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From: wfi@rti-sel.UUCP (William Ingogly)
Newsgroups: net.singles,net.nlang
Subject: Re: Whilst and While
Message-ID: <417@rti-sel.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 23-Sep-85 12:32:47 EDT
Article-I.D.: rti-sel.417
Posted: Mon Sep 23 12:32:47 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 25-Sep-85 03:26:54 EDT
References: <845@abnji.UUCP> <261@mot.UUCP> <291@cylixd.UUCP>
Reply-To: wfi@rti-sel.UUCP (William Ingogly)
Organization: Research Triangle Institute, NC
Lines: 12
Xref: watmath net.singles:9338 net.nlang:3589
Summary: 

In article <291@cylixd.UUCP> dave@cylixd.UUCP (Dave Kirby) writes:

>This has nothing to do with what Fred wrote, but what is the general
>rule for the use of "whilst" versus "while?" ...

They're exactly the same. "Whilst" derives from the middle English
"whilest," and is (according to my dictionary) now used primarily in
certain British and American dialects. Both Webster's New World
Dictionary and Fowler's Dictionary of Modern English Usage agree that
"while" and "whilst" are otherwise the same.

                        -- Cheers, Bill Ingogly