WHY    為甚麼奚

BECAUSE of WHAT? [GRAMMAR]
Old Chinese Criteria
1. The most current general word for "why" is probably xī 奚. 2. Hé yǐ 何以 typically asks for a reason in the form of a purpose, but the word can also ask for a good intellectual reason, as in hé yǐ zhī zhī 何以知之 "how do you know". 3. Hú 胡 is a dialect word which often asks generally for reasons and is hard to distinguish semantically from xī 奚. 4. Hé 盍 "why not" is a contracted form of hé bù 何不.
Modern Chinese Criteria
為什麼 為甚麼 幹什麼 幹嗎 為何 為啥 何故 何以 怎麼 怎 咋 曷 胡 rough draft to BEGIN TO identify synonym group members for analysis, based on CL etc. 18.11.2003. CH ／ LU JIANMING
See also
  • HOWUSING WHAT METHOD?
Hypernym
  • BECAUSE　SENTENCE-CONNECTIVE to the effect that S1 is the CAUSE:reason for S2 being TRUE. [GRAMMAR] (anc: 5/0, child: 1)
  • CAUSE　SITUATION OR THING which CAUSES something TO HAPPEN OR to be TRUE. (anc: 4/0, child: 3)
  • THING　CONCRETE OBJECT. (anc: 3/0, child: 10)
Other Hypernyms
  • BECAUSEnew-5b262977-5cd8-405a-a629-775cd8805ae9　SENTENCE-CONNECTIVE to the effect that S1 is the CAUSE:reason for S2 being TRUE. [GRAMMAR] (anc: 7/1, child: 1)
  • CAUSEnew-a7422a39-7058-4fbe-822a-3970581fbec1　SITUATION OR THING which CAUSES something TO HAPPEN OR to be TRUE. (anc: 6/0, child: 3)
  • SITUATION　RELATION in which MANY HUMANS, FEATURES OR THINGS EXIST TOGETHER OR INTERACT. (anc: 5/0, child: 11)
  • Lateinische Synonyme und Etymologien ( DOEDERLEIN 1840) p.

    WHY

    cur introduces both genuine and rhetorical questions.

    quare introduces rhetorical questions.

  • 古汉语时间范畴词典 ( WANG HAIFEN 2001) p. 191

    Wang Haifen lists and analyses over 120 related words!

  • The Encyclopedia of Philosophy ( BORCHERT 2005) p.

    WHY

    • Words (57 items)

    何  hé OC: ɡlaal MC: ɦɑ 86 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • DELETErhetoricalwhy on earth? (one surely does not know why!)CH
    • npro.postNPab{S}why is it so?
    • npro.postSquestionWhy is that? why is it the case that S?; why is it so?, what is the reason of it?......,何也?
    • npro{PRED}.postNab{S}{SUBJECT}Why is it that SCH
    • padSquestionwhy?
    • padVquestionwhy? (unknown answer invited)
    • padVrhetoricalwhy on earth?
    • ppostNwhat is the reason for N?CH
    何也  hé yě OC: ɡlaal lalʔ MC: ɦɑ jɣɛ 25 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • PP{PRED}.postNab{S}{SUBJECT}CH
    • PP{PRED}.postS{SUBJECT}questionWhy is that? Why was that?
    何故  hé gù OC: ɡlaal kaas MC: ɦɑ kuo̝ 24 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NP+Vobjectivewhy? (i.e. for no good objective reason)
    • NP+Vreasonwhy? (i.e. surely for no good subjective reason)
    • NPadSwhy?
    • NPadVobjectivefor what objective reason?
    • NPadVpredicatewhy was (this)?
    • NPadVquestionfor what reason?
    • NPadvrhetoricalfor what reason? (surely one does not know!)CH
    • NPadVsubjectiveWhy?
    何以  hé yǐ OC: ɡlaal k-lɯʔ MC: ɦɑ jɨ 18 Attributions

    Hé yǐ 何以 typically asks for a reason in the form of a purpose, but the word can also ask for a good intellectual reason, as in hé yǐ zhī zhī 何以知之 "how do you know".

      Syntactic words
    • VPadVjustificationto what purpose? why?
    • VPadVreasonfor what reason?; why?DS
    • VPadVrhetorical questionwhy on earth? surely for no good reason!
    何為  hé wèi OC: ɡlaal ɢʷals MC: ɦɑ ɦiɛ 17 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • DELETErhetorical questionwhy?, for what reason?, what's the point?
    • VPadVwhy?
    • VPadVrhetorical questionWhat for?! For what reason?! On what grounds?!
    奚  xī OC: ɡee MC: ɦei 17 Attributions

    The most current general word for "why" is probably xī 奚.

      Syntactic words
    • padVquestionwhy?
    • padVrhetorical questionwhy?
    為什摩  wèi shí mó OC: ɢʷals ɡjub maal MC: ɦiɛ dʑip mʷɑ 15 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • VPadVwhy, for what reason
    云何  yún hé OC: ɢun ɡlaal MC: ɦi̯un ɦɑ 15 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • PPadSquestionwhy is it that...; in what respect is it that
    • PPadVwhy?
    • PPadVrhetorical questionWhy on earth? (i.e. for no good reason, for no reason whatsoever)
    胡  hú OC: ɡaa MC: ɦuo̝ 11 Attributions

    Hú 胡 is a dialect word which often asks generally for reasons and is hard to distinguish semantically from xī 奚.

      Syntactic words
    • padVquestionwhy?
    • padVrhetorical questionwhy on earth?CH
    何者  hé zhě OC: ɡlaal kljaʔ MC: ɦɑ tɕɣɛ 11 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPpro{PRED}why? why so?
    盍  hé OC: ɡaab MC: ɦɑp 11 Attributions

    Hé 盍 "why not" is a contracted form of hé bù 何不.

      Syntactic words
    • padSquestionwhy not?
    作什摩  zuò shí mó OC: tsaaɡ ɡjub maal MC: tsɑk dʑip mʷɑ 9 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • VPicolloquialwhy is it so> what is the point, how about this; what is the purpose (often following topicalized VP or S)
    又何  yòu hé OC: ɢʷɯs ɡlaal MC: ɦɨu ɦɑ 9 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • PPexpected answer: no!why go on to?　(expected answer: there is no reason to go on to...)
    何則  hé zé OC: ɡlaal skɯɯɡ MC: ɦɑ tsək 8 Attributions

    Why should this not V?

      Syntactic words
    • PPpostSWhy is this? Why so?
    作什麼  zuò shí mǒ OC: tsaaɡ ɡjub maalʔ MC: tsɑk dʑip mʷɑ 5 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • VPicolloquialwhy is it so> what is the point, how about this; what is the purpose (often following a topicalized VP or S)
    奚為  xī wèi OC: ɡee ɢʷals MC: ɦei ɦiɛ 5 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • VPadVquestionwhy?
    胡為  hú wèi MC: hu hjweH OC: ɡaa ɢʷals 4 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • VPadVrhetorical question(read hu2wei4) why, howLZ
    因什摩  yīn shí mó OC: qin ɡjub maal MC: ʔin dʑip mʷɑ 4 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • VPadVquestionbecause of what > why?
    緣何  yuán hé OC: k-lon ɡlaal MC: jiɛn ɦɑ 4 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPpro.adVwhy, for what reason
    焉用  yān yòng OC: qran k-loŋs MC: ʔiɛn ji̯oŋ 4 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • VPadVexpected answer: no!what for?
    曷為  hé wèi MC: hat hjweH OC: ɡaad ɢʷals 4 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • VPadSwhy was it that S? sometimes emphatically doubtful: how (on earth) was it that S?CH
    何曾  hé céng OC: ɡlaal dzɯɯŋ MC: ɦɑ dzəŋ 3 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • PPadVrhetorical questionwhy? how come that V?
    夫何  fú hé OC: ba ɡlaal MC: bi̯o ɦɑ 3 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • PPadSwhy on earthCH
    • PPadSquestionWhy?
    如何  rú hé OC: nja ɡlaal MC: ȵi̯ɤ ɦɑ 3 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • VPadSrhetorical questionwhy (presupposed answer: for no good reason)
    何以故  hé yǐ gù OC: ɡlaal k-lɯʔ kaas MC: ɦɑ jɨ kuo̝ 3 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • VPadV{PRED}.postN{SUBJ}:postSwhy?
    • VPpostS1.adS2predicateAnd why is that so? (placed between S1 and S2, and S2 is explanatory of S1)
    為什麼  wèi shí mǒ OC: ɢʷals ɡjub maalʔ MC: ɦiɛ dʑip mʷɑ 3 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • VPadVcolloquialwhy, for what reason?
    因何  yīn hé OC: qin ɡlaal MC: ʔin ɦɑ 3 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • VPadVbecause of what > why; for what reason
    何其  hé qí OC: ɡlaal ɡɯ MC: ɦɑ gɨ 3 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • PPadVrhetorical questionHow? (answer NO there is no explanation, one should not, they should not...!!!)
    焉  yān OC: qran MC: ʔiɛn 3 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • padVrhetorical questionwhy
    何由  hé yóu OC: ɡlaal liw MC: ɦɑ jɨu 2 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • VPadVwhy?
    • VPipostN{SUBJ}why is that
    何緣  hé yuán OC: ɡlaal k-lon MC: ɦɑ jiɛn 2 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • VPadVusing what as grounds> why?
    奚其  xī qí OC: ɡee ɡɯ MC: ɦei gɨ 2 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • PPadSWhy; why on earth?
    如之何  rú zhī hé OC: nja kljɯ ɡlaal MC: ȵi̯ɤ tɕɨ ɦɑ 2 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • VPi(0)why?
    • VPi(0)rhetorical questionwhy on earth?
    侯  hóu MC: huw OC: ɡoo 2 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • padSwhyCH
    孰  shú OC: djɯwɡ MC: dʑuk 2 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • nprorhetorical questionwhy should one, why should he?
    安  ān MC: 'an OC: qaan 2 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • padVrhetoricalwhy on earth? (surely one does not know why!)CH
    寧  nìng MC: nengH OC: neeŋs 2 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • padVread nìng: why? (i.e.: for no good reason)
    作摩  zuò mó OC: tsaaɡ maal MC: tsɑk mʷɑ 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • VPipredicateTang: what is the reason for this? why is that so? what's the point of? (the usage as predicate is rare and usually 作摩 is suffixed with 生) (precursor of Modern Mandarin 怎麼)
    何暇  hé xiá OC: ɡlaal ɡraas MC: ɦɑ ɦɣɛ 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • VPt+V[0]Why should one get to V? [One will have to look for more examples]
    蓋  hé OC: ɡaab MC: ɦɑp 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • padSrhetorical questionwhy not?
    遐  xiá MC: hae OC: ɡraa 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • padVarchaic interrogative pronoun/adverb in SHI, obviously a loan characterLZ
    用為  yòng wéi OC: k-loŋs ɢʷal MC: ji̯oŋ ɦiɛ 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • VPpostadVwhy?
    何處  hé chù OC: ɡlaal qhljas MC: ɦɑ tɕhi̯ɤ 1 Attribution
    • 唐五代語言詞典 Táng Wǔdài yǔyán cídiǎn A Dictionary of the Language of the Tang and Five Dynasties Periods ( JIANG/CAO 1997) p. 157,#3

      何以；為什麼

      《博異志》

      Syntactic words
    • NPadVpronominalwhy, for what reason, for what perpose
    何遽  hé jù OC: ɡlaal ɡlas MC: ɦɑ gi̯ɤ 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • PP+Sexpected answer: no!Why? i.e. surely there is no reason! Mo: 吾言何遽不善？
    何須  hé xū OC: ɡlaal so MC: ɦɑ si̯o 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • VPt+V[0]why should one V, what need is there to V > one should not V
    作麼  zuò mǒ OC: tsaaɡ maalʔ MC: tsɑk mʷɑ 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • VPicolloquialwhy is it? what is the point of? what is the purpose of?
    庸何  yōng hé MC: yowng ha OC: k-loŋ ɡlaal 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • PPadVwhyCH
    奚而  xī ér OC: ɡee njɯ MC: ɦei ȵɨ 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • PPadVrhetorical questionwhy?
    奚遽  xī jù OC: ɡee ɡlas MC: ɦei gi̯ɤ 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • PPadSrhetorical questionwhy? (often in rhetorical questions)
    安事  ān zì MC: 'an tsriH OC: qaan tsrɯs 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • VPadVrhetoricalto what purpose?, with what concrete aim?CH
    曷  hé MC: hat OC: ɡaad 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • npro.adVwhy?DS
    將何  jiāng hé OC: skaŋ ɡlaal MC: tsi̯ɐŋ ɦɑ 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • VPirhetorical questionwhy?
    何意  hé yì OC: ɡlaal qɯɡs MC: ɦɑ ʔɨ 1 Attribution
    • Studies in the Language of Zǔtáng jí 祖堂集 ( ANDERL 2004B) p. 204-205

      This compound is also used in BIANWEN. In ZTJ there is only one example for the meaning 'why'. In the other occurrences he2yi4 is used in its literary meaning 'have what meaning'.

      It is possibly a graphic variant of 何以.

    • 近代漢語研究概況 Jìndài hànyǔ yánjiū gàikuàng A Survey Study on Early Mandarin ( JIANG SHAOYU 1994) p. 131

      Glossed as 豈料，何故

      possibly a garphic variant of 何以

      Syntactic words
    • NPadVquestionwhat meaning > why; how come?
    奈何  nài hé OC: naads ɡlaal MC: nɑi ɦɑ 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • VPadVexpected answer: no!Why? how come? (i.e. for no good reason!)
    所以者何  suǒ yǐ zhě hé OC: sqraʔ k-lɯʔ kljaʔ ɡlaal MC: ʂi̯ɤ jɨ tɕɣɛ ɦɑ 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • V{S}what is the reason? Why?
      Click here to add pinyin MC:  OC: 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • padVrhetoricalwhy on earth? (surely one does not know why!)CH
    以何因緣  yǐ hé yīn yuán OC: k-lɯʔ ɡlaal qin k-lon MC: jɨ ɦɑ ʔin jiɛn 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • VPadSFor what reason?; why?