Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Quhence, Quhens, interrog. adv. (and conj.) [e.m.E. whence, whens, ME whennes, whannes (c1300), f. whanne, whenne, Quhen interrog. adv.²] Whence, from where. Also preceded by redundant fra (fro) and from. In a. direct, and b. indirect, questions, and c. as a relative.a. (1) ?1438 Alex. i 2152.
Quhence come ȝow Arreste? c1616 Hume Orthog. 29.(2) 1513 Doug. x xi 157.
Quhidder am I dryve, and from quhens am I cumyn?b. (1) a1500 Quare Jel. 419.
Approvit is by resoun … Off quhom this vice … is tone And quhens he cummith and quhider he schall gone Ib. 114. 1513 Doug. viii iii 42.
Quhiddir ettill ȝe, … Schaw quhens ȝe com, and quhilk is ȝour cuntre(2) c1520-c1535 Nisbet Rev. ii 5.
Tharfor be thou myndful fra [P. fro] quhens thou has fallin a1585 Maitl. Q. lxv 67.
Till quhat thow art from quhence for suir I sie Thow may not duire with sorrow thus attentc. a1500 Quare Jel. 569.
The fader of haterent [Fro] quhens that cummith euery euill entent