who

pronoun Etymology: Middle English, from Old English hwā; akin to Old High German hwer, interrogative pronoun, who, Latin quis, Greek tis, Latin qui, relative pronoun, who Date: before 12th century 1. what or which person or persons — used as an interrogative <

who was elected?

> <

find out who they are

> — used by speakers on all educational levels and by many reputable writers, though disapproved by some grammarians, as the object of a verb or a following preposition <

who did I see but a Spanish lady — Padraic Colum

> <

do not know who the message is from — G. K. Chesterton

> 2. the person or persons that ; whoever 3. — used as a function word to introduce a relative clause; used especially in reference to persons <

my father, who was a lawyer

> but also in reference to groups <

a generation who had known nothing but war — R. B. West

> or to animals <

dogs who…fawn all over tramps — Nigel Balchin

> or to inanimate objects especially with the implication that the reference is really to a person <

earlier sources who maintain a Davidic ancestry — F. M. Cross

> — used by speakers on all educational levels and by many reputable writers, though disapproved by some grammarians, as the object of a verb or a following preposition <

a character who we are meant to pity — Times Literary Supplement

> Usage: see whom, that