The phrase "says who" is often used to challenge the validity of a statement or claim. In terms of spelling, "says" is pronounced /sɛz/, and "who" is pronounced /hu/. The spelling of "says who" accurately reflects the phonetic pronunciations of each word. The /z/ sound in "says" is represented by the letter "s," while the /h/ and /w/ sounds in "who" are represented by the letters "h" and "w" respectively. Overall, the spelling of "says who" is straightforward and easy to understand.
The phrase "says who" is an idiomatic expression used to question or challenge the authority or validity of a statement. The etymology of the phrase can be understood by analyzing its parts: "says" and "who".
The word "says" is the present indicative form of the verb "to say", which comes from the Old English word "sēcgan". This Old English word evolved from the Proto-Germanic word *sagjaną, meaning "to utter, say". The origin of this Proto-Germanic word is uncertain, but it is believed to be related to the Old Norse word "segja" and the Old High German word "sagēn", both of which have similar meanings.
The word "who" comes from the Old English word "hwā", which is also derived from the Proto-Germanic root *hwaz.