While: Difference between revisions
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too much encyclopedic information to be lost; tried to rework it into an article more closely resembling other word articles |
it's all covered very well in the dictionary, there's no advantage to having it here; and wikipedia is not a dictionary |
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{{for|the computer programming construct|while loop}} |
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{{wiktionary}} |
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"'''While'''" is a word in the [[English language]] that functions both as a [[Noun|noun]] and as a [[Grammatical conjunction|subordinating conjunction]]. Its meaning varies largely based on its intended function, position in the phrase and even the writer or speaker's [[Dialect|regional dialect]]. With exception to its form as a noun, it is completely [[Synonym|synonymous]] with the word "'''whilst'''". |
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==Usage== |
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===Noun=== |
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''A while'' and ''awhile'' are often confused due to the nature that ''while'' is often accompanied by [[Indefinite article|the indefinite article]]. The main difference is that ''a while'' means "an amount of time" or "some duration" whereas ''awhile'' is an [[Adverb|adverb]] meaning "''for'' some amount of time" or "''for'' some duration".<ref>http://www.dailywritingtips.com/a-while-vs-awhile/</ref> |
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:''"I slept for a while before dinner."'' |
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:''"I slept awhile before dinner."'' |
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Both of these sentences yield the same effective meaning. It should be noted that ''whilst'' does not operate in this context and its usage would be incorrect. |
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===Conjunction=== |
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The primary function of the word as a conjunction is to indicate that two separate [[Clause|clauses]] occur at the same time. |
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:''"The days were hot while we were on vacation."'' |
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:''"I read a magazine whilst I was waiting."'' |
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''While'' can also be legitimately used in the contrastive sense, comparable to the words "although" or "whereas", provided that it is not ambiguous (although some commentators, such as [[Eric Partridge]], have frowned upon such use): |
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:''"While I like cats, my husband is allergic."'' |
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:''"While Sally plays, Sue works."'' |
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The latter sentence can mean either "during the time that Sally plays, Sue works" or "although Sally plays, Sue works" and is thus ambiguous. |
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''[[A Dictionary of Modern English Usage|Fowler's Modern English Usage]]'' disapproves of several uses of the conjunctive ''while''. At times it is inappropriately used as a [[Grammatical conjunction|coordinating conjunction]]: "and" or "but" should be used instead. Its usage as "elegant variation" is also discouraged, as it is masquerading as a "formal word".<ref>"while": ''[[A Dictionary of Modern English Usage|Fowler's Modern English Usage]]'', Second Edition, ed. Sir [[Ernest Gowers]] 1965 and 1983, and ''Pocket Fowler's Modern English Usage''. Ed. Robert Allen. Oxford University Press, 1999</ref> |
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In some northern British dialects of English, ''while'' is translated into standard English as "until".<ref>'''while''' until – indexes p. 142, ''Basic Broad Yorkshire'' by Arnold Kellet, ISBN 1-870071-82-4. Smith Settle Ltd., 2001</ref> |
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===While and Whilst=== |
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In standard [[British English]] and [[Australian English]], ''whilst'' is synonymous with ''while'' in meaning and usage. In [[American English]] and [[Canadian English]], ''whilst'' can be considered pretentious or archaic.<ref name="articlesbase.com">http://www.articlesbase.com/languages-articles/english-usage-whilst-or-while-795377.html</ref><ref>Strunk, W., and White, E.B. ''The Elements of Style''. 4th ed. 2000. Allyn & Bacon, Boston. Pg. 63-64.</ref> |
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Some publications on both sides of the Atlantic disapprove of ''whilst'' in their style guides (along with "amidst" and "amongst"); for example: |
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* Times Online Style Guide: "'''while''' (not whilst)"<ref>http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2941-583,00.html</ref> |
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* Guardian Style Guide: "'''while''' not whilst"<ref>http://www.guardian.co.uk/styleguide/page/0,5817,184822,00.html</ref> |
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* Hansard: the Canadian Parliament record: "'''while''' not whilst"<ref>http://www.hansard.ca/styleguide.pdf</ref> |
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The American Heritage Guide writes that, "while using ''whilst'' runs the risk of sounding pretentious, it can sometimes add a literary or ironically formal note to a piece of writing."<ref>{{cite book |
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|title=The American Heritage guide to contemporary usage and style |
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|author=Houghton Mifflin Company |
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|publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, |
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|year=2005 |
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|ISBN=0618604995 |
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|page=503 |
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}}</ref> |
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Notably, there are no style guides that explicitly recommend the usage of ''whilst'' over ''while'' in any circumstance. The general consensus among scholars of English is that ''whilst'' is an unnecessary and archaic word whose primary usage is by Britons who prefer what they perceive as a more "noble" word. Its etymology derives from the early English ''whiles'' and, simply put, ''while'' is the word that has replaced ''whilst'' in modern English<ref name="articlesbase.com"/>, just as "thee" and "thou" were replaced by "you". |
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==See also== |
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*[[Linguistic prescription]] |
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*[[List of English words with disputed usage]] |
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==References== |
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{{reflist}} |
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[[Category:English words]] |
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[[Category:American and British English differences]] |
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Revision as of 02:26, 13 June 2010
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