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Glite Dictionary
🚫 At all 🔀 Any at all
whatso

whatso

9.9
In any way after negative sentences or questions to add emphasis
  • adverb
  • Archaic
translation icon : cualquiera
  • I will not help you, whatso... your reasons may be.

Examples

  • Whatso I get ourselves a drink?

    Volunteers (1985)

  • Whatso... you decide, make sure it is the best choice.

  • Whatso... the outcome, we will face it together.

Surface Forms

whatso positive

Morphology

whatso = what + so (opaque) = what + so

Although the form can be segmented as 'what' + 'so', the modern meaning 'in any way or at all' is a fossilized archaic construction and is not predictable from the usual meanings of the parts.

Etymology

Whatso comes from the simple parts what + so, the same pieces you find in the longer word whatsoever. It meant 'in any way' or 'at all', so people used it after negatives or questions to add strong emphasis.