weren't

Australia, UK/ˈwɜːnt/Canada, US/ˈwɝn̩t/Canada, US[ˈwɝ.ənt]Canada, US[wɝ̃(ʔ)t̚]

A form of were — simple subjunctive of be

OriginEnglish not ← Middle English not ← Old English *nōht →
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Meanings

verb

alternative pronunciation spelling warn't · alternative pronunciation spelling wern't · alternative worn't

  1. abbreviationcontractionContraction of were + not.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂wes-
  2. Proto-Germanic*wēzīn
  3. Proto-West Germanic*wāʀīn
  4. Old Englishwǣre
  5. Old Englishwǣron
  6. Old Englishwǣren
  7. Middle Englishwere
  8. Englishwere
  9. Proto-Indo-European*né
  10. Proto-Germanic*ne
  11. Proto-West Germanic*ne
  12. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ey-
  13. Proto-Indo-European*h₂óyu
  14. Proto-Germanic*aiwaz
  15. Proto-West Germanic*aiw
  16. Proto-West Germanic*naiw
  17. Proto-Indo-European*wekʷ-
  18. Proto-Indo-European*wékʷtisder.?
  19. Proto-Indo-European*weǵʰ-
  20. Proto-Indo-European*wéǵʰtisder.?
  21. Proto-Germanic*wihtą
  22. Proto-West Germanic*wiht
  23. Proto-West Germanic*naiwwiht
  24. Old Englishnāwiht
  25. Old English*nōht
  26. Middle Englishnought
  27. Middle Englishnot
  28. Englishnot
  29. Englishweren't

From were + -n't.

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with weren't

burntunburntturntunlearnt
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

weren't. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/weren't

MLA

“weren't.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/weren't. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “weren't,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/weren't.

Source: weren't on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.