What is the Meaning of Were?
The word were is a verb and its original form is “wesan” which is an Old English word that means to “remain or stay”. This verb is one of the most commonly used in the English language and is used to indicate a past state, action or condition. In addition, were is also one of the five forms of the verb “to be”.
The Different Conjugations of Were
Were is typically used as a past tense verb in the second person singular and plural, and first and third person plural. For example, we say “you were”, “they were”, “we were”, and “I/He/She was”. In addition, were can also be used as a subjunctive form, which means it is used to express hypothetical or imaginary situations. For example, “If I were to win the lottery, I would travel the world”.
The Usage of Were in Literature
The word were has been used extensively in literature, poetry, and songs. The use of were in literature has evolved over time, and while it was commonly used in Old English literature, it continues to be used in modern literature as well. For example, in William Shakespeare’s play “Hamlet”, the famous line “To be or not to be, that is the question” uses the infinitive form of the verb “to be”. However, in another popular Shakespearean play, “Macbeth”, the line “If it were done when ’tis done, then ’twere well / It were done quickly” uses the subjunctive form of were to indicate a hypothetical situation.
In conclusion, were is a commonly used verb in the English language that has evolved over time. Its original form was “wesan” which meant to “remain or stay”. Today, were is used to indicate a past state, action or condition and is also one of the five forms of the verb “to be”. Furthermore, its usage in literature has changed over time but has continued to be used extensively to this day.
