ܗܘܬ

From Aramaic הֲוָא (hăwā) with orthography based on Classical Syriac ܗ݇ܘܵܬ݂ as though inherited from Aramaic הֲוָת (hăwāṯ, literally “she was”); 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], [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 written.

   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.