An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/weiland

by Friedrich Kluge

weiland, adv., ‘formerly, of yore,’ from the equiv. MidHG. wîlent, wîlen; the t form is a recent extension of the earlier word (Du. wijlen). Based on OHG. hwîlôm, ‘at times,’ dat. plur. of Weile, f., ‘while, space of time, leisure.’ The latter is based on MidHG. wîle, OHG. wîla (hwîl), f., ‘time, period of time, hour’; corresponding to OSax. hwîl, hwîla, ‘time,’ Du. wîjl, E. while, Goth. hweila, ‘time.’ The verb weilen, ‘to stay, tarry, sojourn,’ from MidHG. and OHG. wîlē̆n, ‘to stop, stay, sojourn,’ in connection with OIc. hvíla, ‘bed,’ hvíld, ‘rest,’ suggests that Weile meant lit. ‘resting time.’ It has been compared with the Lat. root qui (quiê), ‘to rest’ in quietus, tranquillus, as well as with OSlov. počiti, ‘to rest’; Gr. καιρός, ‘point of time,’ is perhaps cognate.