Swedish vi (“why”), Faroese and Icelandic hví (“why”), Latin qu? (“why”), Ancient Greek ??? (peî, “where”). Compare Old English þ? (“because, since, on that account, therefore, then”, literally “by that, for that”). See thy.

Pronunciation

• enPR: hw?, w?, IPA^(key): /?a?/, /wa?/
• (in accents without the "wine-whine" merger)
• (in accents with the "wine-whine" merger)
• (in accents with the "wine-whine" merger)
• Rhymes: -a?
• Homophones: wye, Y, y (all only in accents with the wine-whine merger)

Adverb

why (not comparable)

1. For what cause, reason, or purpose (interrogative adverb).
   1. Introducing a complete question.
      • 2016, VOA Learning English (public domain)

        Why do you have a map of the world?

   2. Introducing a verb phrase (bare infinitive clause).

   3. Introducing a noun or other phrase.

2. For which cause, reason, or purpose (relative adverb).

Synonyms

• how come, wherefore, to what end

Translations

Noun

why (plural whys or why's)

1. reason

Synonyms

• wherefore

Translations

Interjection

why

1. An exclamation used to express indignation, mild surprise, or impatience.
   • 1724, Daniel Defoe, Roxana: The Fortunate Mistress

     “Why, child, I tell thee if I was thy mother I would not disown thee; don't you see I am as kind to you as if I was your mother?”

     Why, thank you!

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 2

Noun

why (plural whies)

1. (Britain, dialect) A young heifer.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Grose to this entry?)

Further reading

• why in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• why in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• hwy, hwy.

Cornish

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *sw?s (compare Breton c’hwi, Welsh chi, Old Irish síi), from Proto-Indo-European *wos.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?i?/, /???/

Alternative forms

• hwi (Standard Written Form)

Pronoun

why

1. (Standard Cornish, Standard Written Form with Traditional Graphs) you (formal or plural)

English

Alternative forms

• for-thy, for thy, forthi

Etymology

From Middle English forthy, from Old English forþ?, for þ? [þe] (“because [that]”), forþon (“because, since”), from for + þ?, þon (“by that, therefore”), instrumental case of þæt (“that”); compare Old Norse fyrir því (at) (Danish & Norwegian fordi (“because”), Swedish för att). More at for, the, that.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /f?(?)?ða?/
• (US) IPA^(key): /f??ða?/
• Rhymes: -a?

Adverb

forthy (not comparable)

1. (obsolete) Therefore.
   • c. 1480, Robert Henryson, The Taill of Schir Chanticleir and the Foxe

     Forthy as now, I purpose for to wryte... Forthy as now schortlie to conclude.

2. (obsolete) For this, for this reason; on this account.

   • Thomalin, have no care for-thy.

Conjunction

forthy

1. Because, for sake, forwhy, since.

Synonyms

• as, for, inasmuch as, ? (mathematics symbol); see also Thesaurus:because

Related terms

• why
• forwhy
• because of (prepositional phrase)
• 'cos
• for-than

Anagrams

• frothy