A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1375-1460
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Quhen, Quhene, Quhan, interrog. adv.2 [ME whenne (13–14th c.), when (14–15th c.), wen, wan (14th c.), whone (13th c.), early hwonne, OE hwanone, hwanon, hwonan, Northumb. hwona; but cf. also Quhyn(e. Only in early verse.] Whence, from where. (Also quhen that.)(a) 1375 Barb. vii 242 (E).
[He] askit him quhat he was And quhen [C. quhyne] he come & [quhethir he gais] a1400 Legends of the Saints xii 158.
Na Judas kennyt nocht the cunctre Quhare he wes borne na quhen that he Come ?1438 Alex. ii 624.
Thow knawis nocht our kynd Na quhen [F. dont] we come(b) a1400 Legends of the Saints xvi 576.
& thane he Sperit at hyme quhene he be a1400 Ib. 581, xviii 73.(c) ?1438 Alex. ii 53.
Gude man, quhether art thow went on way, Or quhan thow come [F. dont viens], for God lat heir c1460 Alex. (Taym.) (ed.) 973.
Than speirit the king quhan com the bachelare
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"Quhen interrog. adv.2". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/quhen_interrog_adv>
