ܗܘܘ

From Aramaic הֲוָא (hăwā) with orthography based on Classical Syriac ܗ݇ܘܵܘ as though inherited from Aramaic הֲווֹ (hăwō, literally “they were”); see also ܗܵܘܹܐ (hāwē, “to be, exist, happen”). In Classical Syriac the masculine form ܗ݇ܘܵܐ was also commonly used for all genders and persons.

• (Standard) IPA^(key): [wɑː], [wɑwː]

ܗ݇ܘܵܘ • (wā)

1. a verbal prefix placed after the definite or indefinite present
   1. (auxiliary, used with the continuous present tense) Used to express imperfect continuous past tense

      ܒܸܟܬܵܒ݂ܵܐ ܝܘܲܚ ܗ݇ܘܵܘ ― biktāḇā ìwaḥ wā ― We were writing.

   2. (auxiliary, used with ܟܹܐ (kē)) Used to express imperfect simple past tense

      ܟܹܐ ܟܵܬܒ݂ܲܚ ܗ݇ܘܵܘ ― kē kātḇaḥ wā ― We used to write.

   3. (auxiliary, used with the simple past tense) Used to express anterior past tense

      ܟܬܝܼܒ݂ ܗ݇ܘܵܘ ܠܲܢ ― ktīḇ wā lan ― We had written.

   4. (auxiliary, used with ܒܸܬ (bit)) Used to express conditional mood

      ܒܸܬ ܟܵܬܒ݂ܲܚ ܗ݇ܘܵܘ ― bit kātḇaḥ wā ― We would write.

      ܒܸܬ ܗܵܘܲܚ ܗ݇ܘܵܘ ܟܬܝܼܒ݂ܹ̈ܐ

      bit hāwaḥ wā ktīḇē

      We would have written.

• This is the plural form; the singular form is ܗ݇ܘܵܐ (wā). In some dialects, only the singular form is used for both singular and plural contexts and leave ܗ݇ܘܵܘ (wā) unused.