Temico said:
"How" can also express "when" sometimes. See my previous example:-
Max: How do know the store is open for business?
Passer-by: When(= the time/moment) the staff return from their lunch break.
In that context, "When" refers to
the occasion when, and not to a specific time, say, 8:00 a.m., right? So, the indirect relationship, "When" refers to time, therefore "How" refers to time, doesn't work. ;-)
To reiterate, "In order to define "How"; i.e., 'by what means', mention of an occasion is required". Both "How" and "When" share similar semantic content, which is the reason they are synonymous in certain contexts, notably contexts that refer to an occasion:
How "
by what means; *what time"
When "
on what occasion; what time"
"When", as you've emphasized in the example dialogue above, can express both "the time" and the occasion. But "How" doesn't express both. It can't refer to "the time". Notice that the reverse doesn't work:
Max: When do you know the store is open for business?
Passer-by: How the staff return from their lunch. (i.e., If they look refreshed, then the store is open for business, and if they seem drunk, the store is definitely not open for business. ;-) )
Thanks for contributing, Temico. See you in the Forum. :hi: