Emily Dickinson Lexicon

how, adv. [OE hú.] (webplay: better, cause, cheek, clouds, degree, effect, fallen, gold, house, know, less, love, more, old, pale, man, manner, means, mighty, more, sea, servant, state, suffer, return, rivers).

1. [Interrogative; question marker]; in what way; in what manner; by what means.
2. [Introducing an infinitive]; by certain means; in a particular manner.
3. [Introducing a relative clause]; to what extent.
4. [Qualifying adj. or adv.]; to what extent; in what degree.
5. [Exclamation; intensifier]; so; very; to such a degree!
6. [Qualifying verb]; in what way; in what manner; by what authority?
7. [Ellipsis.]
8. Phrase. “How many”: what quantity of?
9. Phrase. “How much”: what great amount; what generous quantity.
10. Phrase. “How are you”: in what condition; how do you feel?
11. Phrase. “How doth the busy bee”: [see bee; quoted from a 1715 Isaac Watts poem.]