how so

phrase

Etymology

From ellipsis of "how is that so?", and also continuing Middle English how-so, hou-so, hu se (“however, in whatsoever way”). Compare West Frisian hoesa (“how so, why”), Dutch hoezo (“how so, why”), German Low German woso (“how so, why”), German wieso (“how so, why”), Swedish hurså (“how so”). By surface analysis, how + so.

inherited from how-so

Definitions

1
How?
How?; In what way?
- The city of Melbourne has much more culture than Sydney. ― How so?
2
Why?
Why?; For what reason?
- I'm feeling really depressed. ― How so?
3
How
How; In what way; however
- But how so thys money was lent or gyded, at thys daye the cheste remayneth in the chamber of London, wythout money or pledges for the same.
- But we have groaned over this experience, an O ! dear ! with every breath, and wished ourselves out of it, someway, somehow, no matter what way or how so we were rid of it.
- Of every wit somewhat he can Out-take that him lacketh rule, His own estate to guide and rule; How so it stood of his speaking, He was not wise in his doing;
›+ 2 more definitionsshow fewer
1. 4
  Why
  Why; For what reason.
  - Yet how so ere I love, I must be wife.
  - My reflection in you warbled, because you see only hints, of what I see to beacon of me. Who am I who is reflecting from you? How so do I identify my soul in you?
2. 5
  Used as an intensifier.
  - The king shall joy in thy strength, O Lord ; and in thy salvation how so shall he rejoice!
  - How so we love thee! Even UNIVAC and IBM Could never count the way.
  - I wished my voice would carry him through eternity, keeping us in a moment that nothing could part, oh, and how so I wanted to follow his lead, and how so to death I was determined not to concede, and how so, how so many wonderful things;

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for how so. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA