Should I Use Whence?
The Fact Is That Both the Phrase and the Bare Adverb Have Been Used for Centuries, and There Is Nothing Wrong with Either. Whatever the Condemnations That...
The fact is that both the phrase and the bare adverb have been used for centuries, and there is nothing wrong with either. Whatever the condemnations that sometimes are made, from whence is well established, and you should feel free to use it, or not.
Do you use from with whence?
Technically, "from whence" is redundant. "Whence" means "from what place, source or cause," so saying "from whence" is really saying "from from what place." (Hey, I kind of like the sound of "from from"; it reminds me of the "harrum-pum" in "The Little Drummer Boy").
How do you properly use whence?
- from what place, source, or cause. I know whence he comes.
- from which place, source, or cause. we went home, whence we departed soon after.
- to the place from which. return whence you came.
- from which fact. there was no reply, whence he inferred that all had gone.
Sarah Jenkins is a veteran tech journalist with over 12 years of experience covering artificial intelligence, mobile innovations, and digital ethics. Her insights have appeared in leading technology publications worldwide.
