different between whilst vs yet

English

Alternative forms

• whilest (obsolete)
• whylst (obsolete)
• whylest (obsolete)

Etymology

From whiles +? -t. Surface analysis while +? -st (“excrescence”). Cognate with West Frisian wylst (“whilst”). More at whiles.

Pronunciation

• (General American, Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /wa?lst/, /hwa?lst/
• (UK) IPA^(key): /w??lst/

Conjunction

whilst

1. (Britain, rare or literary in North America) While, at the same time.

   Synonyms: while; see also Thesaurus:while

Usage notes

In American English, whilst is considered to be pretentious or archaic. Penguin Working Words recommends while only, and notes that whilst is old-fashioned. Cambridge Guide to English Usage and M-W's Webster's Guide to English Usage comment on its regional character, and note that it is rare in American usage. It is thus safer to use only while in international English. The American Heritage Guide writes that, "while using whilst runs the risk of sounding pretentious, it can sometimes add a literary or ironically formal note to a piece of writing".

Translations

Further reading

• while on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• whilst in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “whilst”, in Online Etymology Dictionary
• “whilst”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–present.

English

Pronunciation

• (General American, Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /j?t/
• Rhymes: -?t

Etymology 1

From Middle English yet, yit, from Old English ??et, g?ta, from Proto-Germanic *juta (compare West Frisian jit, jitte (“yet”), Dutch ooit (“ever”), German jetzt (“now”)), compound of (1) *ju (“ever”, adverb) (see aye), from Proto-Indo-European *h?yew-, accusative of *h?óyu (“long time”) and (2) the Proto-Germanic *ta (“to,towards”) , from Proto-Indo-European *do. More at aye and -th.

Adverb

yet (not comparable)

1. (usually with negative) Thus far; up to the present; up to some specified time; still

2. Continuously up to the current time; still.
   • 1730, Joseph Addison, The Evidences Of The Christian Religion

     facts they had heard while they were yet heathens

3. At some future time; eventually; still.

4. (after certain copulative verbs, followed by an infinitive) Not as of the time referenced.

5. In addition.

6. (degree) Even.

Synonyms

• (up to some specified time): erenow, so far, to date; see also Thesaurus:hitherto or Thesaurus:formerly
• (continuously up to the current time): even now, still
• (at some future time): at last, in time, sooner or later; see also Thesaurus:eventually or Thesaurus:subsequently
• (not at the time referenced): still
• (in addition): besides, further, moreover; see also Thesaurus:additionally
• (even): still

Derived terms

• not yet

Translations

References

Conjunction

yet

1. Nevertheless; however; but; despite that.

   • Carried somehow, somewhither, for some reason, on these surging floods, were these travelers, of errand not wholly obvious to their fellows, yet of such sort as to call into query alike the nature of their errand and their own relations. It is easily earned repetition to state that Josephine St. Auban's was a presence not to be concealed.

   • Thus the red damask curtains which now shut out the fog-laden, drizzling atmosphere of the Marylebone Road, had cost a mere song, and yet they might have been warranted to last another thirty years. A great bargain also had been the excellent Axminster carpet which covered the floor; […].

Synonyms

• be that as it may, even so, withal; see also Thesaurus:nevertheless

Derived terms

• as yet

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English yeten, from Old English ??otan (“to flow, pour”), from Proto-Germanic *geutan? (“to flow, pour”), from Proto-Indo-European *??ewd- (“to pour”). Cognate with Scots yat (“to yet”), West Frisian jitte (“to scatter, shed, pour”), Dutch gieten (“to pour, cast, mould”), German gießen (“to pour, cast, mould”), Swedish gjuta (“to pour, cast”). More at yote.

Alternative forms

• yit
• yete (obsolete)

Verb

yet (third-person singular simple present yets, present participle yetting, simple past and past participle yetted or yet)

1. (dialectal) To melt; found; cast, as metal.

Noun

yet (plural yets)

1. (dialectal) A metal pan or boiler; yetling.

Etymology 3

From Middle English yeten, ?eten, from Old English ?ietan.

Verb

yet (third-person singular simple present yets, present participle yetting, simple past yot, past participle yotten)

1. (nonstandard, West Country) To get.

Anagrams

• -ety, Tye, ety, t'ye, tey, tye

Cahuilla

Noun

yét

1. female (animal)

Scots

Etymology

From Old English ??et, g?ta, from Proto-Germanic *juta.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [j?t], [j?t]

Adverb

yet (not comparable)

1. yet, up to now, now as before, at present, still

Tok Pisin

Etymology

From English yet.

Adverb

yet

1. still
2. already
3. yet