WHOM

Etymology

Pronoun

whom (the singular and plural objective case of who)

What person or people; which person or people, as the object of a verb.

What person or people; which person or people, as the object of a preposition.

Him; her; them (used as a relative pronoun to refer to a previously mentioned person or people.)

Usage notes

Subject (always who)

Who ate my sandwich?

There is the thief who ate my sandwich.

i.e. The thief ate my sandwich.

Direct object

Who(m) did you see?

I saw an old friend who(m) I had not seen for years.

i.e. I saw an old friend.

Indirect object

Who(m) are you giving your apple to?

She is the angel who(m) I'm giving my apple to.

or

To whom are you giving your apple? (fronted prepositional phrase, almost always whom)

She is the angel to whom I'm giving my apple.

i.e. I'm giving my apple to her.

Anagrams

• how'm

Source: Wiktionary


Whom, pron. Etym: [OE. wham, AS. dative hwam, hw. See Who.]

Definition: The objective case of who. See Who.

Note: In Old English, whom was also commonly used as a dative. Cf. Him. And every grass that groweth upon root She shall eke know, and whom it will do boot. Chaucer.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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