Middle English word whæt comes from Proto-Indo-European *kʷ-, Proto-Indo-European *kʷe-, Proto-Indo-European *kʷo-, Proto-Indo-European *kʷeh₁d-, and later Proto-Germanic *hwataz (Quick, sharp, brave.)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *kʷ- | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | |
| *kʷe- | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | |
| *kʷo- | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | |
| *kʷeh₁d- | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | |
| *kʷod | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | |
| *kʷh₁do- | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | |
| *kʷís | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | Who, what (interrogative). Who, which, that (relative) Which, what. |
| *hwataz | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | Quick, sharp, brave. |
| *hwē | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | How, with what, by what means;. |
| hwæt | Old English (ang) | Anything. What Now, indeed What!, listen!, hark!, lo!. |
| whæt | Middle English (enm) |