Whilst stumbling through webpages...

After I typed the title for this entry, I immediately had reservations about using the word "whilst." For as long as I can remember, I have always used the word "whilst" when circumstances demanded it. Or more like, I get this gut feeling that, yes, I must use it now. Other times, I just use "while."

I never had problems using the word "whilst." Not until one day I had one of my political science papers proofread at the Writing Lab by a professor. She had crossed out the word "whilst" and scribbled "while" over the rejected one. I forget what my professor said about the situation, although my impression of that incident was that there was something wrong about using the word "whilst."

I didn't take it too seriously, as I have used that word since, although it did affect me somewhat as I always hesitate a bit after considering the word. However, when the situation deems it, that gut feeling of mine always tips the balance with arguments of how "whilst" is more aesthetic, more fitting, etc.

Finally, now that I had the time, I quickly made a brief research on "whilst" through Wikipedia.

And this just made everything clear:

"Whilst is synonymous with while in standard British English and Australian English; in American English and Canadian English, it can be considered pretentious or archaic."

My childhood reading staples of Beatrix Potter, Roald Dahl, and Brian Jacques certainly influenced me.

I'm sure I must have been encouraged by one of the teachers at my British and Australian schools to use the word "whilst."

And now a professor may secretly think I'm "pretentious or archaic."