Where does “while” come from?

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

while (English): An uncertain duration of time, a period of time;...

Definitions

  1. An uncertain duration of time, a period of time;...

Ancestry of “while”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishwhylewhile
2Old Englishhwīltime; while; while; time, while
3Proto-West Germanichwīluperiod of rest, pause; time, period of time,...
4Proto-Germanichwīlōtime, period of time, while; period of rest,...
5Proto-Indo-Europeankʷyeh₁-to rest; rest, peace

Words derived from “while”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷyeh₁- →Every word from Proto-Germanic hwīlō →Every word from Proto-West Germanic hwīlu →