What
Look up what in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. What is an English interrogative word used to ask for information about someone or something.[1] What may refer to:Language and journalism
Interrogative word
In English, "what" functions primarily as an interrogative pronoun used to inquire about the identity, nature, value, or extent of something unknown or unspecified. For instance, it appears in questions such as "What is this?" to seek identification of an object, or "What time is it?" to request specific information. This usage replaces a noun in the sentence structure, allowing the speaker to elicit details about non-human entities or abstract concepts, distinguishing it from pronouns like "who" that focus on people.[2] Beyond its interrogative role, "what" serves as a relative pronoun introducing subordinate clauses that describe or specify a preceding noun or idea, as in "I know what you mean," where it connects the clause to the main sentence without an explicit antecedent. It also appears in exclamatory constructions to express surprise, emphasis, or admiration, such as "What a surprise!" which highlights the unexpected nature of an event. These roles underscore "what's" versatility in forming questions, relative clauses, and emphatic statements within English syntax.[3][4] The word "what" derives from Old English hwæt, an interrogative pronoun meaning "what" or "why," which itself stems from Proto-Germanic *hwat and the Proto-Indo-European root *kʷo-, a base form shared with words like "who" and "which" across Indo-European languages. This etymological connection reflects its ancient role in questioning identity or essence, evolving through Middle English to its modern form while retaining the neuter singular sense from its PIE origins.[5] In contemporary English dialects, the core grammatical functions of "what" remain consistent between British and American varieties, though subtle phonetic variations exist in pronunciation; British English typically features a rounded vowel /wɒt/, while American English uses a more open /wʌt/ or /wɑt/. Pragmatic uses, such as "what?" to request repetition, are common in both but may carry slightly different intonations or frequencies in informal speech.[6]Five Ws
The Five Ws—Who, What, When, Where, and Why—supplemented by How, constitute a foundational framework for eliciting essential information in journalism and systematic inquiry, tracing its origins to ancient rhetorical traditions. The structure draws from the seven "circumstances" articulated by the Greek rhetorician Hermagoras of Temnos in the 1st century BC, which encompassed quis (who), quid (what), quando (when), ubi (where), cur (why), quibus auxilis (by what means), and quomodo (in what way) to analyze issues comprehensively in forensic and deliberative speeches.[7] This approach was adapted into English rhetoric by Thomas Wilson in his 1560 treatise The Arte of Rhetorique, where he listed the "seven circumstances" as "Who, what, and where, by what helpe, and by whose, Why, how and when" to aid in clear exposition and persuasion.[8] By the 19th century, these interrogatives began influencing journalistic practice as editors sought structured methods to convey facts efficiently in emerging mass media.[9] The "What" question specifically targets the core event, action, or subject under examination, prompting details such as "What occurred?" or "What is the subject of the report?" to establish the essence of the narrative without ambiguity.[8] For instance, in a news lead, it identifies the incident or phenomenon driving the story, ensuring readers grasp the primary subject immediately.[9] This function aligns with "what" as a basic interrogative pronoun used to inquire about things or actions. The framework's adoption in news reporting accelerated in the early 20th century, with Rudyard Kipling's 1902 poem "Six Honest Serving-Men" from Just So Stories vividly encapsulating the questions as inquisitive servants—"I keep six honest serving-men (They taught me all I knew); Their names are What and Why and When And How and Where and Who"—which journalists embraced to prioritize factual completeness in inverted pyramid structures.[9] In the early 20th century, U.S. journalism educators explicitly taught the Five Ws to reporters as a checklist for crafting concise, informative leads that answered readers' immediate curiosities. Beyond journalism, the Five Ws, including "What," extend to diverse fields for thorough documentation and analysis. In police reports, they guide incident logging by detailing the event's nature (What transpired?), aiding investigations and legal proceedings.[10] The scientific method employs them to frame hypotheses and experiments, with "What" defining the observable phenomenon or variable under study.[11] In project management, the framework clarifies scope by specifying What deliverables or outcomes are required, facilitating planning and stakeholder alignment.[12]Film and television
Films
The 1972 comedy-drama film What? (original Italian title Che?), directed by Roman Polanski, stars Sydne Rome as an American woman who, after escaping a sexual assault, seeks refuge in a bizarre Italian villa inhabited by eccentric characters including a philosophical pimp played by Marcello Mastroianni.[13] The film blends surreal humor, absurdity, and social commentary, following the protagonist's disorienting encounters amid the villa's chaotic environment, and was released amid controversy for its provocative themes.[14] Critics noted its whimsical yet uneven tone, with some praising the visual style and performances while others found the narrative meandering; it holds a 5.5/10 rating on IMDb from over 4,900 user votes. In 2021, Alek Lev directed What?, a black-and-white silent comedy feature (runtime 97 minutes) starring John Maucere as Don, a struggling Deaf actor in Los Angeles frustrated by discriminatory audition processes and humiliating roles offered to him in the hearing-dominated film industry.[15] The plot follows Don's escalating rebellion against these injustices, incorporating American Sign Language as integral to the storytelling in homage to early silent cinema, with themes of representation and empowerment for the Deaf community.[16] Produced with involvement from Deaf artists and released through Glass House Distribution, the film received mixed reception for its innovative format and social relevance, earning a 4.8/10 IMDb rating from over 10,000 votes (as of November 2025), with praise for inclusivity but criticism for pacing issues in some reviews.[17]Television productions
The episode "What?!" from the HBO series Barry, season 2 episode 4, aired on April 21, 2019, and centers on hitman-turned-actor Barry Berkman's escalating identity crisis as he confronts jealousy and his violent past during a tense dinner with his girlfriend Sally's abusive ex-boyfriend, Sam. Directed by Liza Johnson and written by Duffy Boudreau, the episode highlights Barry's struggle to suppress his assassin instincts while pursuing a normal life, culminating in a violent outburst that underscores his internal conflict.[18] In the classic comedy routine "Who's on First?", popularized by the duo Abbott and Costello, "What" serves as the name of the second baseman in a fictional baseball team, leading to confusion in a wordplay-heavy dialogue about the players' names. Originally performed on radio in 1938 and in the 1945 film The Naughty Nineties, the routine gained iconic status through its adaptation in the television series The Abbott and Costello Show (1952–1954), specifically in season 1 episode 24, "The Actor's Home," aired on May 15, 1953, where the duo performs it before a live audience to comedic effect. This TV version helped cement the sketch's enduring popularity in broadcast media, emphasizing the duo's timing and physical comedy.[19] Wrestler "Stone Cold" Steve Austin popularized the defiant catchphrase "What?" during WWE television segments from 1997 to 2003, often responding to crowd chants with escalating repetitions to hype his rebellious persona and build tension in promos. The phrase, which originated organically during his Attitude Era feuds—particularly intensifying in 2001 against Kurt Angle—symbolized Austin's anti-authority attitude and became a staple in live events and shows like WWE Raw and SmackDown. It evolved into widespread merchandise, including T-shirts and apparel, and influenced internet memes, amplifying Austin's cultural impact as a wrestling icon.[20] What If...? is a Marvel animated anthology series on Disney+ that premiered on August 11, 2021, exploring alternate timelines and "what if" scenarios within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), narrated by the Watcher and featuring reimagined stories with voice acting from MCU stars. Season 1 consists of nine episodes delving into divergences like "What If... Captain Carter Were the First Avenger?"; season 2, released December 22, 2023, expands with holiday-themed multiverse tales; and season 3, which premiered on December 22, 2024, and concluded on December 30, 2024, with eight episodes addressing deeper multiverse narratives, including time manipulation and cosmic threats. The season received generally positive reviews for its creative storytelling and animation, holding an 80% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Created by A.C. Bradley and produced by Marvel Studios Animation, the series has been praised for its creative animation style and expansion of MCU lore, totaling over 25 episodes across its run.Music
Songs
"What" is a pop song written by American musician H.B. Barnum and first released as a single by singer Melinda Marx in 1965 on Vee-Jay Records.[21][22] Marx, the daughter of comedian Groucho Marx, performed the track as part of her brief recording career, though it garnered limited commercial attention.[23] The song gained prominence through Judy Street's 1968 cover, released as the B-side to "You Turn Me On" on Fontana Records, which became a Northern Soul classic in the UK despite limited initial chart success.[21]) English synth-pop duo Soft Cell covered the song as "What!" in 1982, releasing it as a single backed with "So."[24] The track appeared on their remix mini-album Non-Stop Ecstatic Dancing and adopts a darker, electronic reinterpretation addressing relational turmoil, with lyrics expressing desperation and uncertainty about salvaging a faltering romance ("What can I do when I still love you? / What can I say when I still need you?").[25][26] This release marked an experimental turn for the band amid their shift from mainstream hits toward more introspective and less commercially oriented material.[27] "What'cha Say" is a 2009 R&B single by American singer Jason Derulo, marking his debut release from the album Jason Derulo.[28] The track heavily samples the chorus of Imogen Heap's 2005 song "Hide and Seek," blending it with themes of regret and reconciliation in a relationship.[29] It achieved widespread success, peaking at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.[30]Albums and other releases
Several music albums and other releases bear the title "What" or close variants, often serving as playful or interrogative nods to existential or humorous themes across genres like comedy, rock, and pop. Bo Burnham's What. is a double-disc live comedy album released on December 17, 2013, by Comedy Central Records, capturing his one-man show from a New York performance that blends stand-up, original songs, and piano-driven sketches exploring modern life and absurdity.[31] The release peaked at number 82 on the US Billboard 200 and received acclaim for its sharp wit, with tracks like "Repeat Stuff" highlighting Burnham's satirical take on everyday annoyances. Brittany Howard's What Now, her second solo studio album, was issued on February 9, 2024, via Island Records, fusing soul, funk, and electronic elements to delve into personal introspection, relationships, and empowerment.[32] Produced by Howard herself with collaborators like Chris Martin, the album peaked at number 33 on the Top Album Sales chart and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Alternative Music Album, praised for its bold production and vocal range. Representative tracks such as the title song emphasize themes of uncertainty and renewal through layered synths and horns. Bon Jovi's What About Now, the rock band's twelfth studio album, appeared on March 26, 2013, under Mercury Records, signaling a return to their signature arena-rock sound after a period of experimentation. Co-written by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, and David Bryan, it topped charts in several countries, including Australia and the US, and reached number two in the UK, with the lead single "Because We Can" reaching number one on the Mainstream Rock Tracks. The album's thematic focus on perseverance is evident in anthems like "Because We Can," underscoring the band's enduring appeal. In the comedy-rap vein, Was (Not Was)'s What Up, Dog?, their second studio album from 1988 on Chrysalis Records, mixes funk, new wave, and spoken-word elements with guest spots from artists like Ozzy Osbourne and Steve Winwood.[33] It achieved commercial success, peaking at number 40 on the Billboard 200 and spawning the hit "Walk the Dinosaur," which reached number seven on the Hot 100, blending quirky lyrics with danceable grooves. More recently, Soft Cell released the What? E.P. on April 19, 2024, via Mercury Records, compiling remastered versions of their 1982 single "What?" along with extended mixes and B-sides from the synth-pop duo's early catalog. This digital and vinyl EP serves as a archival nod to their hiatus-era material, featuring the original track's pleading lyrics over electronic beats.Science and technology
Computing commands
In Unix-like operating systems, thewhat command is a utility designed to identify Source Code Control System (SCCS) files by searching for specific identification strings embedded within them. These strings, typically beginning with the pattern @(#), are automatically inserted into files when they are retrieved using the SCCS get command, providing details such as version numbers, timestamps, and authorship. The command scans one or more specified files and outputs any matching identification information found before delimiters like double quotes, greater-than signs, newlines, backslashes, or null characters.
The basic syntax of the what command is what [-s] file..., where file denotes the path to one or more files to examine, and the optional -s flag limits output to the first matching pattern per file for efficiency. For instance, running what example.c on a C source file under SCCS control might reveal output like example.c: @(#)example.c 1.2 2023/05/10 14:30:00 user, indicating the file's version and last modification details. This makes what particularly useful in software development environments for quickly verifying file provenance without manual inspection. In scripting contexts, it integrates well with system diagnostics, such as piping output to grep for targeted version checks in automated build processes.
Historically, the what command originated as part of the Source Code Control System (SCCS), developed by Marc J. Rochkind at Bell Laboratories in the early 1970s to address version control needs in large-scale software projects. SCCS, including what, was introduced in the mid-1970s and became a standard component of AT&T's Unix System V releases, influencing subsequent Unix variants. By the 2020s, while SCCS has largely been supplanted by tools like Git in modern workflows, the what command remains available in POSIX-compliant environments, including Linux distributions such as Ubuntu, often via packages like cssc for compatibility. In cloud-based Linux setups, it continues to serve niche roles in legacy system diagnostics, with output sometimes parsed for containerized application versioning.
The what command differs from similar utilities like who, which displays information about currently logged-in users and their activities, and uname, which reports kernel-related details such as the operating system release and machine hardware. Unlike these, what focuses exclusively on extracting embedded identification markers from files, making it a specialized tool for source code and binary analysis rather than runtime system queries.