From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Whence \Whence\, adv. [OE. whennes, whens (with adverbial s,
properly a genitive ending; -- see {-wards}), also whenne,
whanene, AS. hwanan, hwanon, hwonan, hwanone; akin to D.
when. See {When}, and cf. {Hence}, {Thence}.]
[1913 Webster]
1. From what place; hence, from what or which source, origin,
antecedent, premise, or the like; how; -- used
interrogatively.
[1913 Webster]
Whence hath this man this wisdom? --Matt. xiii.
54.
[1913 Webster]
Whence and what art thou? --Milton.
[1913 Webster]
2. From what or which place, source, material, cause, etc.;
the place, source, etc., from which; -- used relatively.
[1913 Webster]
Grateful to acknowledge whence his good
Descends. --Milton.
[1913 Webster]
Note: All the words of this class, whence, where, whither,
whereabouts, etc., are occasionally used as pronouns by
a harsh construction.
[1913 Webster]
O, how unlike the place from whence they fell?
--Milton.
[1913 Webster]
Note: From whence, though a pleonasm, is fully authorized by
the use of good writers.
[1913 Webster]
From whence come wars and fightings among you?
--James iv. 1.
[1913 Webster] Of whence, also a pleonasm, has become
obsolete.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
whence
adv 1: from what place, source, or cause
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