▁object ▁to ▁this ▁use ▁of ▁of ▁which ▁the ▁find ▁it ▁cl unk y ▁or ▁over ly ▁formal . ▁ ▁The ▁in animate ▁whose ▁is ▁restricted ▁to ▁the ▁relative ▁pron oun ; ▁English ▁speak ers ▁do ▁not ▁use ▁whose ▁as ▁a ▁non - person al ▁inter rog ative ▁possess ive : ▁ ▁the ▁whose ▁in ▁" Wh ose ▁car ▁is ▁this ?" ▁can ▁refer ▁only ▁to ▁a ▁person . ▁ ▁Et ym ology ▁and ▁history ▁ ▁The ▁Old ▁English ▁gen itive ▁of ▁the ▁neut er ▁pron oun ▁ ▁(' what ') ▁was ▁h w æ s , ▁which ▁later ▁evol ved ▁as ▁whose ▁into ▁the ▁gen itive ▁of ▁which . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁recorded ▁instance ▁of ▁in animate ▁whose ▁occurs ▁in ▁ 1 4 7 9 . ▁ ▁Att ested ▁usage ▁increased ▁in ▁Early ▁Modern ▁English , ▁with ▁in animate ▁whose ▁appearing ▁repeatedly ▁in ▁the ▁works ▁of ▁Shakespeare , ▁in ▁the ▁King ▁James ▁Bible , ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁writ ings ▁of ▁Mil ton ▁and ▁others . ▁ ▁Old ▁English ▁had ▁gram mat ical ▁gender , ▁and ▁pron oun s ▁agreed ▁with ▁the ▁gram mat ical ▁gender ▁of ▁the ▁n oun s ▁they ▁referred ▁to , ▁regardless ▁of ▁the ▁bi ological ▁or ▁social ▁gender ▁of ▁what ▁was ▁referred ▁to . ▁ ▁For ▁example , ▁the ▁Old ▁English ▁ ▁(' w ife ') ▁was ▁neut er ▁and ▁referred ▁to ▁with ▁the ▁pron oun ▁ ▁(' it '), ▁and ▁w ī f mann ▁(' w oman ') ▁was ▁mascul ine ▁and ▁referred ▁to ▁with ▁the ▁pron oun