whichever
Meaning
used to refer to any one of a set of people or things, when it does not matter which one is chosen
used to say that the specific identity of something is not important because the statement applies to any possibility
Structure
Usage
choose whichever book you like from the shelf.
the prize will go to whichever team scores the most points.
you can take whichever route is faster; i don't mind.
Etymology
The word 'whichever' is a relatively Modern English formation, emerging in the late Middle English period by combining two ancient English elements. The first element, 'which', descends from the Proto-Germanic interrogative stem hwa-, which also gives us 'what' and 'who', and is ultimately traceable to the proto-indo-European interrogative root kʷo-. The second element, 'ever', originates from Old English ǣfre, of uncertain etymology but possibly meaning "ever, at any time." The fusion of these two elements created a compound pronoun that generalizes and intensifies the selective meaning of 'which', shifting it from a specific inquiry to an indefinite, all-encompassing choice. This logical construction, meaning "any which one at all," elegantly captures the word's modern function of expressing indifference or universality among a set of options.
Analysis
which: from old english hwilc (which, what kind of). functions as an interrogative/relative pronoun root. ever: from old english ǣfre (ever, always). functions as an intensifying suffix meaning 'any at all' or 'no matter which'.