"Why ...?" vs. "Why is it that ... ?" - English Language & Usage Stack ...
I don't know why, but it seems to me that Bob would sound a bit strange if he said, "Why is it that you have to get going?" in that situation.
Where does the use of "why" as an interjection come from?
Mar 18, 2011 · "why" can be compared to an old Latin form qui, an ablative form, meaning how. Today "why" is used as a question word to ask the reason or purpose of something. This use might be …
etymology - Why is muscle cramp called a “charley horse”? - English ...
Aug 22, 2025 · The history told me nothing why an involuntary, extremely painful spasm, is named after a horse called Charley. Charley in the UK is often spelled Charlie, a diminutive of Charles, and it's …
Can "why" be a conjunction? - English Language & Usage Stack …
Nov 27, 2018 · Why is a just a rather odd wh -word. Its distribution is very limited -- it can only have the word reason as its antecedent, and since it's never the subject it's always deletable. Consequently it …
"Why it is" vs "Why is it" - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange
Nov 7, 2013 · 8 1) Please tell me why is it like that. [grammatically incorrect unless the punctuation is changed. Please tell me: Why is it like that? The question: "Why is [etc.]" is a question form in …
What part of speech is "why" in the following example?
Feb 12, 2018 · In the sentence "Why is this here?", is "why" an adverb? What part of speech is "why?" I think it modifies the verb "is", so I think it is an adverb.
Why is "pineapple" in English but "ananas" in all other languages?
Nov 7, 2013 · The question is: why did the English adapt the name pineapple from Spanish (which originally meant pinecone in English) while most European countries eventually adapted the name …
Why does English spelling use silent letters?
Jan 16, 2011 · Why have a letter in a word when it’s silent in pronunciation, like the b in debt? Can anyone please clarify my uncertainty here?
etymology - Why is B.C. (Before Christ) in English, but A.D. (anno ...
May 7, 2015 · Why the terminology changed from Latin to English is a matter of speculation. In non-English speaking countries, they tended to use the local language: in French, "avant J.C." (before …
nouns - Why is the word "pants" plural? - English Language & Usage ...
Dec 21, 2010 · Why is the word "pants" plural? Ask Question Asked 15 years, 1 month ago Modified 4 years, 3 months ago