Where does “therewhile” come from?
therewhile (English) comes from English there, from Old English þær, from Proto-West Germanic þār, from Proto-Germanic þar, from Proto-Indo-European tar-, from Proto-Indo-European to-, from Proto-Indo-European só — this; that.
therewhile (English): At that time; at the same time
Definitions
- At that time; at the same time
Ancestry of “therewhile”, step by step
therewhile traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English there
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | there | In a place or location at some distance from the... |
| 2 | Old English | þær | there |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | þār | there |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | þar | there, in that place |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | tar- | there |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | to- | it; that; the, that |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | só | this; that |
via English while
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | while | An uncertain duration of time, a period of time;... |
| 2 | Middle English | whyle | while |
| 3 | Old English | hwīl | time; while; while; time, while |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | hwīlu | period of rest, pause; time, period of time,... |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | hwīlō | time, period of time, while; period of rest,... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷyeh₁- | to rest; rest, peace |