Etymology

wait-a-while

Today it means: Synonym of wait-a-bit. Full definition →

First used 19th c.Dutch wacht-en-beetje
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The story

  1. Dutch · derived fromwacht-en-beetje
  2. English todaywait-a-while

Originally after South African Dutch wacht-en-beetje; compare wait-a-bit.

First known use, by meaning

  • from 19th c. Synonym of wait-a-bit.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.