What: meaning, translations and cultural references

Introduction: Why the word “what” matters

The interrogative word “what” is central to human communication and inquiry. Its importance lies in asking for information, identity, origin, value and clarification. The term appears across languages and cultures, and it also functions as a title or theme in arts and media. This brief article summarises definitions, multilingual forms and cultural references based on the supplied sources.

Main body

Definitions and typical uses

Authoritative dictionary material summarises “what” as principally an interrogative used to request specific information. The definitions provided include uses to inquire about origin or identity, to ask about worth or importance, and to request repetition when something is not understood. Example usages from the supplied material illustrate its role in broader discourse: “There was, of course, the question of whether or to what degree the show… would address the world outside the Hilton’s walls.” And in moral appeal: “I think everybody in their hearts knows what the right thing is to do, so let’s do the right thing.”

Multilingual presence

Wiktionary entries show that equivalents of “what” exist in many languages, reflecting its universal communicative role. Representative forms from the supplied list include Mandarin 什麼 / 什么 (shénme), Cantonese 乜嘢 (mat1 je5), Arabic مَاذَا (māḏā) and مَا (mā) alongside regional Arabic variants (e.g. شنو / šunu, ايه / ēh), Bengali কী (ki), and Asturian qué (qué). The list demonstrates both standard lexical items and regional or dialectal variants used to pose the basic interrogative.

Cultural and media references

“What” also appears as a title or key term across media. The supplied Wikipedia disambiguation notes film entries (including a 1963 Italian film directed by Mario Bava and a 1972 film associated with Roman Polanski), music entries such as a 2013 comedy/music album by Bo Burnham, and several songs titled “What” or “What?” including a 1965 record by Melinda Marx and a track credited to Rob Zombie. The term’s use as a title reflects its open-ended, attention-grabbing quality.

Conclusion: Significance and outlook

The word “what” functions as a fundamental tool for information-seeking, present in varied grammatical roles and across languages. Its recurrence as a title in film and music underlines its cultural resonance: brief, curious and directing focus. For readers, recognising the breadth of “what”—from dictionary senses to dialectal forms and media uses—highlights how a single small word supports inquiry, clarification and creative expression worldwide.