-whither-

adv. [ OE. whider. AS. hwider; akin to E. where, who; cf. Goth. hvadrē whither. See Who, and cf. Hither, Thither. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. To what place; -- used interrogatively; as, whither goest thou? “Whider may I flee?” Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

Sir Valentine, whither away so fast? Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To what or which place; -- used relatively. [ 1913 Webster ]

That no man should know . . . whither that he went. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

We came unto the land whither thou sentest us. Num. xiii. 27. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To what point, degree, end, conclusion, or design; whereunto; whereto; -- used in a sense not physical. [ 1913 Webster ]

Nor have I . . . whither to appeal. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Any whither, to any place; anywhere. [ Obs. ] “Any whither, in hope of life eternal.” Jer. Taylor. --
No whither, to no place; nowhere. [ Obs. ] 2 Kings v. 25. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Where. -- Whither, Where. Whither properly implies motion to place, and where rest in a place. Whither is now, however, to a great extent, obsolete, except in poetry, or in compositions of a grave and serious character and in language where precision is required. Where has taken its place, as in the question, “Where are you going?” [ 1913 Webster ]

[ 1913 Webster ]