'awhile' originates from Middle English, specifically the phrase 'a while', where 'a' functioned as a prepositional/article element and 'while' came from Old English 'hw61l' meaning 'time, period'.

'hw61l' (Old English) became 'while' in Middle English; the phrase 'a while' was used as two words in Middle and Early Modern English and later became combined in usage as the adverb 'awhile' in Modern English.

Initially it referred to 'a period of time' (noun sense), but over time it also became used as an adverb meaning 'for a short time' (its common modern usage).