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whilst

adv
/waɪlst/US/ʍaɪlst//wɪlst/UK

Etymology

From Late Middle English whilst, whilest, qwhilste (Northern England), quilest (Northwest Midlands) [and other forms], from whiles (“during the time that, while; only so long as; provided that; because, since; until”) + -t (excrescent suffix, perhaps due to a combination of -(e)s and the following word the, or influenced by the superlative suffix -est). Whiles is derived from whiles (“period of time, a while”, noun) (probably from the second element of adverbs and conjunctions like otherwhiles and somewhiles), from while (“period of time, a while”, noun) + -s (suffix forming adverbs of manner, space, and time); and while is from Old English hwīl (“period of time, a while”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *hwīlō (“period of time, a while; period of rest, break, pause”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷyeh₁- (“to rest; peace, rest”). The English word can be analysed as whiles + -t (excrescent suffix appended to words suffixed with -s). cognates * West Frisian wylst (“whilst”)

  1. inherited from *kʷyeh₁-✻ — “to rest; peace, rest”
  2. inherited from *hwīlō✻ — “period of time, a while; period of rest, break, pause”
  3. inherited from hwīl — “period of time, a while”
  4. inherited from whilst

Definitions

  1. Often preceded by the

    Often preceded by the: During the time; meanwhile.

    • Nay, I prethee put on this gown, & this beard, make him beleeue thou art ſir Topas the Curate, doe it quickly. Ile call ſir Toby the whilſt.
    • Hero. Leave, leave, tis novv too late. She is dead, her laſt is breathed. / Cleo[phila]. VVhat ſhall vvee doe. / Her[o]. Goe run, / And tell the Duke; and vvhilſt ile cloſe her eyes.
    • What money have I bought with me? […] even but a small sum; something in hand the whilst.

  2. Synonym of while.

    • Drivers must switch off engines whilst on stand.
    • I ſaw a Smith ſtand with his hammer (thus) / The whilſt his Iron did on the Anuile coole.
    • […] Ile nere be drunk whilſt I liue againe, but in honeſt, ciuill, godly company for this tricke: if I be drunke, Ile be drunke with thoſe that haue the feare of God, and not with drunken knaues.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for whilst. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA