From en.wiktionary.org:
** English
*** Etymology
From [en] [ang].
*** Pronunciation
- [en]
- [en]
- [en]
*** Adverb
[-]
1. For some time ; for a short time .
2. * [en]
3. * [en]
4. * [en]
5. [en] In the meantime ; during an implicit ongoing process.
**** Usage notes
- _Awhile_ to mean “ _for_ a while ” is often considered incorrect to use with a preceding preposition , since one is already supposed: instead of _for awhile_ , one should prefer either _for a while_ or simply _awhile_ . However, _awhile_ as object for a preposition is used by renowned writers, is allowed by Merriam-Webster, and is consistent with how other adverbs of time and place are employed.
- In south-central Pennsylvania, _awhile_ is typically always used to convey such sense; the word is separated as _a while_ for the first sense, whether preceded by a preposition or not. Compare “You may sit _awhile_ ” (inviting a person to sit while they are waiting) and “You may sit _a while_ ” (inviting them to sit for a length of time).
**** Synonyms
- [for some time] [en] , [en] ; see also Thesaurus:temporarily
- [in the meantime] [en] , [en] , [en] , [en]
**** Related terms
- [en]
**** Translations
[For some time; for a short time]
- Bengali: [bn]
- Bulgarian: [bg]
- Chinese:
- Esperanto: [eo]
- Finnish: [fi] , [fi] , [fi] , [fi]
- French: [fr] , [fr] , [fr]
- German: [de]
- Indonesian: [id]
- Irish: [ga] , [ga] , [ga]
- Italian: [it]
- Japanese: [ja]
- Korean: [ko]
- Portuguese: [pt]
- Russian: [ru] , [ru]
- Spanish: [es] , [es]
[trans-bottom]
[In the meantime; meanwhile]
- Hindi: [hi]
- Japanese: [ja]
[trans-bottom]
*** References
- [title='Awhile' vs. 'A While']
- [subentry=a while (also rarely one while)]
[en] [en]