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RSSThe Difference Between “While” and “Whilst”
A reader asks:
what is the difference between while and whilst?
Both while and whilst have been in the language for a very long time. While was in use in Old English; whilst is a Middle English development of while. As conjunctions they are interchangeable in meaning, but whilst has not survived in standard American English.
I waited whilst Mugabe delivered what he thought were his pearls of wisdom…
I waited while breakfast was finished.
To the American ear whilst sounds quaint. Some British and Canadian speakers think it sounds literary or old-fashioned, but many British speakers prefer it to while.
See Among vs Amongst
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As a Brit, whilst sounds quaint to me too. Some do prefer to use it, but you’ll notice that they use it when speaking to their child’s headteacher or in job interviews. In other words, in order to sound posh / clever / better bred than they are.
Maybe some do use it instinctively even when talking to themselves, but i have trouble imagining so.
I didn’t know whilst came in later than while, even though the former sounds earlier (the earlier sounds former?(!)); that’s a relief! I can speak the simpler way and be true to the more ‘original’ form. ;0)
Oh, btw, they are interchangeable only if used in the sense of during – ‘She sang while bathing’ / ‘She sang whilst bathing’. But if meaning even though, you have to use while – ‘While Jack likes lean meat, his wife likes it all greasy.’ In that sense you can’t say ‘whilst’.
Your second example, ‘I waited while breakfast was finished,’ is interesting as it would sound more natural to me to say ‘until’ instead of ‘while’. Or rather, some people – commonly in Ireland, i think, though someone will have to confirm that – use while to mean the same as until in this kind of sentence, while (whereas!) to me that gives two sentences with different meanings.
Whilst refers to a lesser time span, bringing poignancy to the topical area instilling emotion into the story about the first subject. (I am going to continue to tell what else was happening but please keep your focus remaining on the first subject at the beginning of the sentence.) While refers to a longer time span with less emphasis on the first subject giving equal importance if not more importance to the second subject in the sentence.
Whilst …I… agree that there is some confusion about the word, we all continue to use it regardless.
While I agree there is confusion, ..we.. all continue to use it regardless.
While is literal, whilst is literary.
I remember asking one of my English teachers this exact same question. His answer was something along the lines of:
“While” is normally used when simultaneity is emphasised i.e. in the sense of at the same time.
“Whilst” can be used in the same way as while but can also be used when the writer is trying to emphasise a difference between the two ideas they are linking together e.g. I took the bus whilst Mark took the train.