Wherefore Doesnt Mean Why Either
In “R omeo and Juliet,” Juliet says “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Ro meo?” This has been translated as meaning why are you Romeo. A different interpretation comes from “wherefore” itself and should be used instead. “Fore” “Fore” is at the end of “wherefore” and it means “before,” as shown by words like “forearm” and “forewarned.” At a wedding, a priest might say “do you swear before all your family and friends…” And it should be noted that given that Shakespeare wrote “Romeo and Juliet” hundreds of years ago, English was closer to German that it is now and that the German word for “with what” is “womit,” which literally translates into “where with.” There is also a line in “Romeo and Juliet” that ends with “for thou hast need.” (Shakespeare, Rome and Julie, 1597, Act 4, Scene 3).
