Was
Pronunciation (in the phrase "I was there")
stressed- UK enPR: wÅz, IPA: /wÉ’z/
- US enPR: wÅz, IPA: /wÊŒz/, IPA: /wÉ‘z/
- Rhymes: -É’z
- enPR: wəz, IPA: /wəz/
Origin
From Middle English was, from Old English wæs, from Proto-Germanic *was, (compare Scots was, Dutch was, Low German was, German war, Swedish var), from Proto-Indo-European *hâ‚‚wes- ("to reside"). The paradigm of "to be" has been since the time of Proto-Germanic a synthesis of three originally distinct verb stems. The infinitive form be is from Proto-Indo-European *bÊ°ew- ("to become"). The words is and are are both derived from Proto-Indo-European *hâ‚es- ("to be"). Lastly, the past forms starting with w- such as was and were are from Proto-Indo-European *hâ‚‚wes- ("to reside").
Verb
- Form of First-person singular simple past tense indicative.
- Form of Third-person singular simple past tense indicative.
- (proscribed, dialect) Form of Second-person singular simple past tense indicative.
- 1913, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Poison Belt"Was you outside the Bank of England, sir?"
- (colloquial) Form of Second person plural simple past tense
- 2001, Darrel Rachel, The Magnolias Still Bloom (page 104)“What happened here, Hadley?†the chief asked. “We was robbed, damn it, we was robbed.â€