Where does “worthwhile” come from?
Worthwhile derives from English while combined with worth, which comes from Middle English worth, Old English weorþ, Proto-Germanic werþaz, and Proto-Indo-European wer-.
worthwhile (English): Good and important enough to spend time, effort,...
Definitions
- Good and important enough to spend time, effort,...
Ancestry of “worthwhile”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | while | An uncertain duration of time, a period of time;... |
| 2 | Middle English | whyle | — |
| 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 |
Words derived from “worthwhile”