where-about
Definition
Adverb (rare, archaic):
Concerning which matter: "where-about" is an archaic adverb meaning "about which" or "concerning which." It is used to introduce a clause that specifies the subject or topic of discussion.
Approximately where: In older usage, it can also mean "approximately in what place" or "near what location," though this sense is now obsolete.
Usage Examples
Adverb (concerning which):
- He told me a story, where-about I had many questions. (He told me a story, about which I had many questions.)
Adverb (approximately where):
- They settled in a village, where-about the river bends. (They settled in a village, near where the river bends.)
Advanced Usage
- "where-about" as a conjunction: In historical texts, "where-about" could function as a compound conjunction linking a clause to a preceding statement.
- The king issued a decree, where-about the people were to assemble. (The king issued a decree, concerning which the people were to assemble.)
Variants and Related Words
Whereabouts (noun): the approximate location of someone or something.
- The police are trying to determine his whereabouts. (The police are trying to determine where he is.)
Whereabout (adverb, variant spelling): a less common variant of "where-about," used interchangeably in archaic contexts.
Synonyms
- Concerning which: regarding which, about which.
- Approximately where: near which, around which.
Related Idioms
- "The whereabout of": an archaic phrase meaning "the matter or subject of."
- They debated the whereabout of the treaty. (They debated the subject of the treaty.)