whilere

English

WOTD – 18 September 2021

Etymology

From Middle English whil er, whileere [and other forms], whilom er (“some while ago or before, formerly”), from Old English hwīle ǣr, hwīlum ǣr, from hwīle (accusative singular of hwīl), hwīlum (“at some time in the past, once; sometimes”) (dative plural of hwīl (“period of time, a while”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kʷyeh₁- (“to rest; peace, rest”)) + ǣr (“before”) (ultimately from Proto-Germanic *airiz (“before, earlier”)). The English word is analysable as while +‎ ere.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʍaɪˈlɛː/, /waɪ-/
• IPA^(key): /ʍaɪˈleɹ/, /waɪ-/
• Hyphenation: whil‧ere

Adverb

whilere (not comparable)

1. (archaic) A while ago; a time before; formerly, previously.

   Synonyms: erewhile, erstwhile; see also Thesaurus:formerly

   Antonyms: see Thesaurus:currently, Thesaurus:subsequently

   • [1387–1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, “The Tale of the Chanons Yeman”, in The Canterbury Tales (in Middle English), [Westminster: William Caxton, published 1478], →OCLC; republished in [William Thynne], editor, The Workes of Geffray Chaucer Newlye Printed, […], [London]: […] [Richard Grafton for] Iohn Reynes […], 1542, →OCLC, folio lxvii, recto, column 2:

     [B]y god ye be to blame / Helpeth me nowe, as I dyd you wylere

     [B]y God, you are to blame; / Help me now, as I did you a while ago.]

   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto IX”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 28, page 127:

     VVe met that villen (God from him me bleſſe) / That curſed wight, from whom I ſcapt whyleare, / A man of hell, that cals himſelfe Deſpayre: […]

   • 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii], page 12, column 2:

     Thou mak'ſt me merry: I am full of pleaſure, / Let vs be iocond. Will you troule the Catch / You taught me but whileare?

   • c. 1633–1634, John Milton, “Upon the Circumcision”, in Poems of Mr. John Milton, […], London: […] Ruth Raworth for Humphrey Mosely, […], published 1646, →OCLC, page 21:

     He who with all Heav'ns heraldry whileare / Enter'd the world, now bleeds to give us eaſe; / Alas, how ſoon our ſin / Sore doth begin / His Infancy to ſeaſe!

   • 1808 February 22, Walter Scott, “Introduction to Canto Fifth: To George Ellis, Esq.”, in Marmion; a Tale of Flodden Field, Edinburgh: […] J[ames] Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Company, […]; London: William Miller, and John Murray, →OCLC, page 234:

     But who shall teach my harp to gain / A sound of the romantic strain, / Whose Anglo-Norman tones whilere / Could win the Second Henry's ear, / Famed Beauclere called, for that he loved / The minstrel, and his lay approved?

Alternative forms

• while-ere

Translations

a while ago; a time before — see formerly,‎ previously