while
UK: /waɪl/ | US: /waɪl/
conj. during the time that; at the same time as
n. a period of time
vt. (archaic) to pass time idly
while = wh<time> + ile<noun suffix>
- wh (from Old English hwīl "time, period")
- ile (a nominal suffix in Old English, indicating a state or condition)
Etymology Origin:
The word "while" traces back to Old English hwīl, meaning "a period of time." It shares roots with German Weile and Dutch wijl, all derived from Proto-Germanic hwīlō. The original sense of "time" evolved into its modern conjunction usage ("during the time that") and the noun meaning ("a period"). The verb form, now archaic, once meant "to spend time idly." The morpheme wh preserves the core idea of time, while -ile acts as a nominalizer.
She read a book while waiting for the train.
He stayed silent for a while before answering.
(Archaic) They whiled away the afternoon by the river.
While I agree with your point, I have some reservations.
It took a while to adjust to the new schedule.