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Whilst? (British Commonwealth usage)

Whilst? (British Commonwealth usage)

Whilst? (British Commonwealth usage)

(OP)
I'm editing a paper submitted by someone in the UK.  He uses "whilst" a lot, where I would use "while".  Is this standard, or is it a little weird even Over There?

Hg

RE: Whilst? (British Commonwealth usage)

I would think "whilst" would be acceptable for oral communications, but for written, I would use "while".  Of course, I'm not from that side of the pon, so my mileage may very.

"But what... is it good for?"
Engineer at the Advanced Computing Systems Division of IBM, 1968, commenting on the microchip.
Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

RE: Whilst? (British Commonwealth usage)

(OP)
Add "among/amongst" to the list.

My google kung fu has returned to me, and it looks like I have nothing to worry about and I should leave the poor guy alone.  (I'm shredding enough of his comma splices and sentence fragments to keep him quite busy anyway.)

Ah, editing...like the soothing simple pleasure of popping bubble wrap.

Hg

RE: Whilst? (British Commonwealth usage)

There is a slightly difference in meaning between "while" and "whilst", but I am buggered if I can give an example.

I think "whilst" tends to be more legal jargon and adds a certain pomposity to statements in court.

Jeff

RE: Whilst? (British Commonwealth usage)

Never use a word of only 5 letters, when a similar word of 6 letters and identical meaning will suffice!

RE: Whilst? (British Commonwealth usage)

While in the English language means 'during' in other words it describes time 'I whistle while I fish' Whilst means 'on the other hand' or 'whereas' eg I whistle while I fish, whilst Fred doesn't. At least that is the way we use English here in Peta-Ouchnock in Outer Mongolia.

RE: Whilst? (British Commonwealth usage)


Whilst & amongst are hangovers from Olde English. Many areas in the North of England still use Thee, Thou & Thy verbally ... at least my cousins did when I visited as a lad.

There is nothing wrong with their usage. Sure, while & among can certainly be used, but the older forms do add a nice flare ... to my ears anyway.

If you need to "pick on" spelling & grammar, start with the North American abuse of the language. Like, "yous guys", "I gots", "this is way more funner".

Ye Gods ... if the Baird were alive he'd be turning in his grave.

from (the City of) Barrie, Ontario.

I tried sniffing Coke once, but the ice cubes got stuck in my nose

RE: Whilst? (British Commonwealth usage)

Flare is nice in literary works, but for specifications and standards, clear and concise communication is more important.

"But what... is it good for?"
Engineer at the Advanced Computing Systems Division of IBM, 1968, commenting on the microchip.
Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

RE: Whilst? (British Commonwealth usage)

I agree, but as there is no alternative meaning for whilst & amongst there use is just as clear & concise as while & among but less sterile.
It comes down to what the reader is used to hearing.

http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-whi2.htm

For the record, I tend to use those terms in the written form rather than verbally.

from (the City of) Barrie, Ontario.

I tried sniffing Coke once, but the ice cubes got stuck in my nose

RE: Whilst? (British Commonwealth usage)

From my Random House dictionary:

"Whilst:  Brit. While"

RE: Whilst? (British Commonwealth usage)

I agree (again) with yates that while means 'contemporaneous' and whilst implies a contradistinction (dontcha just lurve them bigguns?).

In common usage, while and whilst have become generally interchangeable, but I think whilst often sounds a bit pretentious when used instead of while.

I like CorBlimeyLimey's comment about 'the baird turning in his grave'. If he was that worried about the written word, he shouldn't have invented television.

John

RE: Whilst? (British Commonwealth usage)

I like the term "whilst".
Reason 1.  It adds color to the document (and the UK flare)
2.  It seems more active.
3.  It fits the sentence better in correct use and sets the difference off better as in "You have not written me in a while"  verses "I have been fishing whilst I have been thinking about you".

I am in the USA and enjoy the difference and color of the UK and Canada.  It makes life and meeting new people exciting.  I met some young men one summer from the UK and just had a blast when one asked me for a spanner.

Have a productive day, John

RE: Whilst? (British Commonwealth usage)

(OP)
Colo(u)r?  Appropriately enough, this paper is being given at a paint convention.

Hg

RE: Whilst? (British Commonwealth usage)

I'd like to see whilst incorporated into Visual Basic.

CODE

Do whilst AnnualRaise < 3%
    Set MotivationFactor = Nothing
Loop

"When everyone is thinking alike, no one is thinking very much." --Eckhard Schwarz (1930--2004)
http://www.EsoxRepublic.com

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