Whereon

adv. Now formal or arch. [f. WHERE 15 + ON prep. Cf. Du. waaraan, G. woran.]

  I.  1. Interrogative. On what?

c. 1205.  Lay., 15516. Ne mihten heo nauere finden … whær on hit weore ilong.

c. 1250.  Gen. & Ex., 1310. Ðo wurd ðe child witter and war Ðat ðor sal offrende ben don, Oc ne wiste he quuat, ne quor-on.

a. 1400–50.  Wars Alex., 268. Quare-on muse ȝe sa mekill, maister?

1600.  Shaks., A. Y. L., I. iii. 59. Tell me whereon the likelihood depends? Ibid. (1602), Ham., II. iv. 124. Whereon do you looke?

1611.  Bible, 2 Chron. xxxii. 10. Whereon doe ye trust, that yee abide in the siege in Ierusalem?

1755.  Johnson, s.v., Whereon did he sit?

  II.  Relative. On which. 2. Of local position (ON prep. 1–4).

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 16762 + 116. Til our lord in erth so mikel was not leued, Whar on þat he miȝt rest on is wery heued.

c. 1400.  Maundev. (Roxb.), xi. 48. A stane wharon oure Lord satt and preched.

a. 1508.  Dunbar, Tua Mariit Wemen, 5. Ane gudlie grene garth,… Hegeit … with hawthorne treis; Quhairon ane bird … birst out hir notis.

1539.  Bible (Great), Exod. iii. 5. Y^e place whereon thou stondest is holy grounde.

1603.  Shaks., Meas. for M., I. ii. 164. A horse whereon the Gouernor doth ride.

1667.  Milton, P. L., IX. 526. He [sc. the Serpent] lick’d the ground whereon she trod.

1812.  Byron, Ch. Har., I. xlix. On yon long level plain, at distance crown’d With crags, whereon those Moorish turrets rest.

1896.  A. Morrison, Child Jago, xiv. The ground was bought whereon should be built a church.

  3.  Of time, esp. with antecedent day (ON prep. 6).

1588.  A. King, trans. Canisius’ Catech., h vj. The astrologians estiming ye haill varieteis of ye change to tak end in 19 ȝeres and returne yairefter to ye same dayes quhairon yai fell before.

1595.  Shaks., John, IV. ii. 156. On that day at noone, whereon he sayes, I shall yeeld vp my Crowne.

1600.  J. Pory, trans. Leo’s Africa, III. 138. Vpon eight seuerall daies of the yeere besides, whereon the Moores feastes are solemnized.

1817.  Shelley, Rev. Islam, V. xxxvii. The eve of that great day Whereon the many nations … Decreed to hold a sacred Festival.

1883.  Whitelaw, Sophocles, Electra, 276. That fatal day whereon Our father by her treachery she slew.

  4.  Of immediately subsequent or consequent action (ON prep. 7). Now more usually WHEREUPON (sense 4).

1597.  Shaks., 2 Hen. IV., V. ii. 81. Your Highnesse … strooke me … Whereon (as an Offender to your Father) I … did commit you.

1685.  Fountainhall, Hist. Obs. (Bannatyne Club), 146. He … had very near shot Douglas himselfe dead, had not the Whig’s carabine misgiven, wheron Douglas pistoled him presently.

1863.  Kingsley, Water-Bab., iii. Whereon she curled up her lip.

1885–94.  R. Bridges, Eros & Psyche, March, xxi. Whereon she quickly led him down on earth, And show’d him Psyche.

  5.  Of motion or direction to or towards (ON prep. 14–16): Onto which.

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 1896. Noe … Lete vte a doue þat tok hir flight And fand na sted quare-on to light.

a. 1578.  Lindesay (Pitscottie), Chron. Scot. (S. T. S.), I. 310. Ane skaffald quhairon they pat this innocent man.

1667.  Milton, P. L., XI. 897. He … will therein set His triple-colour’d Bow, whereon to look And call to mind his Cov’nant.

1728.  Chambers, Cycl., s.v. Glass, The Table, whereon the Glass is to be run, is of Pot Metal.

1800.  Bloomfield, Farmer’s Boy, Spring, 259. The oaken shelf whereon ’tis laid.

  6.  In reference to the object of an action, feeling, etc., and in various constructional uses (ON prep. 20–22, 28).

1340.  Ayenb., 176. Verst be þe heauede, hueran me zet ofte grat cost.

1526.  Tindale, John iv. 38. I sent you to repe that wheron ye bestowed no laboure.

1591.  Shaks., 1 Hen. VI., II. iii. 47. To thinke, that you haue ought but Talbots shadow, Whereon to practise your seueritie.

1594.  Hooker, Eccl. Pol., I. iii. § 3. If the string whereon he striketh chaunce to be vncapable of harmonie.

1611.  Shaks., Wint. T., I. i. 2. If you shall chance … to visit Bohemia, on the like occasion whereon my seruices are now on-foot.

1781.  Cowper, Conversat., 676. Fly-blown flesh whereon the maggot feeds.

1821.  Shelley, Ginevra, 193. A corpse whereon A vulture has just feasted.

1850.  Tennyson, In Mem., xxi. I take the grasses of the grave, And make them pipes whereon to blow.

  † 7.  Of which, whereof (ON prep. 27). Obs.

c. 1420.  ? Lydg., Assembly of Gods, 48. To declare her greefe of the gret offence To theym done by Eolus, wheron they compleynyd.

1525.  Ld. Berners, Froiss., II. ccxxxiv. [ccxxx.] 303 6/2. The duke fell sycke, wheron he dyed.

1583.  Stocker, Civ. Warres Lowe C., III. 112. No milke to be solde, whereon butter might be made.

1624.  Quarles, Job Militant, Medit. 17. The parts, whereon the World consists.