hwæt

Senses

1. quick

2. active, vigorous

3. bold, brave

   Forþon nis þæs mōdwlonc mon ofer eorþan, ne his ġifena þæs god, ne in ġeoguþe tō þæs hwæt, ne in his dǣdum tō þæs dēor, ne him his dryhten tō þæs hold, þæt hē ā his sǣfōre sorge næbbe, tō hwon hine dryhten ġedōn wille.

   Thus, there is no mind-proud man over Earth, nor his gifts of god, nor too bold in youth, nor too daring in his deeds, nor his Lord too kind for him, who would never have his seafarer sorrow, for which the Lord would like to put on him.

   10th century, The Seafarer:

Declension

Senses

1. indeed, how (exclamative), what (exclamative)

   Hwæt wē Gārdena in ġeārdagum þēodcyninga þrym ġefrūnon;[…]

   Indeed we have heard about the might of the great kings of the Spear Danes in days of yore; […]

   c. 1000, Beowulf (Cotton MS Vitellius A XV):

Senses

1. what

   Hwæt sind þā þrēo þing þe nān mann būtan libban ne mæġ?

   What are the three things no one can live without?

   (Can we date this quote?), The Dialogues of Solomon and Saturn:

2. why

   Hwæt seofast þū wiþ mē?

   Why are you groaning at me?

   late 9th century, Boethius, translated by Alfred the Great, The Consolation of Philosophy:

3. what kind

   Þā behēoldon swīðe ġeorne þā ċeapmenn hine, and be him on ġeþance smēadon hwæt manna hē bēon sċolde.

   The businessmen looked at him very closely and tried to figure out what kind of person he might be.

   c. 996, Ælfric of Eynsham, Lives of Saints:

4. how many or how much

   Iūdās sōna ēode tō þāra Iudēisċena rǣde and openlīċe befræġn hwæt hīe him fēos ġeūðen ġif hē þone Hǣlend him belǣwan meahte.

   Judas immediately went to the Jewish council and openly asked how much money they would give him for betraying Jesus.

   c. 992, Ælfric of Eynsham, Palm Sunday: On the Lord’s Passion:

5. anything, something

   Sēo lēo bringþ hungrigum hwelpum hwæt tō etenne.

   The lion brings hungry cubs something to eat.

   late 9th century, Orosius, History Against the Pagans:

6. who (in questions and implied questions about who someone is)

   Þā cwæþ Isaāc, “Hwæt eart þū?” Hē andwyrde and cwæþ, “Iċ eom Ēsau.”

   Then Isaac said, “Who are you?” He answered and said, “I'm Esau.”

   late 10th century, Ælfric of Eynsham, Old English Hexateuch, Genesis 27:32:

Inflection