What does welke mean?
Welke is an obsolete English spelling of “which.” In its interrogative use, it asks the listener or reader to identify a particular person, thing, or option: “Welke of these books is yours?” In its older relative use, it can refer to a person or thing already mentioned, corresponding to modern English “which” or “that.” The form belongs chiefly to Middle and Early Modern English, when spelling conventions varied considerably and the word was still commonly written without its initial h. Although it carries no independent meaning of its own, welke is useful to readers encountering historical writing because it preserves the older sound and visual form of a familiar grammatical word. In modern English, the spelling “which” is standard in both questions and relative clauses.
Used to ask which person, thing, or option among several is meant.
"Welke of these two roads leads to the harbour?"
Obsolete spelling of “which”; it is not part of modern standard English.
Used in a clause referring to a person or thing already mentioned.
"He read the letter that she had sent to welke friend."
The historical relative use could correspond to modern English “which” or “that,” depending on context.
Welke proves that spelling changes can make an everyday question sound like a character from an old manuscript.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of welke
Welke was a historical English spelling of “which,” a word inherited from Old English forms such as hwælc and hwylc. These forms continue Proto-Germanic *hwilīkaz, an interrogative and relative pronoun meaning “which.” The word has close relatives in modern Dutch welk, German welch, and West Frisian welke; the Scots form whilk also reflects the same inherited interrogative.
How welke is actually used
This is a historical spelling rather than a separate modern word. It may appear in edited medieval and early modern texts but is not used in present-day standard English.
Easily confused with welke
“Welke” is an obsolete spelling of “which”; “which” is the standard modern English form.
“Welke” is a historical variant of “which,” whereas “welk” is a separate obsolete word associated with turning, twisting, or rolling.