Yawwhich

Yawwhich is a term that has appeared in online discussion and speculative writing as a neologism with multiple implied meanings. There is no single, widely accepted definition, and usage varies by context.

Etymology and origins: The word is commonly treated as a portmanteau of yaw, referring to rotation about a vertical axis, and which, an interrogative pronoun. The combination suggests a link between orientation or direction and decision or selection. The term’s earliest informal attestations come from 2020s internet forums and social media posts, where users experimented with blending technical and rhetorical senses.

Definitions and uses: In technical or design-oriented contexts, yawwhich is used to describe an interface or mechanism that ties a user’s yaw orientation to the act of making a selection. For example, a drone or virtual reality control scheme might expose options as the user’s viewpoint yaw shifts, creating a “which” choice dependent on direction. In more casual or humorous usage, yawwhich refers to a moment of indecision expressed while changing perspective, often framed as a playful question about which option to choose.

Usage notes: Because yawwhich is informal and still spreading, definitions remain provisional and may differ across communities. It is most often encountered in discussions about user interfaces, navigation, or memetic language rather than formal technical documentation. As with many neologisms, its prominence and accepted meaning can evolve rapidly.

See also: yaw, orientation, neologism, user interface.