f. A WHILE, space of time :-- Wæs seó hwíl micel it was a great while, Beo. Th. 295; B. 146. Ðá wæs hwíl dæges ǽr hé ðone grundwong ongytan mihte it was a day's space ere he might feel the bottom, 2995; B. 1495. Ǽr dæges hwíle before day-time, 4630; B. 2320. On dæges hwíle in the day-time, Cd. 191; Th. 238, 4; Dan. 349. Crist on dære hwíle tó helle gewende Christ during that time [while in the tomb] went to hell, Homl. Th. i. 26, 35. In hwíle tíde in momenta temporis, Lk. Skt. Lind. 4, 5. Tó hwíle lǽn momentum, Ælfc. Gl. 15; Som. 58, 47; Wrt. Voc. 21, 36. Bétan tó hwíle to make better for a time, L. M. 3, 62; Lchdm. ii. 348, 21. Tó langre hwíle for a long while, Cd. 24; Th. 31, 22; Gen. 489. Tó litelre hwíle. Homl. Th. i. 64, 14. Tó suíðe scortre hwíle. Past. 36, 6; Swt. 255, 11. Ða hwíle his lífes vivendi spatia, 2; Swt. 249, 25. Ða hwíle ðisses andweardan lífes the time of this present life, Bt. 18, 3; Fox 66, 4. Ða hwíle ðe his líf [tíma, l. 20] wæs, Chr. 1016; Erl. 155, 18. Sume hwíle some time, 1055; Erl. 190, 12. Góde hwíle ðone here gefliémde put the Danes to flight for a good while, 837; Erl. 66, 8. Nú is ðínes mægnes blǽd áne hwíle for a while, Beo. Th. 3528; B. 1762. Ǽnige hwíle, 5090; B. 2548. Ealle hwíle all the while, Byrht. Th. 140, 47; By. 304. Nú hwíle just now, Blickl. Homl. 109, 6. Grendel wan hwíle wið Hróðgár Grendel strove for a time with Hrothgar, Beo. Th. 306; B. 152: 211; B. 105. Ða ðe on carcerne hwíle wunedon. Andr. Kmbl. 262; An. 131. Man gíslade ða hwíle hostages were given the while, Chron. 994; Erl. 133, 29. Ða hwíle ðe ðú eart on wege mid him dum es in via cum eo, Mt. Kmbl. 5, 25. Ðá besæt sió fierd hie ðǽr útan ða hwíle ðe hie ðǽr lengest mete hæfdon the English force besieged the Danes there as long as ever they had provisions there, Chr. 894; Erl. 90, 29. Hwíle mid weorce hwíle mid worde hwíle mid geþohte at one time with deed, at another with word, at another with thought, Hy. 3, 44-5; Hy. Grn. ii. 282, 44-5. Ðæs ungeendodan lífes hwila æternitatis infinita spatia, Bt. 18, 3; Fox 66, 5. [O. and N. hwile: A. R. hwule: Orm. while: Laym. while, wile: Goth. hweila: O. Sax. hwíla: O. Frs. hwíle: O. H. Ger. hwíla hora, momentum: Ger. weile: cf. Icel. hvíla a bed; hvíla rest.] DER. bearhtm-, dæg-, earfoþ-, gesceap-, gryre-, hand-, langung-, orleg-, rót-, sige-, þræc-, wræc-hwíl.