were

== English == === Etymology 1 === Inherited from Middle English were, weren, from Old English wǣre, wǣron, wǣren, from Proto-West Germanic *wāʀun, *wāʀīn, from Proto-Germanic *wēzun, *wēzīn, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂wes-. More at was. ==== Alternative forms ==== ware (old eye dialect) weare (obsolete) ==== Pronunciation ==== (UK) (Received Pronunciation) (weak form) IPA(key): /wə(ɹ)/ enPR: wər (strong form) IPA(key): /wɜː/ enPR: wûr (Humberside, fair–fur merger, strong form) IPA(key): /wɛː/ enPR: wâr (Lancashire, fair–fur merger, strong form) IPA(key): /wɜː(ɹ)/ enPR: wûr (Liverpool, fair–fur merger, strong form) IPA(key): /weː/ enPR: wâr (Northumbria, strong form) IPA(key): /wɔː/ (Teesside, fair–fur merger, strong form) IPA(key): /wɛː/ enPR: wâr (Scotland, strong form) IPA(key): /wɛr/ enPR: wûr (US) (weak form) IPA(key): /wɚ/ enPR: wər (strong form) IPA(key): /wɝ/ enPR: wûr (New Zealand) (strong form) IPA(key): /wøː/ enPR: wûr (Ireland) (strong form) IPA(key): /wɑːɹ/ enPR: wär Homophone: we're Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ) Homophones: whirr (wine–whine merger, fern–fir–fur merger), ware (fair–fur merger), where (fair–fur merger, wine–whine merger) ==== Verb ==== were second-person singular simple past indicative of be John, you were the only person to see him. plural simple past indicative of be We were about to leave. Mary and John, you were right. They were a fine group. They were to be the best of friends from that day on. simple subjunctive of be If you were to move your chair a little, we'd all fit. with “if” omitted, put first in an “if” clause: Were it simply that she wore a hat, I would not be upset at all. (= If it were simply...) Were father a king, we would have war. (= If father were a king,...) (MLE, Northern England, Ireland) first/third-person singular simple past indicative of be. ===== Synonyms ===== (second-person singular past indicative, archaic) wast (used with “thou”) (second-person singular imperfect subjunctive, archaic) wert (used with “thou”) ==== See also ==== === Etymology 2 === Inherited from Middle English were, wer, see wer. ==== Noun ==== were (plural weres) Alternative form of wer (“man; wergeld”). 1799-1805, Sharon Turner, History of the Anglo-Saxons Every man was valued at a certain sum, which was called his were. === Etymology 3 === Back-formation from werewolf and other terms in were-, from the same source as English wer, were (“man”) (above). ==== Noun ==== were (plural weres) (fandom slang) The collective name for any kind of person that changes into another form under certain conditions, including the werewolf. === Anagrams === Ewer, ewer, ewre, rewe, weer == Dutch == === Pronunciation === Rhymes: -eːrə === Verb === were (dated or formal) singular present subjunctive of weren === Anagrams === weer == Fijian == === Noun === were garden === Verb === were (wereca) to garden, to weed (wereca specifically) == Irarutu == === Etymology === Inherited from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ. === Noun === were water === Further reading === Clemens Voorhoeve (1975), Languages of Irian Jaya Checklist, Canberra: Pacific Linguistics, →DOI == Maku'a == === Noun === were water === References === Aone van Engelenhoven, The position of Makuva among the Austronesian languages of Southwest Maluku and East Timor, in Austronesian historical linguistics and culture history: a festschrift, Pacific linguistics 601 (2009) == Middle English == === Etymology 1 === Inherited from Old English wǣre (second-person singular indicative and subjunctive past of wesan). ==== Alternative forms ==== weer, weere, wer, wære, ware ==== Pronunciation ==== IPA(key): /ˈwɛːr(ə)/, /ˈwɛr(ə)/ ==== Verb ==== were inflection of been: second-person singular indicative past singular subjunctive past ===== Descendants ===== English: were (dialectal war, ware) Scots: war, waar, ware, waur, wur, wir Yola: war, ware === Etymology 2 === From weren. ==== Pronunciation ==== IPA(key): /ˈwɛːr(ə)/ ==== Noun ==== were (uncountable) wearing ===== Descendants ===== English: wear Yola: were, wer ===== References ===== “wēre, n.(4).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007. === Etymology 3 === ==== Verb ==== were alternative form of weren === Etymology 4 === ==== Noun ==== were alternative form of werre (“war”) === Etymology 5 === ==== Adjective ==== were alternative form of werre (“worse”) ==== Adverb ==== were alternative form of werre (“worse”) ==== Noun ==== were alternative form of werre (“worse”) == Mwani == === Etymology === From Proto-Bantu *ìbéèdè. === Noun === were class 5 (plural mawere) breast == Northern Kurdish == === Verb === were second-person singular imperative of hatin == Old English == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈwe.re/ Rhymes: -e.re === Noun === were dative singular of wer == Onin == === Etymology === Derived from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ. === Noun === were water (clear liquid H₂O) == Tocharian B == === Etymology === (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.) === Noun === were ? smell, scent, odor == Toro == === Noun === were day === References === Roger Blench, The Toro language of Central Nigeria and its affinities (2012) == Uruangnirin == === Etymology === Derived from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *waiʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wahiʀ. === Noun === were water (clear liquid H₂O) == Yola == === Alternative forms === wer === Etymology === Inherited from Middle English were. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /wɛːr/, /wɛr/ === Noun === were wearing ==== Related terms ==== waare (“to wear”) === 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, page 77 == Yoruba == === Alternative forms === ièrè, iwèrè === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /wè.ɾè/ === Noun === wèrè insanity, madness, imbecile (sometimes derogatory, offensive) mad person Synonyms: ayírí, asínwín, aṣiwèrè ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Descendants ==== → Nigerian Pidgin: werey