awhile

Pronunciation

• IPA: /əˈwaɪl/, /əˈʍaɪl/^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English awhile, inherited from Old English āne hwīle (“(for) a while”),^[2][3][4] the accusative of ān (“one”) and hwīl (“while”) (see one and while),^[2] reduced to a while and written as one word from the 14th century.^[2][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

For a short time: before 1000 in the OED, before the 12th century in Merriam-Webster;^[6][5] the one-word form is from about 1300 in Etymonline.^[4]

Semantic evolution

The OED notes that it was often written as one word improperly, where while is a noun and a an article, as in for awhile, from 1489.^[6]

Timeline

• before 1000 – āne hwīle.^[6][3]
• c. 1300 – awhile as one word.^[4]
• 1489 – written together where a while is meant.^[6]

Modern meaning

Adverb

1. For a short time; briefly.

Related words

• while
• whilst
• one

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. ^ a b Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
6. ^ a b c d Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press