wæs
The English phrase was is translated into Old English as wæs.
Which one should you use?
wæs is used exclusively for singular subjects, whereas wæron is used for plural subjects.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of wæs is wæron. Additionally, the subjunctive form wære is used for hypothetical or conditional statements, similar to the modern English 'were'.
Did you know?
- The word wæs is a 'suppletive' verb, meaning it comes from a completely different root than the present tense is.
- The pronunciation of wæs would have sounded much closer to 'w-ass' than the modern English 'w-oz' sound.
- Old English used wæs as part of a complex system of 'strong' verbs, where the internal vowel changed to indicate tense, a remnant of an ancient system that modern English has mostly lost except in words like 'sing' and 'sang'.
Examples in context
- Hē wæs gōd catt.He was a good cat.Tatoeba #13466252 by rul, translation #13463336 by rul
- Iċ wæs ġēo ġeong.I was young once.Tatoeba #13906513 by rul, translation #2549366 by CK
- Þæt ealu wæs æþele.The beer was excellent.Tatoeba #13882439 by rul, translation #9936578 by ddnktr
- Iċ ƿæs ġlædI was glad
- 15 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Eadric and Eadgyth discuss a past event.
- EadricHwæt wæs þæt?What was that?
- EadgythSe hund wæs her.The dog was here.
- EadricWæs hē gōd hund?Was he a good dog?
- EadgythGēa, hē wæs gōd.Yes, he was good.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
