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
- An uncertain duration of time, a period of time;...
Ancestry of “while”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | whyle | while |
| 2 | Old English | hwīl | time; while; while; time, while |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | hwīlu | period of rest, pause; time, period of time,... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | hwīlō | time, period of time, while; period of rest,... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷyeh₁- | to rest; rest, peace |
Words derived from “while”