The story
- Old English · inherited fromþā hwīle
- Middle English · inherited fromþe while
- English todaythe while
From Middle English þe while, from Old English þā hwīle, equivalent to the + while (noun).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
the while
Today it means: At the same time; during that period; meanwhile. Full definition →
Middle English þe while ← Old English þā hwīle