Thingswhether

Thingswhether is a neologism used in linguistic and philosophy-of-language discussions to describe a subset of phrases and propositions whose content is shaped by a whether-clause. In typical usage, a thingswhether item conveys uncertainty, choice, or alternatives by embedding a question of the form whether X or Y. The label is informal and not part of a standardized taxonomy; it functions as a descriptive shorthand rather than a formal theory.

Etymology and scope: The term blends “things” with “whether” to signal that the expression refers to items whose truth or applicability depends on a hypothetical or uncertain condition. It is most often encountered in analyses of embedded questions, indirect discourse, and epistemic stance markers. Examples include sentences like “I don’t know whether the train is on time” and “She discussed whether to approve the proposal.”

Role in analysis: In linguistic description, thingswhether items help distinguish between direct questions, indirect questions, and hedged statements. They also interact with modality and evidentiality, since the whether-clause can reflect speaker commitment to a possibility. In philosophy or decision theory, the notion can be used more loosely to discuss questions that only resolve under a condition expressed by a whether-clause.

See also: whether-clause, embedded question, indirect discourse, epistemic modality.