Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

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Contents 1 English 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Pronunciation 1.2.1 Homophones 1.3 Determiner 1.3.1 Usage notes 1.3.2 Quotations 1.3.3 Translations 1.3.4 Derived terms

[ English

Rank of this word in the English language, from analyzing texts from Project Gutenberg.
by	on	her	#24: which	have	or	from

[ Etymology

Old English hwilc.

[ Pronunciation

• (UK) enPR: hwĭch, IPA: /ʍɪʧ/, SAMPA: /WItS/
• (US) enPR: wĭch, hwĭch, IPA: /wɪʧ/, /ʍɪʧ/, SAMPA: /wItS/, /WItS/
•  Audio (US)^{help, file}

  Rhymes: -ɪtʃ

[ Homophones

• wich, wych (in accents with the wine-whine merger)
• witch

[ Determiner

which

1. What, of those mentioned or implied (used interrogatively).

   Which song made the charts?

   They couldn't decide which song to play.

2. (interrogative) What one or ones (of those mentioned or implied).

   Which is bigger?

   Which is which?

3. (relative) The one or ones that.

   Show me which is bigger.

4. (relative) Who; whom; what (of those mentioned or implied)

   Their first song, which made the charts 2004, is great.

[ Usage notes

• (US usage) Some authorities insist, prescriptively, that which should be used only in non-restrictive contexts. For restrictive contexts (e.g., The song that made the charts in 2004 is better than the later ones), they prefer that. Actual usage does not support this "rule." Fowler, who proposed the rule, himself acknowledged that it was "not the practice of most or of the best writers." Even E.B. White, a notorious "which-hunter," wrote this: "the premature expiration of a pig is, I soon discovered, a departure which the community marks solemnly on its calendar." In modern UK usage, The song which made the charts in 2004 is better than the later ones is generally accepted without question.

[ Quotations

• 1611 — King James Version of the Bible, Luke 1:1

  Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us...

[ Translations

what, of those mentioned or implied

Czech: který m., která f., které n. Dutch: welk nl(nl), welke nl(nl) Esperanto: kiu eo(eo), kiuj eo(eo) Finnish: mikä fi(fi), kumpi fi(fi) French: quel fr(fr) m., quelle fr(fr) f. German: welcher de(de) m., welche de(de) f., welches de(de) n. Hungarian: melyik hu(hu) Italian: quale m. and f. Japanese: どの ja(ja) Kurdish: کام, کامه‌

Lithuanian: kuris Maltese: lima mt(mt) Novial: qui Polish: który pl(pl) m., która pl(pl) f., które pl(pl) n., którzy pl(pl) m. pl., które pl(pl) f. pl., które pl(pl) n. pl. Russian: который ru(ru) (kotóryj) m. Slovene: kateri m., katera f., katero n. Spanish: cual es(es) Swedish: vilken c., vilket n., vilka pl. Yiddish: וואָסער (sg), וואָסערע (pl)

(interrogative) what one or ones

Czech: který m., která f., které n. Dutch: welk, hetwelk, dewelke Esperanto: kiu eo(eo), kiuj eo(eo) Finnish: mikä fi(fi), kumpi fi(fi) French: quel fr(fr) m., quelle fr(fr) f. German: welcher de(de) m., welche de(de) f., welches de(de) n. Hungarian: melyik hu(hu) Italian: quale m. and f. Japanese: どれ ja(ja)

Kurdish: کام, کامه‌ Novial: que m. and f. or n. sg. or pl., ques m. and f. or n. pl., quu n. sg. or pl., quus n. pl. Polish: który pl(pl) m., która pl(pl) f., które pl(pl) n., którzy pl(pl) m. pl., które pl(pl) f. pl., które pl(pl) n. pl. Romanian: care ro(ro) Russian: который ru(ru) (kotóryj) m. Slovene: kateri m., katera f., katero n. Spanish: cuál sg., cuáles pl. Swedish: vilken c., vilket n., vilka pl.

(relative) the one(s) that

Czech: který cs(cs) Dutch: welk, dewelke, hetwelk Esperanto: kiu eo(eo), kiuj eo(eo) Finnish: mikä fi(fi), kumpi fi(fi) French: lequel fr(fr) m., laquelle fr(fr) f., lesquels fr(fr) pl., lesquelles fr(fr) f. pl. Indonesian: yang mana Italian: il quale m., la quale f., i quali pl., le quali f. pl.

Kurdish: که‌وا Novial: tu kel n. sg. or pl., te kel m. and f. or n. sg. or pl., tus kel n. pl., tes kel m. and f. or n. pl. Polish: który pl(pl) m., która pl(pl) f., które pl(pl) n., którzy pl(pl) m. pl., które pl(pl) f. pl., które pl(pl) n. pl. Portuguese: aquele m., aquela f. Russian: который ru(ru) (kotóryj) m. Spanish: cual sg., cuales pl.

(relative) who, whom, what

Czech: který cs(cs) Dutch: die nl(nl), dat nl(nl) Esperanto: kiu eo(eo), kiuj eo(eo) Finnish: joka fi(fi) French: qui (referring to the subject); que (referring to thee object) The one which hit me — Celui qui m’a frappé. The one which I wrote — Celui que j’ai écrit. Hungarian: amelyik Ido: qua Indonesian: yang id(id)

Italian: che it(it) Kurdish: که‌وا Novial: kel sg. or pl., keles pl. Polish: który pl(pl) m., która pl(pl) f., które pl(pl) n., którzy pl(pl) m. pl., które pl(pl) f. pl., które pl(pl) n. pl. Romanian: care ro(ro) Russian: который ru(ru) (kotóryj) Slovene: ki sl(sl) Spanish: quien (if a person), que Swedish: som, vilken c., vilket n., vilka pl.

[ Derived terms

• every which way
• every which where
• whichever
• whichsoever