ܗܘܘ

From a variant of Aramaic הֲווֹ‎ (hăwō, literally “they were”); see also ܗܵܘܹܐ‎ (hāwē, “to be, exist, happen”).

• (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 wrote

   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.