I. ˈhwen(t)s also ˈwe- adverb
Etymology: Middle English whennes, whannes, from whenne, whanne whence (from Old English hwanon, hwanone ) + -s, gen. singular noun ending functioning adverbially; akin to Old Saxon hwanan whence, Old High German hwanān, hwanana whence, Old English hwā who — more at who , -s
1.
a. : from what place
are the pigments imported and, if so, whence — Notes & Queries on Anthropology
— often used with from
asks from whence these lines come — New York Times Book Review
b. : from what source, origin, antecedent, or cause
whence do these questionings well up — S.C.Pepper
— often used with from
from whence could this possibility issue — F.S.Haserot
2. : from or out of which place, source or cause
a native of Europe, whence it was introduced into many parts of the world — Jane Nickerson
sketches the lawless society whence the ballads sprang — DeLancey Ferguson
— often used with from
3. : upon which ground : by reason of or in consequence of which fact or circumstance : wherefore
came a whacking header onto my arms and nose and nothing broke — whence I infer that my bones are not yet chalky — O.W.Holmes †1935
II. noun
( -s )
: a place or source from which someone or something springs : antecedent
deals only with the momentary what, neglecting the whence — J.P.M.Somerville