Where does “was” come from?
was (Middle English) comes from Old English wæs, from Proto-Germanic was, from Proto-Indo-European h₂wes- — to dwell, live, reside; to stay, spend the night.
was (Middle English): First and third-person singular past indicative...
Definitions
- First and third-person singular past indicative...
Ancestry of “was”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | wæs | first/third-person singular preterite of bēon;... |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | was | first/third-person singular past active... |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂wes- | to dwell, live, reside; to stay, spend the night |