what
pronoun
[ wɒt ]
• asking for information specifying something.
• "what is your name?"
• the thing or things that (used in specifying something).
• "what we need is a commitment"
• (in exclamations) emphasizing something surprising or remarkable.
• "what some people do for a crust!"
what
determiner
• asking for information specifying something.
• "what time is it?"
• (referring to the whole of an amount) whatever.
• "he had been robbed of what little money he had"
• (in exclamations) how great or remarkable.
• "what luck!"
what
adverb
• to what extent?
• "what does it matter?"
• used to indicate an estimate or approximation.
• "see you, what, about four?"
• used for emphasis or to invite agreement.
• "pretty poor show, what?"
Origin:
Old English hwæt, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch wat and German was, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin quod .
