Where does “whileen” come from?

whileen (English) comes from English een, from English Even, from Middle English even, from Old English efn, from Proto-West Germanic ebn, from Proto-Germanic ebnaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₁émnos — equal, straight; flat, level, even.

whileen (English): A little while; a short time

Definitions

  1. A little while; a short time

Ancestry of “whileen”, step by step

whileen traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English een

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englisheenplural of eye; even; evening
2EnglishEvenAn ethnic Even: a member of an indigenous people...
3Middle Englishevensmoothly, evenly
4Old Englishefnequal, level, even
5Proto-West Germanicebneven, level
6Proto-Germanicebnazeven, level
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁émnosequal, straight; flat, level, even

via English while

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwhileAn uncertain duration of time, a period of time;...
2Middle Englishwhylewhile
3Old Englishhwīltime; while; while; time, while
4Proto-West Germanichwīluperiod of rest, pause; time, period of time,...
5Proto-Germanichwīlōtime, period of time, while; period of rest,...
6Proto-Indo-Europeankʷyeh₁-to rest; rest, peace
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁émnos