were

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   second-person singular simple past indicative of be

   John, you were the only person to see him.

2. 2
   verb

   plural simple past indicative of be

   We were about to leave.

3. 3
   verb

   simple subjunctive of be

   I wish that it were Sunday.

4. 4
   noun

   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.

5. 5
   verb

   first/third-person singular simple past indicative of be.

6. 6
   noun

   The collective name for any kind of person that changes into another form under certain conditions, including the werewolf.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂wes-der. Proto-Germanic *wēzīn Proto-West Germanic *wāʀīn Old English wǣre Middle English were English were 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.