Hvortil

Hvortil is a historical Danish term that means "to what end" or "for what purpose." In older Danish texts it functions as a prepositional phrase or interrogative element used to inquire about intention, aim, or consequence. Today the word is largely considered archaic and is rarely used in contemporary Danish outside of historical or literary contexts.

Etymology and scope: hvortil combines hvort- meaning "which/what" with til meaning "to." The construction appears in medieval and early modern Danish, and it has cognates or similarly formed remnants in some North Germanic dialects and historical texts. In modern Danish, standard practice typically uses til hvilken eller til hvilket form to express the same idea.

Usage and style: In historical writing, hvortil appears in questions or clauses that probe purpose or outcome, such as hvortil vil denne handling føre? Its use is associated with formality, poetics, or legal-religious treatises from past centuries. In current usage, speakers would generally replace hvortil with til hvilken hensigt or til hvilket formål to convey the same meaning.

Example: Hvortil vil denne gjerning føre? This sentence illustrates the archaic sense of asking about the end or purpose of an action, a usage that has largely fallen out of everyday Danish.

See also: Danish language history, Old Danish, archaisms. Note that hvortil is primarily of interest to scholars of historical Danish linguistics and is not a standard term in modern Danish.