Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
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adv
Often preceded by the: During the time; meanwhile.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Qualifier: archaic or obsolete except dialectal
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
conj
Synonym of while.
During the whole, or until the end, of the time that; as long as, at the same time.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Commonwealth, Ireland, UK, literary, rare
Synonyms: as, when, while, whilom, whilst, whiles
Antonyms: none provided
conj
Synonym of while.
Within, or before the end, of the time that.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Commonwealth, Ireland, UK, literary, rare
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: as, when, while, whilom, whilst
Antonyms: none provided
conj
Synonym of while.
Although; in contrast; whereas.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Commonwealth, Ireland, UK, literary, rare
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: as, when, while, whilom, whilst
Antonyms: none provided
conj
Synonym of while.
Besides; in addition.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Commonwealth, Ireland, UK, literary, rare
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: as, when, while, whilom, whilst
Antonyms: none provided
conj
Synonym of while.
Only if; provided that; as long as; so long as.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Commonwealth, Ireland, UK, literary, rare
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: as, when, while, whilom, whilst
Antonyms: none provided
History
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”)
