while

{{11}}while (n.) O.E. hwile, acc. of hwil "a space of time," from P.Gmc. *khwilo (Cf. O.S. hwil, O.Fris. hwile, O.H.G. hwila, Ger. Weile, Goth. hveila "space of time, while"), originally "rest" (Cf. O.N. hvila "bed," hvild "rest"), from PIE *qwi- "rest" (Cf. Avestan shaitish "joy," O.Pers. ЕЎiyatish "joy," L. quies "rest, repose, quiet," O.C.S. po-koji "rest"). Notion of "period of rest" became in Germanic "period of time." Now largely superseded by TIME (Cf. time) except in formulaic constructions (e.g. all the while). M.E. sense of "time spent in doing something" now only preserved in WORTHWHILE (Cf. worthwhile) and phrases such as worth (one's) while. As a conjunction (late O.E.), it represents O.E. þa hwile þe; form whiles is recorded from early 13c.; whilst is from late 14c., with excrescent -st as in amongst, amidst (see AMID (Cf. amid)).

{{12}}while (v.) "to cause (time) to pass without dullness, 1630s, earlier "to occupy or engage (someone or something) for a period of time" (c.1600), new formation from WHILE (Cf. while) (n.), not considered to be from M.E. hwulen "to have leisure," which is from a Germanic verb form of WHILE (Cf. while) (n.) (Cf. Ger. weilen "to stay, linger"). An association with phrases such as Shakespearean beguile the day, L. diem decipere, Fr. tromper le temps "has led to the substitution of WILE v by some modern writers" [OED] (see WILE (Cf. wile)).