whence

• POS: Pronoun, Adverb

CIDE DICTIONARY

whence, adv. [OE. whennes, whens (with adverbial s, properly a genitive ending; -- see -wards), also whenne, whanene, AS. hwanan, hwanon, hwonan, hwanone; akin to D. when. See When, and cf. Hence, Thence.].

•  From what place; hence, from what or which source, origin, antecedent, premise, or the like; how; -- used interrogatively.  [1913 Webster]

  "Whence hath this man this wisdom?"  [1913 Webster]

  "Whence and what art thou?"  [1913 Webster]
•  From what or which place, source, material, cause, etc.; the place, source, etc., from which; -- used relatively.  [1913 Webster]

  "Grateful to acknowledge whence his good
  Descends."  [1913 Webster]

  "O, how unlike the place from whence they fell?"  [1913 Webster]

  "From whence come wars and fightings among you?"  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

whence, adv. & conj. formal
--adv. from what place? (whence did they come?).
--conj.
1 to the place from which (return whence you came).
2 (often prec. by place etc.) from which (the source whence these errors arise).
3 and thence (whence it follows that).

Usage

Use of from whence as in the place from whence they came, though common, is generally considered incorrect.

Etymology

ME whannes, whennes f. whanne, whenne f. OE hwanon(e) whence, formed as WHEN + -S(3): cf. THENCE

THESAURUS

whence

accordingly, away, because of that, because of this, consequently, derivation, ergo, for that, for that cause, for that reason, for this cause, for this reason, for which reason, forth, fountain, hence, hereat, inception, off, on that account, on that ground, on this account, origin, out, propter hoc, provenance, provenience, root, then, thence, thereat, therefor, therefore, therefrom, thereof, thus, thusly, thuswise, well, wellspring, wherefore, wherefrom

ROGET THESAURUS

whence

Attribution

N attribution, theory, etiology, ascription, reference to, rationale, accounting for, palaetiology, imputation, derivation from, filiation, affiliation, pedigree, explanation, reason why, attributed, attributable, referable to, referrible to, due to, derivable from, owing to, putative, ecbatic, hence, thence, therefore, for, since, on account of, because, owing to, on that account, from this cause, from that cause, thanks to, forasmuch as, whence, propter hoc, why? wherefore? whence? how comes it, how is it, how happens it? how does it happen? in some way, in some such way, somehow, somehow or other, that is why, hinc illae lachrymae.

Departure

N departure, decession, decampment, embarkation, outset, start, removal, exit, exodus, hejira, flight, leave taking, valediction, adieu, farewell, goodbye, auf wiedersehen, sayonara, dosvidanya, ciao, aloha, hasta la vista, stirrup cup, valedictorian, starting point, starting post, point of departure, point of embarkation, place of departure, place of embarkation, port of embarkation, airport, take-off point, taxiing runway, runway, launching pad, spaceport, departing, valedictory, outward bound, whence, hence, thence, with a foot in the stirrup, on the wing, on the move, Int, begone!, farewell!, adieu!, goodbye!, good day!, au revoir!, fare you well!, God bless you!, God speed!, all aboard!, auf wiedersehen!, au plaisir de vous revoir!, bon voyage!, gluckliche Reise!, vive valeque!.

Reasoning,

N reasoning ratiocination rationalism, dialectics, induction, generalization, discussion, comment, ventilation, inquiry, argumentation, controversy, debate, polemics, wrangling, contention, logomachy, disputation, disceptation, paper war, art of reasoning, logic, process of reasoning, train of reasoning, chain of reasoning, deduction, induction, abduction, synthesis, analysis, argument, case, plaidoyer, opening, lemma, proposition, terms, premises, postulate, data, starting point, principle, inference, prosyllogism, syllogism, enthymeme, sorites, dilemma, perilepsis, a priori reasoning, reductio ad absurdum, horns of a dilemma, argumentum ad hominem, comprehensive argument, empirema, epagoge, reasoner, logician, dialectician, disputant, controversialist, controvertist, wrangler, arguer, debater polemic, casuist, rationalist, scientist, eristic, logical sequence, good case, correct just reasoning, sound reasoning, valid reasoning, cogent reasoning, logical reasoning, forcible reasoning, persuasive reasoning, persuasory reasoning, consectary reasoning, conclusive, subtle reasoning, force of argument, strong point, strong argument, persuasive argument, arguments, reasons, pros and cons, reasoning, rationalistic, argumentative, controversial, dialectic, polemical, discursory, discursive, disputatious, Aristotelian, eristic, eristical, debatable, controvertible, logical, relevant, for, because, hence, whence, seeing that, since, sith, then thence so, for that reason, for this reason, for which reason, for as, inasmuch as, whereas, ex concesso, considering, in consideration of, therefore, wherefore, consequently, ergo, thus, accordingly, a fortiori, in conclusion, in fine, finally, after all, au bout du compt, on the whole, taking one thing with another, ab actu ad posse valet consecutio, per troppo dibatter la verita si perde, troppo disputare la verita fa errare.