awhile
English
Etymology
Old English ane (“(for) a”) hwile (“while”)
Pronunciation
Adverb
awhile (not comparable)
- For some time; for a short time.
- Sit with me awhile.
- c. 1596–97, William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice[1], act 1, scene 1:
- Gratiano:
[…] Fare ye well awhile:
I'll end my exhortation after dinner.
- 1979, The Boomtown Rats (lyrics and music), “Wind Chill Factor (Minus Zero)”, in The Fine Art of Surfacing:
- I'll slip beneath these sheets and shiver here awhile / I find this happening more frequently these days
- (US, Pennsylvania Dutch English) In the meantime; during an implicit ongoing process.
- Can I get you a drink awhile?
Usage notes
Awhile as means “for a while” is often considered incorrect to use with a preceding preposition, since one is already supposed: instead of “for awhile”, one should prefer either “for a while” or simply “awhile”. However, “awhile” as object for a preposition is used by renowned writers, is allowed by Merriam-Webster, and is consistent with how other adverbs of time and place are employed.
In Pennsylvania Dutch English, awhile is typically always used to convey such sense; the word is separated as “a while” for the first sense, whether preceded by a preposition or not. Compare “You may sit awhile” (inviting a person to sit while they are waiting) and “You may sit a while” (inviting them to sit for a length of time).
Synonyms
- (for some time): for a minute, momentarily; see also Thesaurus:temporarily
- (in the meantime): for the moment, meanwhile, meanwhilst, the while
Related terms
Translations
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- English terms derived from Old English
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