The phrase "whence it came" is commonly misspelled as "whence it cames". The correct spelling of the word is "came", which is the past tense of the verb "come". The sound of the letter "e" at the end of the word is silent, as indicated by the IPA phonetic transcription of /keɪm/. So next time you write this phrase, remember to drop the "s" and spell it correctly as "whence it came".
"Whence it came" is a phrase of antiquated nature, primarily used in older literature or formal speech. The term "whence" is an archaic adverb that means "from what place or source." Often used in a poetic context or a way to express an origin or source of something, "whence it came" refers to the specific place or point of origin from which something or someone originated or emerged.
In contemporary English, the phrase can be interpreted as "from where it came," implying a sense of tracing back to its starting point. It generally implies a curiosity about the origin of an object, a concept, or an idea, and can also be used metaphorically to refer to the beginning or root cause of an event or situation.
The phrase "whence it came" can be employed in various contexts, such as describing the origin of a historical artifact, the source of inspiration for an artistic creation, or the source of a family's ancestry. It can also be used more abstractly, referring to the roots of a belief system, the source of a problem, or the starting point of a process.
Overall, "whence it came" is an old-fashioned way of expressing an inquiry into the origin or starting point of something and is primarily employed in formal or poetic settings rather than everyday conversation.