/hwens, wens/
adv.
1. from what place?: Whence comest thou?
2. from what source, origin, or cause?: Whence has he wisdom?
conj.
3. from what place, source, cause, etc.: He told whence he came.
[ 1250-1300; ME whennes, whannes, equiv. to whanne (by syncope from OE hwanone whence) + -s -S 1 ]
Usage . Although sometimes criticized as redundant on the grounds that "from" is implied by the word WHENCE, the idiom FROM WHENCE is old in the language, well established, and standard. Among its users are the King James Bible, Shakespeare, Dryden, and Dickens: Hilary finally settled in Paris, from whence she bombarded us with letters, postcards, and sketches. FROM THENCE, a parallel construction, occurs infrequently.