Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | I can tell you that I'm sorry, but I can't tell you what for. (Oliver Twist; writing credit: Alan Bleasdale; Charles Dickens) Do what for a career? (Zoolander; writing credit: Drake Sather; Ben Stiller) Oh, what for the love of God is that? (Kath & Kim; writing credit: Gina Riley; Jane Turner) Well, there's nothing I like more than to be congratulated, though invariably I find the pleasure immeasurably greater when I know what for. (Ideal Husband, An; writing credit: Oscar Wilde; Oliver Parker) And what for me? (Spider-Man; writing credit: Stan Lee; Steve Ditko) | |
Lyrics | You turn and ask me what for (Thank U In Advance; performing artist: Boyz II Men) Today I know what I want to do but I don't know what for (Today; performing artist: Jefferson Airplane) Still don't know what for (Take Me Home; performing artist: Phil Collins) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title |
Books | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Economic History | Egypt | A marketing problem in Cairo is that it is often difficult to establish who offers what for sale, and where to find them. (references) |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Expression | Frequency per Day |
what for | 14 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Language | Translations for "what for"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Afrikaan | waarom (what, wherefore, why), hoekom (what, wherefore, why). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Albanian | ndëshkim (amercement, castigation, chastisement, comeuppance, correction, discipline, hell, infliction, pain, penalty, penitence, plague, punishment, strafe), dënim (adjudication, castigation, censure, condemnation, conviction, damnation, denouncement, denunciation, deprecation, disapprobation, disapproval, discipline, dispraise, doom, judgement, judgment, mulct, penalty, proscription, punishment, rap, recompense, sentence, strafe). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Czech | proè (why). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Danish | hvorfor (wherefore, why). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dutch | waarvoor (wherefore, why), hoezo (why), hoe zo (why). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Esperanto | pro kio (wherefore, why), kial (why). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
French | pourquoi (wherefore, why). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
German | wofür (for what, for which, why), weswegen (wherefore, why, why wett even), weshalb (for which reason, wherefore, which is why, why), was (any, anything, how much, some, something, that, what, what's, which, why). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hebrew | למה (wherefore, why), לשם מה. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hungarian | valamire (over something, over the top of something), minek, miért (wherefore, why), felmosás. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Indonesian | mengapa (why). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Irish | cadinathaobh (why), cadchuige (why), cénfÚth (why). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Japanese Kanji | 如何して (for what purpose, for what reason, how, in what way, why?). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Japanese Katakana | どうして (for what purpose, for what reason, how, in what way, why?). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Norwegian | hvorfor (wherefore, why). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Papiamen | pakiko (wherefore, why), pakíko (why), di kon (wherefore, why), di cón (why). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pig Latin | atwhay orfay reprimenda (caution, censure, disapproval, lesson, objurgatory, rebuke, reprimand, reproach, snub, talking to), porquecausa (why), porque (because, for the reason that, inasmuch as, just because, since, why), para que (in order that, so, so that, that, wherefore), castigo severo. (various references) взбучка (comeuppance, going-over, licking, talking-to, what-for). (various references) carson (wherefore, why). (various references) zašto (why). (various references) por qué (wherefore, why). (various references) niçin (forwhy, why), neye (for what, whereat, whither), neden (case, causatively, cause, forwhy, ground, inducement, motive, occasion, point, reason, rise, room, seeds, whence, wherefore, wherefrom, why), ne için. (various references) pam (wherefore, why), paham (wherefore, why). (various references) ba'en (why), ba'axten (why). (various references) yini ndaba (wherefore, why). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Language | Period | Translations |
| Latin | 500 BCE-Modern | cur, quare. (various references) |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Language | Date | Source | Matthew Chapter 11, Verse 7 |
| Greek (transliterated) | 250 BC | Septuagint | Toutwn de poreuomenwn hrxato o ihsouV legein toiV ocloiV peri iwannou ti exhlqete eiV thn erhmon qeasasqai kalamon upo anemou saleuomenon |
| Latin | 405 | Vulgate | Illis autem abeuntibus coepit Iesus dicere ad turbas de Iohanne quid existis in desertum videre harundinem vento agitatam |
| Old English | 990 | West Saxon | Ða hyo ut-eoden soðlice þa on-gan sehælend seggen be Iohanne. & cwæð to þammenige. hwi eode ge ut on wæsten geseonwinde aweged reod. |
| Middle English | 1395 | Wyclif | And whanne thei weren goon awei, Jhesus bigan to seie of Joon to the puple, What thing wenten ye out in to desert to se? a reed wawed with the wynd? |
| Renaissance English | 1526 | Tyndale | And as they departed Iesus begane to speake vnto the people of Ihon. What for to se wet ye out in to the wyldernes? wet ye out to se a rede shake with ye wynde? |
| Jacobean English | 1611 | King James | And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? |
| Victorian English | 1833 | Webster | And as they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? a reed shaken with the wind? |
| Basic English | 1964 | Ogden | And when they were going away, Jesus, talking of John, said to all the people, What went you out into the waste land to see? a tall stem moving in the wind? |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Language | Matthew Chapter 11, Verse 7 |
| Cebuano | ¶ Ug sa paglakaw na nila, si Jesus misugod sa pagsulti ngadto sa mga panon sa katawhan mahitungod kang Juan. Siya miingon kanila: "Unsa bay inyong giadto aron tan-awon didto sa mga awaaw? Ang usa ba ka bagakay nga ginakusokuso sa hangin? |
| Croatian | Kad oni odoše, poèe Isus govoriti mnoštvu o Ivanu: "Što ste izišli u pustinju gledati? Trsku koju vjetar ljulja? |
| Danish | Men da disse gik bort, begyndte Jesus at sige til Skarerne om Johannes: "Hvad gik I ud i Ørkenen at skue? Et Rør, som bevæges hid og did af Vinden? |
| Dutch | Als nu dezen heengingen, heeft Jezus tot de scharen begonnen te zeggen van Johannes: Wat zijt gij uitgegaan in de woestijn te aanschouwen? Een riet, dat van den wind ginds en weder bewogen wordt? |
| Finnish | Kun he olivat menneet, rupesi Jeesus puhumaan kansalle Johanneksesta: "Mitä te lähditte erämaahan katselemaan? Ruokoako, jota tuuli huojuttaa? |
| French | Comme ils s`en allaient, Jésus se mit à dire à la foule, au sujet de Jean: Qu`êtes-vous allés voir au désert? un roseau agité par le vent? |
| German | Da die hingingen, fing Jesus an, zu reden zu dem Volk von Johannes: Was seid ihr hinausgegangen in die Wüste zu sehen? Wolltet ihr ein Rohr sehen, das der Wind hin und her bewegt? |
| Haitian Creole | ¶ Lè patizan Jan yo al fè wout yo, Jezi pran pale ak foul la sou Jan. Li di yo konsa: Sa nou te al wè nan dezè a? Yon pye wozo van t'ap souke? Non. |
| Indonesian-Bahasa Sehari-hari | Sesudah utusan-utusan Yohanes itu pergi, Yesus mulai berbicara kepada orang banyak tentang Yohanes, kata-Nya, "Kalian pergi ke padang gurun untuk melihat apa? Sehelai rumput yang ditiup anginkah? |
| Indonesian-Terjemahan Lama | Setelah mereka itu pergi, mulailah Yesus bertutur kepada orang banyak itu akan hal Yahya, kata-Nya, "Apakah yang kamu pergi lihat ke padang belantara? Sebatang buluhkah yang digoyangkan oleh angin? |
| Manx Gaelic | As myr v'ad goll roue, ren Yeesey toshiaght dy ghra rish y pobble mychione Ean, Cre hie shiu magh gys yn aasagh dy akin? Nee cuirtlagh criht lesh y gheay? |
| Maori | ¶ A, i a raua e haere atu ana, ka timata a Ihu, ka korerotia a Hoani ki te mano, I haere koutou ki te koraha kia kite i te aha? I te kakaho e whakangaueuetia ana e te hau? |
| Norwegian | Da nu disse gikk bort, begynte Jesus å tale til folket om Johannes: Hvorfor var det I gikk ut i ørkenen? for å se et rør som svaier for vinden? |
| Portuguese | Ao partirem eles, começou Jesus a dizer às multidões a respeito de João: que saístes a ver no deserto? um caniço agitado pelo vento? |
| Rumanian | Pe cknd se duceau ei, Isus a knceput sq vorbeascq noroadelor despre Ioan: ,,Ce ayi iewit sq vedeyi kn pustie? O trestie clqtinatq de vknt? |
| Shuar | ¶ Waketkiarmatai shuar Káunkarun Jesus Juánkan pachis áujmatmiayi. "Shuar atsamunmasha ¿Warí werimiarum? Pintiu nase Umpúam Atúu we Juní we ajana nuka ¿iistai tusarumek wémarum? Kame Juankka Nú shuarchaiti. |
| Swahili | Basi, hao wajumbe wa Yohane walipokuwa wanakwenda zao, Yesu alianza kuyaambia makundi ya watu habari za Yohane: "Mlikwenda kutazama nini kule jangwani? Je, mlitaka kuona mwanzi unaotikiswa na upepo? |
| Swedish | När dessa sedan gingo bort, begynte Jesus tala till folket om Johannes: "Varför var det I gingen ut i öknen? Var det för att se ett rör som drives hit och dit av vinden? |
| Uma | ¶ Kanculii' -ra suro Yohanes Topeniu' toera, mololita-imi Yesus hi ntodea, mpotompo'wiwi Yohanes. Na'uli': "Napa patuju-ni hilou mpohirua' -ki Yohanes hi tana' to wao'? Ba doko' -koi mpohilo tauna to morara' nono-na, to hewa pimpi to nawui ngolu' molue hilou tumai? Uma-hawo, apa' uma hewa toe kehi-na Yohanes. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "a-f-h-o-r-t-w" | |
-2 letters: forth, froth, rowth, thraw, throw, torah, wharf, whort, worth, wrath, wroth. | |
-3 letters: faro, fart, fora, fort, frat, frow, haft, hart, hoar, hora, howf, oath, raft, rath, rato, rota, tahr, taro, thaw, thro, tora, trow, waft, wart, what, whoa, wort. | |
-4 letters: aft, arf, art, far, fat, foh, for, fro, hao, hat, haw, hot, how. | |
| Words containing the letters "a-f-h-o-r-t-w" | |
+2 letters: flowchart. | |
+3 letters: flowcharts. | |
+5 letters: flamethrower, flowcharting, weatherproof. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
Hexadecimal (or equivalents, 770AD-1900s) (references)57 68 61 74 46 6F 72 |
| Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519; backwards) (references)
|
Binary Code (1918-1938, probably earlier) (references)01010111 01101000 01100001 01110100 00100000 01000110 01101111 01110010 |
HTML Code (1990) (references)W h a t   F o r |
ISO 10646 (1991-1993) (references)0057 0068 0061 0074 0046 006F 0072 |
Encryption (beginner's substitution cypher): (references)577467862408184 |
| Amazon.com BOOKS: Search for: "what for" |
