Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • conjunction When.
  • conjunction Whereas.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • When.
  • Whereas; while.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • conjunction obsolete Whereas; while.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adverb archaic When; at the time (which).
  • conjunction archaic When.
  • conjunction archaic Whereas.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From when + as.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word whenas.

Examples

  • The writer sometimes uses archaisms such as quom, which I render 'whenas'.

    Meditations Emperor of Rome Marcus Aurelius

  • (Upon reflection I also recall whenas I addressed the cat, he not only appeared to ken my words, but he opened his mouth as if to speak.

    Rev. Jasper Pickery and Three Manifestations of the Devil 2009

  • "whenas" (for when, vol.ii. 130), the common ballad-terms "a plump of spearmen" (ii. 190) and a "red cent" (i. 321), the only literal rendering of

    Arabian nights. English Anonymous 1855

  • Sooth Pacific: "Verily, whenas there be a dame, fain would there be nought like it."

    Style Invitational Week 875: 'Learn From My Fail' life lessons; and puns on movie titles 2010

  • So now they caught hold of the thrall again, and cut the heart from out of him, and bore it unto King Gunnar, but he said — “The faint heart of Hjalli may ye here behold, little like the proud heart of Hogni, for as much as it trembleth now more by the half it trembled whenas it lay in the breast of him.”

    The Story of the Volsungs 2008

  • The tale tells that great fires were made endlong the hall, and the great tree aforesaid stood midmost thereof, withal folk say that, whenas men sat by the fires in the evening, a certain man came into the hall unknown of aspect to all men; and suchlike array he had, that over him was

    The Story of the Volsungs 2008

  • Then Gudrun areded the dream, and said that it betokened fire, whenas folk dreamed of iron.

    The Story of the Volsungs 2008

  • But the Dutch Folk say that they slew him out in the wood: and so sayeth the ancient song of Gudrun, that Sigurd and the sons of Giuki were riding to the Thing whenas he was slain.

    The Story of the Volsungs 2008

  • Hogni answered, “None the more shall we waver for that cause; for little methinks have we shrunk aback whenas men fell to fight; and naught shall it avail thee to make us afeard, — and for an ill fate hast thou wrought.”

    The Story of the Volsungs 2008

  • So a long while the battle lasted, and many a man was slain, and furious was the onset; till at last it befell, even as seldom comes to hand, when a land army falls on, that, do whatso they might, naught was brought about; but so many men fell of the sons of Hunding that the tale of them may not be told; and now whenas

    The Story of the Volsungs 2008

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • Whenas in silks my Julia goes,

    then, then, methinks,

    how sweetly flows

    that liquefaction of her clothes

    - Robert Herrick, 'Upon Julia’s Clothes'.

    March 8, 2009