ܗܘܬ

From a variant of Aramaic הֲוָת‎ (hăwāṯ, literally “she was”); see also ܗܵܘܹܐ‎ (hāwē, “to be, exist, happen”).

• (standard) IPA^(key): [wɑː], [wɑθː]

ܗ݇ܘܵܬ݇ • (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

      ‏ܒܸܟܬ݂ܵܒ݂ܵܐ ܝܘܵܢ ܗ݇ܘܵܬ݇‎‎ ― bikṯāḇā ìwān wā ― I was writing

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

      ‏ܟܹܐ ܟܵܬ݂ܒ݂ܵܢ ܗ݇ܘܵܬ݇‎‎ ― kē kāṯḇān wā ― I used to write

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

      ‏ܟܬܝܼܒ݂ ܗ݇ܘܵܬ݇ ܠܝܼ‎ ― ktīḇ wā lī ― I had wrote

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

      ‏ܒܸܬ ܟܵܬ݂ܒ݂ܵܢ ܗ݇ܘܵܬ݇‎‎ ― bit kāṯḇān wā ― I would write

      ‏ܒܸܬ ܗܵܘܝܵܢ ܗ݇ܘܵܬ݇ ܟܬ݂ܝܼܒ݂ܬܵܐ‎ ― bit hāwyān wā kṯīḇtā ― I would have written

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