Middle English Dictionary Entry
whīles conj.
Entry Info
| Forms | whīles conj. Also whil(i)s, whilles, whil(e)st, whilse, whel(i)s, wiles, wil(i)s, (N or chiefly N) qwhils, qwhilste, qwilse, quiles, quil(i)s, (NWM) quilest, quilist & (early) hwiles, hwilis, hwihles, viles. Contraction: wilstu (= whiles thou). |
| Etymology | Prob. from whīles n. (or the sources from which it is derived) on the analogy of whīle conj./whīle n. For forms in -st cp. similar forms in amid(de, amiddes adv. & prep., among(es prep., ayẹ̄n(e)s prep., ayẹ̄n(es conj., & esp. lē̆st(e conj. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. iwhils conj., ther-whiles adv. & conj. 2., towhiles conj.
1.
As subordinating conj. introducing adv. clauses:
(a) during the time that; as long as, while; ~ that; ai ~ [see ai adv. 4.(c)];
(b) at the time that, when; also, at the same time as [occas. difficult to distinguish from (a)]; ~ that;
(c) only so long as; also, provided that; ~ that; but ~;
(d) inasmuch as, since, because; ?also, while on the other hand, whereas [quot. a1425]; though [last quot.];
(e) up to the time that, until.
Associated quotations
a
- a1250(?c1150) Prov.Alf.(Mdst A.13)93/200 : Ne mai he nefre for-fare hwo him to fere haueþ hwiles [vr. hwilis] þat his lif lasten mote.
- a1275 *Body & S.(4) (Trin-C B.14.39)121 : Viles he was on liue, he auede frend and kin.
- a1300 Þeo soþe luue (Jes-O 29)104 : We schulde luuye alle way…hwihles þat we libbe.
- c1300 Worldes blis ne last (Arun 248)25 : Þinc, man, forþi wilstu auest mithe, þat þu þi gulte hier arithe.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)3460 : Ðis frig[t]ful ðus a-biden Quiles ðis daiges for[ð] ben gliden.
- c1330(?c1300) Amis (Auch)370 : Whiles þat y may gon & speke Y no schal neuer mi treuþe breke.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)6264 : Þe see on aiþer side þam stod Als walles tua quils [Frf: quilest] þai for yod.
- a1400 Cursor (Frf 14)2085 : He liued lelly quylist [Vsp: quils] he moȝt.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)9.180 : Whiles þow art ȝonge, and þi wepne kene, Wreke þe with wyuynge.
- a1425(c1333-52) Minot Poems (Glb E.9)33/62 : Þe Scottes with þaire falshede þus went þai obout For to win Ingland whils Edward was out.
- a1425(?c1375) NHom.(3) Leg.(Hrl 4196)156/5 : For wills saint Martin lifed in land, Saint Brice was euer to him seruand.
- ?a1425(?a1350) Castleford Chron.Lear (Göt Hist 740)479 : Qwylse I had at I myght gyfe, þame þoght I was worthy to lyfe, And nowe it semes for I haue noght þai wold I wer of þis werld broght!
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)3147 : He and his ayers Be homagers to Arthure whills his lyffe lastis.
- c1450(1369) Chaucer BD (Benson-Robinson)177 : Somme lay naked in her bed And slepe whiles the dayes laste.
- ?c1450 in Aungier Syon Mon.308 : The mynyster…schal sprede a clothe, up on the which the professours must lygh prostrat whylst the letany is in syngyng aftyr masse.
- c1460 Ipom.(3) (Lngl 257)327/9 : Whan they departed, eithre loked on othre so longly that they left not whilles oon might see that othre.
- c1460 Tree & Fruits HG (McC 132)144/21 : Oure lord, þat blissid lambe, walkid in þis wrecchid world whiles [vr. whelys] he lived here after þe foure feet of a lambe.
- 1790(1471-1472) Ordin.Househ.Edw.IV(2) (Topham)50 : Every chapleyn hath into this courte, whyles he is present, one honest servaunt.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)296/105 : Whils I am prynce and pryncypall, they shall neuer pas out of this place.
- a1500 Euer yn (Cmb Ff.1.6)4 : To serue you…Schall be my ioye whylys þat my lyf maye dure.
b
- a1300 Bestiary (Arun 292)623 : Ðe dragunes one ne stiren nout wiles te panter remeð ogt.
- a1350 Prov.Hend.(Hrl 2253)242 : Mon þat munteþ ouer flod Whiles þat [Dgb: Wen] þe wynd ys wod Abyde fayre & stille.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Tob.11.6 : Whiles fro þe same place she beheeld his coomyng, she sawȝ afer & anoon she knewȝ hir sone coomynge.
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)1977 : Quilis [Frf: quen] þu may se mi bou þar vte, Of suilk a flode thar ye noght dute.
- a1425 HBk.GDei (Hnt HM 148)100/21 : Lord, þou set not þis agaynes me þat I brake my prayere whilest I to þe praid.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)94a/a : A man schal in none manere prikke a sinewe whiles he seweþ a wounde.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)3651 : Thies ware þe cheefe armes Of Arthure…qwhylls he in erthe lengede.
- ?a1450 Sel.Rosarium Theol.(Cai 354/581)67/24-5 : Holy cherche haþe þis propre, þat will it is pursued, it florischiþ; wilez it is oppressed, it groueþ; wilez it is despised, it profeteþ.
- c1470 Bible F.(Cleve-W q091.92-C468)72/14 : In the menetime, whils þe Iuwes made redi the truage, Pilat priveli lete enquere in alle the cite of Ierusalem aftir Veronica.
- 1790(1471-1472) Ordin.Househ.Edw.IV(2) (Topham)56 : This yoman takyth to his chambre dayly in courte one caste of brede, ii messe of greete mete…whyles his maister is absent.
- a1500(a1450) Gener.(2) (Trin-C O.5.2)4037 : Whels he sleppe, this cursyd creature ffull trayturly with hir is goo.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)1171 : Whiles þese renkes þus rest, þan rises þe sun.
c
- (1435) Misyn FL (Corp-O 236)91/28 : Slike frenschyp is fenyd, for it may not last bot qwhilste lust & profett bydis.
- c1450(c1415) Roy.Serm.(Roy 18.B.23)200/37 : For ben þei in wele or in woo…all-wey whilse þat þei loue God, itt shall be for þe beeste.
- c1480(1422) Lydg.SD (Add 48031)51/1 : Whiles vnite & [McC: acorde stode vndefowled and vndividid in the bondis of Bretayne, þe myȝti conquerowre Iulius was vnable and impotente to venqvische hem].
- a1475 Siege Troy(1) (Hrl 525)210/1828 : Whyles þe hede in his side steke, He myght bothe live and speke.
d
- a1425 Dial.Reason & A.(Cmb Ii.6.39)15/6 : Sik not þoow þou were born nakid of sibreden of wordli princes wilis þou art son to sich an emperour & coseyn vn to seyntes.
- ?a1425 Chauliac(3) (Htrn 95)62/14 : Þe whiche humours, when þei ben engerde in þe liuer, þey be distribute oþer delte in þis manere, whiles þer goeþ a veine oute off þe liuer þat is cleped porta.
- (1435) Misyn FL (Corp-O 236)23/30 : Þe whilk opinand þer mouth to god desyres & barly charite wantand, qwhils þai no heet of faith & charite hauys, þame-self in gate moste holy, & clethynge & spech þai schew.
e
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)109b/a : Leie þen a drie plumasole alle aboue…remewe it not whiles ij daies ben passed.
- c1440 Degrev.(Thrn)1316 : Tak þat to thi mede, Whils þou gete maa.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)44.122 : So wente the dewk to his Reste that Nyht, And Abod there whiles it was day lyht.
- c1450(?a1400) Siege Milan (Add 31042)1233 : They sett wache and still habade Whills Pryme was passede & mare.
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)7492 : Þe kyng to prisoun bad him lede; þare he bade whils he ware deede.
- c1475 Babies' Bk.(Hrl 5086)36 : Swete children, yf there be eny worde That yee kenne nouhte, spyrre whils yee yt ken.
- c1475 Babies' Bk.(Hrl 5086)133-4 : From him yee nat pace Whils he be sette and haue herde sayde the grace; Byfore him stonde whils he komaunde yow sytte.
2.
As prep.: up to the time of, until.
Associated quotations
- c1390 Susan.(Vrn)177 : Þei dede hire in a dungon…Meteles, whiles [vr. tul on] þe Morwen, to Middai and mare.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)2511 : Thare vnbrydills theis bolde and baytes þeire horses To þe grygynge of þe daye…Whylls the surs of þe sonne.