Etymology : Middle English, from Old English hwy, instrumental case of hwæt what; more at WHAT
Pronunciation : hwI, wI
Function : adverb
Date : before 12th century
1. reason; for what reason?; for what purpose?. adfor what reason?; for what purpose?. conj. for what reason; because of which. Oh! (cry of surprise). why\why\ , adv. [oe. whi, why, as. hwī, hw , instrumental case of hwā, hw?t; akin to icel. hvī why, dan. & sw. hvi; cf. goth. hw . . see:
who.].
2. for what cause, reason, or purpose; on what account; wherefore; -- used interrogatively. see:
the note under what, pron.,.
3. turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, o house of israel? xxxiii.
4. 2. for which; on account of which; -- used relatively. no ground of enmity between us known why he should mean me ill or seek to harm. turn the discourse; i have a reason why i would not have you speak so tenderly.
5. the reason or cause for which; that on account of which; on what account; as, i know not why he left town so suddenly; -- used as a compound relative.note: why is sometimes used as an interjection or an expletive in expression of surprise or content at a turn of affairs; used also in calling. "why, jessica!" if her chill heart i can not move, why, i'll enjoy the very love. owley. sometimes, also, it is used as a noun. the how and the why and the where.
6. For what cause, reason, or purpose; on what account; wherefore; used interrogatively.
7. See the Note under What, pron., 1.
8. For which; on account of which; used relatively.
9. The reason or cause for which; that on account of which; on what account; as, I know not why he left town so suddenly; used as a compound relative.
10. A young heifer. the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase `the whys and wherefores' question word; what is the reason ; "why are you here?"; "how come he got an ice cream cone but I didn't?".
11. 1. You use why in questions when you ask about the reasons for something. Why hasn't he brought the whisky? Why didn't he stop me? `I just want to see:
him.' --- `Why?' Why should I leave?.
12. You use why at the beginning of a clause in which you talk about the reasons for something. He still could not throw any further light on why the elevator could have become jammed Experts wonder why the US government is not taking similarly strong actions against AIDS in this country I can't understand why they don't want us. Why is also an adverb. I don't know why It's obvious why Here's why.
13. You use why to introduce a relative clause after the word `reason'. There's a reason why women don't read this stuff; it's not funny Unless you're ill, there's no reason why you can't get those 15 minutes of walking in daily. Why is also an adverb. He confirmed that the city had been closed to foreigners, but gave no reason why.
14. You use why with `not' in questions in order to introduce a suggestion. Why not give Claire a call? Why don't we talk it through?.
15. feelings You use why with `not' in questions in order to express your annoyance or anger. Why don't you look where you're going? Why don't they just leave it alone?.
16. formulae You say why not in order to agree with what someone has suggested. `Want to spend the afternoon with me?' --- `Why not?'.
17. feelings People say `Why!' at the beginning of a sentence when they are surprised, shocked, or angry. Why hello, Tom.
18. the whys and wherefores: see:
wherefores. used when you are surprised or have suddenly realized something.
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