Where does “awhile” come from?

Awhile comes from Old English hwile, from Old English hwīl, from Proto-West Germanic hwīlu, from Proto-Germanic hwīlō, from Proto-Indo-European kʷyeh₁-.

awhile (English): For some time; for a short time; In the meantime;...

Definitions

  1. For some time; for a short time; In the meantime;...

Ancestry of “awhile”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishanea
2Old Englishhwīle—
Every word from Old English hwīle →Every word from Old English ane →