wens adv. & conj.
formal --adv.
from what place? (whence
did they come?). --conj. 1 to
the place from
which (return whence
you came). 2 (often prec. by place etc.) from which (the
source whence
these errors arise). 3
and thence (whence it follows that). °Use of from whence as in the place from whence they
came,
though common, is
generally considered
incorrect. [ME whannes, whennes f. whanne, whenne f. OE hwanon(e) whence, formed as
WHEN +
-S(3):
cf. THENCE]