Whiles

sb. (advb. gen.), conj. (prep.), adv. Obs. or arch. Forms: 3 hwihles, 3–4 wiles, 4–5 whilis, whylys, whilles, whils, 4–6 whyls, 4–8 whyles, 5 whilez, whilys, whylis, whyllys, wilis, wylys, whills, (whels), 5–6 whilse, 6 whylse, 4– whiles; 3–4 quiles, 4 quyles, quilis, quylis, qwylys, quils, qwhylles, Sc. quhillez, 4–6 Sc. quhilis, 6 Sc. quhillis, quhylis, quhyles, quhyls, 7–8 Sc. quhiles. [orig. in advb. and conj. phr., as sumehwiles formerly, oðerhwiles at times, þerhwiles while, meanwhile, formed with advb. -S on sumhwile, oðerhwile, þerhwile (see SOMEWHILE(S, OTHERWHILE(S, THEREWHILE(S); on this type were modelled the expressions þis or þat quiles, to quiles, long whiles, a (good) whiles, etc. and the simple conj. whiles.]

  I.  † 1. Preceded by a demonstrative adj., indefinite article, or other qualifying word, forming advb. phrases: e.g., that whiles, at or during that time; long whiles, for a long while, etc. Obs.

13[?].  Cursor M., 5495 (Gött.). Þat quiles ras þar a neu king. Ibid., 5713. Þis quilis [Fairf. alle þis quyle] was in israel þe folk ledd in mekil vnwele.

c. 1330.  R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 10198. In þat louh ar sexti iles—In þo þe dwelte longe whyles.

c. 1430.  Two Cookery-bks., 42. Lat it seþe esyli,… a good whylys.

c. 1450.  Lovelich, Merlin, 9833. Thanne schal neuere kyng Arthewr … his lond jn pes thanne non whyles holde.

c. 1540.  trans. Pol. Verg. Engl. Hist. (Camden, 1846), 254. In the meane whiles.

1594.  R. Ashley, trans. Loys le Roy, 85 b. It endured but a whiles.

1607.  J. Carpenter, Plaine Mans Plough, 233. Ye haue beene as sheepe going a great whiles astray.

1633.  Prynne, Histrio-m., I. 52. All which, if our Actors … would but a whiles consider [etc.].

1651.  H. L’Estrange, Answ. Mrq. Worc., 91. Where God one whiles insinuates himself into the conscience in the language of a familiar Friend, another while reclaims it with the indignation of an incensed Judge.

1654.  Gayton, Pleas. Notes, IV. 289. Nor have the Wardens ventur’d all this whiles, To lay, except my selfe, one in those Iles.

  2.  The whiles, advb. and conj. phr. = the while, WHILE sb. 2 a, b. † Also (rarely) in whiles as conj.

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 3309. Bot ai þe quils he ne fan To behald þat leue maidan. Ibid. (13[?]), 1729 (Gött.). Bot euer þe quilis þat he [sc. Noah] wroght, Þe folk to preche forgat he noght.

1375.  Barbour, Bruce, III. 435. The king, the quhilis … Red to thaim … Romanys off worthi Ferambrace.

14[?].  Northern Passion, 430 (Camb. Ii. 4. 9). Here ȝe schuln me A byde þe qwylys [v.rr. to whyls, whils] I go here be syde.

1540.  Palsgr., Acolastus, III. v. R j b. We wyll walke vp and downe … the whyles.

1583.  Stocker, Civ. Warres Lowe C., IV. 4 b. All suche pointes, as thei could iustly finde them selues agreeued, and in whiles he gouerned, deminished.

1590.  Spenser, F. Q., II. vii. 62. The whiles my hands I washt in puritie, The whiles my soule was soyld with foule iniquitie.

1609.  Holland, Amm. Marcell., XIX. xii. 141. Paulus all the whiles was the prompter … of these cruell enterludes.

1632.  Holland, Cyrupædia, 144. Perceiving … draught-beasts to draw other things, and feeding the whiles.

1759.  Colman, Ode, in Prose Sev. Occas. (1787), II. 277. His heel Sparkles refulgent with elastic steel: The while he wins his whiffling way.

1808.  Scott, Marmion, I. xiii. They feasted … The whiles a Northern harper rude Chanted a rhime of deadly feud.

  † 3.  To whiles, advb. and conj. phr. = 2. Also as conj., to the time that, until. Obs.

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 1729. Ai to-quils þat [noe] sa wroght Þe folk to preche for-gate he noght. Ibid., 3889. To quils haa lya in þi bedd, For-soth þan sal þou rachel wedd. Ibid., 4923. Þan war þaa breþer … prisund til þe thrid morn,… To-quils sent ioseph þe yepe Men þair harnais for to kepe.

1338.  R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 220. Suilk ribaudie þei led,… To-whils Sir Edward had seisid alle Euesham.

1357.  Lay Folks Catech. (T.), 139. To whiles that his bodi lai in the graue, The saule with the godhede went untill hell.

a. 1400.  R. Brunne’s Chron. Wace (Rolls), 2645. Þe while [Petyt MS. Towhils] þer fader was on lyue For þe royalme gon þey to stryue.

c. 1400.  Ywaine & Gaw., 1079. I dar yow hight, To have him her or the thrid nyght; Towhils efter yowr kownsayl send.

  II.  4. conj. = WHILE conj. 1; also with that, † as.

c. 1220.  Bestiary, 256, in O. E. Misc., 8. Ðus ȝe tileð ðar, wiles ȝe time haueð. Ibid. (c. 1275), 144. We schulde … vs ibidde nyht and day hwihles þat we libbe.

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 1833. For quils þat godd þam raght his grace, Littel roght þam of his manance. Ibid., 1948. To lof leute quils þou mai lif.

a. 1400[?].  Morte Arth., 3651. Thies ware the cheefe armes Of Arthure … qwhylles he in erthe lengede.

c. 1440.  Generydes, 4037. Whels he sleppe this cursyd creature Full trayturly with hir is goo.

c. 1465.  Chevy Chase, xxxvii. Fyghte ye, my myrry men, whyllys ye may.

1526.  Tindale, Matt. v. 25. Agre with thine adversary at once, whiles thou arte in the waye with hym.

1551.  Turner, Herbal, I. Prol. A ij b. He that whilse other men feight, standeth in the top of a tre.

1572.  Satir. Poems Reform., xxxiii. 108. Thir vertewis all scho had, quhyls scho stude aw Of God Eterne.

1593.  Shaks., 3 Hen. VI., III. i. 39. The Tyger will be milde, whiles she doth mourne.

1633.  Prynne, Histrio-m., I. Ep. Ded. The pressing importunity … drew me whiles I was yet a novice.

a. 1648.  Digby, Closet Opened (1669), 156. No longer then whiles you can say the Miserere Psalm very leisurely.

1756.  Mrs. Calderwood, in Coltness Collect. (Maitland Club), 189. Whiles Mr Calderwood went through the colledge … with the fathers, Daniel attended me.

1858.  Morris, Welland River, 230. I pray you, nurse-tend me, my knight, Whiles that I have my breath.

  † b.  transf. = WHILE conj. 2. Obs.

1551.  Turner, Herbal, I. Prol. A iij b. For now (say they) euery man with out any study … will become a Phisician…. Whilse by occasyon of thys boke, euery man, nay euery old wyfe will presume not without the mordre of many, to practyse Phisick.

1580.  Fulke, Retentive, Discov. Dang. Rock, xii. 248. Whiles the one will vrge a prerogatiue of Peter, the other will forge a Byshoplike office in the Apostles.

1610.  Holland, Camden’s Brit., I. 71. Whiles Gallienus … gave himselfe over to … riotousnesse, the State of Rome … lay dismembred as it were.

1665.  Evelyn, Lett. to Sir W. Coventry, 1 Oct. Sir William D’Oyly and myself have near ten thousand upon our care, whiles there seems to be no care of us.

  † 5.  conj. and prep. Till, until: = WHILE conj. 3.

1398.  Munim. de Melros (Bannatyne Cl.), 489. To be … haldene … qvhillez þ^t … satisfactioun and payement … be … made.

a. 1400.  Pistill of Susan, 177. Whiles þe Morwen to Middai and mare.

c. 1450.  St. Cuthbert (Surtees), 7492. Þare he bade whils he ware deede.

1526.  Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 259. Whyles the nexte matyns.

1545.  Ascham, Toxoph., I. 37 b. I coulde … reken vp suche a rable of shoters that be named … in poetes, as wolde holde vs talkyng whyles tomorowe.

1601.  Shaks., Twel. N., IV. iii. 29. He shall conceale it Whiles you are willing it shall come to note.

  6.  adv. † a. Formerly: = WHILE adv. 2. Sc. Obs.

c. 1375.  Sc. Leg. Saints, xxxvii. (Vincencius), 3. Þis name vincensius to say Is man þat ourcumys ay, As sancte vincent quhilis dide Thru his pacience.

1573.  Satir. Poems Reform., xli. 94. That Bogill thair that ȝe hard blaw, With quhome quhyles ȝe wer small content.

  b.  Sometimes: = WHILE adv. 1. Chiefly Sc.

  In mod. use apprehended as sb. pl.: cf. WHILE sb. 6 e.

c. 1480.  Henryson, Two Mice, 7. Quhyle vnder busk, quhyle vnder breir, Quhylis in the corne.

c. 1550.  Rolland, Crt. Venus, I. 356. Lufe … alteris ay to euerie kinde and stait: Quhylis to, quhylis fra.

a. 1557.  Grimalde, in Tottel’s Misc. (Arb.), 103. Italian whiles, and Spanish you do hear, and know full well.

1661.  R. Baillie, in Lauderdale Papers (Camden, 1884), I. 96. My hert whiles trimbles for you.

a. 1722.  Fountainhall, in M. P. Brown, Suppl. Dict. Decis. (1826), II. 460. She took whiles fits of distraction.

1829.  Brockett, N. C. Gloss. (ed. 2), s.v., It rains whiles.

1830.  J. H. Newman, Verses Var. Occas. (1868), 42. Keen regret and tearful yearning, Whiles unfelt, and whiles returning.

1886.  Stevenson, Kidnapped, xxvi. So we lay…, whiles whispering, whiles lying still.