why

英 [waɪ] 美[waɪ]

CET4TEM4考研CET6高频词汇基本词汇

why 为什么

来自PIE*kwo,印欧语疑问代词根，词源同who,where,why,how.

why: why: [OE] Why goes back to Indo-European *qwei, the locative case of the interrogative base *qwo- (source of English what and who). This passed into prehistoric Germanic as *khwī, which has since died out in all the Germanic languages apart from Danish (hvi) and English (why).
why (adv.): Old English hwi, instrumental case (indicating for what purpose or by what means) of hwæt (see what), from Proto-Germanic adverb *hwi (cognates: Old Saxon hwi, Old Norse hvi), from PIE *kwi- (source of Greek pei "where"), locative of *kwo- "who" (see who). As an interjection of surprise or emphasis, recorded from 1510s. As a noun, "cause, reason" from c. 1300.

1. You flatter yourself. Why would we go to such ludicrous lengths?: 你真自以为是。我们为什么要费那么大的力气？

2. Why are Geography, Drama, Art and English in the ascendant?: 为什么地理、戏剧、艺术和英语逐渐受宠？

3. He wonders why the digits on his calculator slope to the right.: 他不明白为什么他的计算器上面的数字向右倾斜。

4. Why not retrain for a job which will make you happier?: 为什么不接受新的培训，找一份让你更快乐的工作？

5. Why should a great community like a university be afraid of nihilism?: 为什么像大学这样人才济济的社区要害怕虚无主义呢？