was

== Translingual == === Symbol === was (international standards) ISO 639-2 & ISO 639-3 language code for Washo. == English == === Alternative forms === wus, wuz === Etymology === From Middle English was, from Old English wæs, from Proto-Germanic *was, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂we-h₂wós-e from *h₂wes- (“to reside”), whence also vestal. See also Scots was, West Frisian was (dated, wie is generally preferred today), Dutch was, Low German was, German war, Swedish var); also Kamkata-viri vos-, Sanskrit उवास (uvā́sa). 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 *bʰuH- (“to become”). The forms is and are are both derived from Proto-Indo-European *h₁es- (“to be”). Lastly, the past forms starting with w- such as was and were are from Proto-Indo-European *h₂wes- (“to reside”). === Pronunciation === (UK) (weak form) enPR: wəz, IPA(key): /wəz/ (strong form) enPR: wŏz, wŭz, IPA(key): /wɒz/, /wʌz/ (US) (weak form) enPR: wəz, IPA(key): /wəz/ (strong form) enPR: wŭz, wŏz, IPA(key): /wʌz/, /wɑz/ (Canada) (strong form) IPA(key): /wʌz/, [wəz] (dialectal) IPA(key): /wɒz/, [wɔ(ː)z] (Australian) (strong form) enPR: wŏz, IPA(key): /wɔz/ (New Zealand) (strong form) enPR: wŏz, wŭz, IPA(key): /wɒz/, /wʌz/ (Early Modern) (strong form) IPA(key): /wæz/, /wæs/ Rhymes: -ɒz, -ʌz === Verb === was first-person singular simple past indicative of be. third-person singular simple past indicative of be. (now colloquial) Used in phrases with existential there when the semantic subject is (usually third-person) plural. (now colloquial or nonstandard, African-American Vernacular) second-person singular simple past indicative of be; were. (colloquial, nonstandard) first-person plural simple past indicative of be; were. (colloquial, nonstandard, African-American Vernacular) third-person plural simple past indicative of be; were. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== See also ==== === References === === Further reading === If I Was or If I Were: Easy Guide on Appropriate Use, grammar.yourdictionary.com When to use "If I was" vs. "If I were"?, english.stackexchange.com “if I were you, if I was you”, in Google Books Ngram Viewer. === Anagrams === ASW, AWS, SAW, Saw, aws, saw == Afrikaans == === Pronunciation === === Noun === was (uncountable) wax === Verb === was past of wees === Verb === was (present was, present participle wassende, past participle gewas) to wash == Banda == === Noun === was water === References === "Elat, Kei Besar" in Greenhill, S.J., Blust, R., & Gray, R.D. (2008). The Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database: From Bioinformatics to Lexomics. Evolutionary Bioinformatics, 4:271–283. == Blin == === Etymology === From Proto-Agaw *was- ("hear"). Cognate with Qimant ዋስ (was). === Verb === was (infinitive wasna, causative wasis, passive wasést, reciprocal waséstéñ) to hear ==== Inflection ==== === References === Reinisch, Leo (1887), Wörterbuch der Bilin-Sprache (in German), Wien, Austria, page 362 == Cebuano == === Etymology === Slang variant of wala === Pronoun === was (slang, informal) nothing; none === Adjective === was (informal) absent == Cornish == === Noun === was soft mutation of gwas == Dutch == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ʋɑs/ Rhymes: -ɑs === Etymology 1 === From Middle Dutch was, from Old Dutch was, from Proto-Germanic *was. Cognate with English was. ==== Verb ==== was singular past indicative of zijn singular past indicative of wezen === Etymology 2 === From Middle Dutch wassche (14th c.). By surface analysis, deverbal from wassen (“to wash”). Compare German Wäsche, English wash. ==== Alternative forms ==== wasch (obsolete spelling) ==== Noun ==== was m (plural wassen, diminutive wasje n) wash, washing, laundry (act of cleaning with water) Na de was moet ik mijn overhemden strijken. ― After washing I need to iron my shirts. laundry (clothes that need to be or have just been washed) Kun je de was uit de machine halen? ― Could you remove the laundry from the machine? ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Descendants ===== Negerhollands: wasch, was === Etymology 3 === From Middle Dutch was, from Old Dutch was, from Proto-Germanic *wahsą. Cognate with German Wachs, English wax, Danish voks, Swedish vax. ==== Noun ==== was m or n (plural wassen, no diminutive) wax ===== Derived terms ===== === Etymology 4 === From Middle Dutch was, deverbal from wassen (“to grow”). ==== Noun ==== was m (plural wassen, no diminutive) growth ===== Derived terms ===== === Etymology 5 === See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form. ==== Verb ==== was inflection of wassen: first-person singular present indicative (in case of inversion) second-person singular present indicative imperative === Anagrams === swa == German == === Alternative forms === wat (colloquial in western and parts of northern Germany) === Etymology === From Middle High German waȥ, from Old High German waȥ, from Proto-West Germanic *hwat, from Proto-Germanic *hwat, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷod. Cognate with Dutch wat, Low German wat, English what, Danish hvad, Icelandic hvað. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /vas/ (standard) IPA(key): /vaːs/ (parts of southern Germany, when stressed) Rhymes: -as === Pronoun === was (interrogative) what (relative) which; referring to the entire preceding clause (relative) that, which; referring to das, alles, etwas, nichts, and neuter substantival adjectives (relative, colloquial) that, which; referring to neuter singular nouns, instead of standard das (indefinite, colloquial) something, anything; instead of standard etwas ==== Usage notes ==== Was is colloquially used with prepositions, chiefly but not exclusively in southern regions. Otherwise it is generally replaced with a pronominal adverb containing wo- (or in a few cases wes-). Hence: Womit hast du das gemacht? (“With what did you do that?”), instead of Mit was hast du das gemacht?, and weswegen instead of wegen was. The genitive case, and the dative case if necessary for clearness, can be paraphrased by means of welcher Sache (“what thing”). Possessive genitives are more commonly paraphrased with wovon (“of what”). It is also possible to use the genitive form wessen, but it wouldn't be used in questions such as Wessen ist das? because here it would be understood as the genitive form of wer. The colloquial was meaning "something" can only be the first word in a sentence if followed by an adjective: Was Wichtiges fehlt noch. (“Something important is missing.”) Otherwise the full form etwas must be used: Etwas fehlt noch. (“Something is missing.”) The reason for this is that the latter sentence could be misinterpreted as a question if was were used. ==== Declension ==== The dative form was is only used with prepositions that would demand dative: von was, mit was, etc. Where a bare dative object would be required, it is generally rephrased altogether, such as by using welcher with a suitable noun in context instead. ==== Derived terms ==== === Determiner === was (archaic) what; what kind of Synonym: was für (ein) ==== Usage notes ==== In Early Modern German, the inflected forms wasem (dative masculine and neuter) and waser (dative and genitive feminine) occurred. === Adverb === was (colloquial) clipping of etwas (interrogative, chiefly colloquial or poetic) why, what for; often expressing a personal concern about the matter Synonyms: warum, wieso, weshalb == Gothic == === Romanization === was romanization of 𐍅𐌰𐍃 == Gros Ventre == === Noun === was bear == Hunsrik == === Etymology === From Middle High German waʒ, from Old High German waʒ. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /vas/ === Pronoun === was (interrogative) what (relative) what (indefinite) something, anything === See also === etwas === Further reading === Boll, Piter Kehoma (2021), “was”, in Dicionário Hunsriqueano Riograndense–Português, 3rd edition (overall work in Portuguese), Ivoti: Riograndenser Hunsrickisch == Javanese == === Romanization === was romanization of ꦮꦱ꧀ == Low German == === Verb === was first-person singular simple past indicative of węsen third-person singular simple past indicative of węsen apocopated form of wasse (“wash”), second-person singular imperative of wassen (mainly used in the Netherlands, equivalent to other dialects' wasche/waske) apocopated form of wasse (“wax”), second-person singular imperative of wassen apocopated form of wasse (“grow”), second-person singular imperative of wassen ==== Usage notes ==== Notes on the verb węsen (to be): In recent times (~1800) the old subjunctive wer is used in place of was by many speakers. This might be the old subjunctive which is now used as a preterite or a reduction of weren, which is the preterite plural indicative of the verb. It might also be an imitation of the High German cognate war. Many smaller dialectal clusters do this, but no dialect does it. That means: even though there are many regions within e.g. Lower Saxony that use wer for was, maybe even the majority, there is no straight connection between them, i.e. which form is used can depend on preference, speaker and specific region. Due to this "one town this way, one town that way"-nature of the situation no form can be named "standard" for a greater dialect, such as Low Saxon. == Lower Sorbian == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): [was] === Pronoun === was genitive of wy accusative of wy locative of wy == Mayangna == === Pronunciation === === Noun === was (construct state wasni) water stream, river ==== Inflection ==== ==== Derived terms ==== === References === McLean Cornelio, Melba E. (1996), “was”, in Diccionario panamahka‎[2] (in Spanish), Managua: CIDCA, page 84 == Middle Dutch == === Etymology 1 === From Old Dutch was, from Proto-Germanic *was. Cognate with English was. ==== Verb ==== was first/third-person singular past indicative of wēsen === Etymology 2 === From Old Dutch was, from Proto-Germanic *wahsą. Cognate with English wax. ==== Noun ==== was n wax === Etymology 3 === From wassen (“to grow”). ==== Noun ==== was m growth == Middle English == === Etymology 1 === From Old English wæs (first/third person singular indicative past of wesan), from Proto-Germanic *was (first/third person singular indicative past of *wesaną). ==== Verb ==== was first/third-person singular past indicative of been (dialectal) second-person singular past indicative of been (dialectal) plural past indicative of been ===== Descendants ===== English: was Scots: was, wis Yola: waas, was, waz, 'as, as (after Ich) === Etymology 2 === ==== Pronoun ==== was alternative form of whos (“whose”, genitive) == Middle High German == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): (before 13th CE) /ˈwas̠/ === Verb === was first/third-person singular past indicative of sīn / wësen == Middle Low German == === Alternative forms === wass === Verb === was first/third-person singular preterite indicative of wēsen == Old English == === Alternative forms === wes — Mercian wæs === Verb === was (Northumbrian) first/third-person singular preterite of bēon first/third-person singular preterite of wesan == Old High German == === Alternative forms === uuas, ƿas — Manuscript spelling === Verb === was first/third-person singular past indicative of wesan == Old Javanese == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /was/ Rhymes: -was Homophone: wās Hyphenation: was === Etymology 1 === ==== Root ==== was alternative spelling of wās (“clear”) === Etymology 2 === (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.) ==== Noun ==== was name of a day in the six-day week === Etymology 3 === (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.) ==== Particle ==== was emphatic or descriptive particle === Further reading === "was" in P.J. Zoetmulder with the collaboration of S.O. Robson, Old Javanese-English Dictionary. 's-Gravenhage: M. Nijhoff, 1982. == Pennsylvania German == === Etymology === From Middle High German waz, from Old High German waz, hwaz, from Proto-West Germanic *hwat. Compare German was, Dutch wat, English what. === Pronoun === was (interrogative) what == Polish == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈvas/ Rhymes: -as Syllabification: was === Pronoun === was genitive/accusative/locative of wy == Proto-Norse == === Romanization === was romanization of ᚹᚨᛊ == Scots == === Noun === was plural of wa == Seychellois Creole == === Etymology === From French ouest. === Noun === was west === References === D'Offay, Danielle; Lionnet, Guy (1982), Diksyonner kreol-franse [Creole-French Dictionary] (in French), Hamburg: Buske, →ISBN == Somali == === Etymology === Unknown. Cognate with Maay wasow, Jiiddu wasaal. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈwɑ̄s/ Hyphenation: was === Verb === was (transitive) fuck ==== Inflection ==== ==== Descendants ==== → English: wass === References === “was”, in Qaamuuska Af-Soomaaliga, 2012 == Spanish == === Etymology === From WhatsApp. === Noun === was m (plural was) a message sent or received over WhatsApp ==== Related terms ==== == Tagalog == === Alternative forms === waz wis, wiz wit, wititit === Etymology === From wa (clipping of wala) + -s. Possibly as analogy for English has. === Pronunciation === (Standard Tagalog) IPA(key): /ˈwas/ [ˈwas] Rhymes: -as Syllabification: was === Pronoun === was (Baybayin spelling ᜏᜐ᜔) (gay slang) nothing; none Synonyms: wala, (gay slang) waley === Further reading === Zorc, R. David; San Miguel, Rachel (1993), Tagalog Slang Dictionary, Manila: De La Salle University Press, →ISBN, page 155 == Tok Pisin == === Etymology === From English watch. === Verb === was angel; any supernatural creature in heaven according to Christian theology == Welsh == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /waːs/ === Noun === was soft mutation of gwas === Mutation === == Yola == === Verb === was alternative form of waas (“was”) alternative form of waas (“were”) === References === Jacob Poole (d. 1827) (before 1828), William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, published 1867