somewhy

English

Etymology

From some +‎ why, in analogy with somewhere, somehow etc.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsʌmwai/, /ˈsʌmʍai/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Adverb

somewhy (not comparable)

1. (rare) For some reason
   • 1864, Robert Browning, “Mr. Sludge, "The Medium"”, in Wikisource, line 505‎, retrieved 2012-01-18:

     Out of the drift of facts, whereby you learn
     What some was, somewhere, somewhen, somewhy?

   • 1988, William Morris, 1924, quotee, edited by Thomas P. Riggio, Letters to Women: New Letters‎, Reprint edition, University of Illinois Press, published 2009, →ISBN, page 179:

     I loved them both—but not so very much else in the book—but I read them over twice & thought—somewhy—of Highland Park & our quaint little trips to Los Angles[sic] & elsewhere thereabouts on the street car.

   • 2003, Cameron Royce Jess, Bearer of the Chose Seed‎ (Fiction), Inscape Publications, →ISBN, page 15:

     Somewhy I've always had this stupid idea that something or something or somebody awful is waiting here for me.

   • 2008, Margaret Feinberg, “Bring Them to Me”, in The Sacred Echo‎, Zondervan, →ISBN, page unk:

     But somehow, somewhy, he did something and that woman knew it. And somehow, somewhy on a whole lot of other days he doesn't do anything we can see ...

   • 2011, Issac Marion, Warm Bodies‎ (Fiction), Simon and Schuster, →ISBN, page 92:

     Or is it actually him? Still holding on somewhere, somehow, somewhy.

Translations

for some reason

Esperanto: ial (eo) Polish: jakoś (pl) Russian: почему-то (ru) (počemu-to)