Hadst authority is an archaic phrase that stems from Early Modern English, specifically from the time of William Shakespeare and his contemporaries. It is a conjugation of the verb "to have" in the second person singular form, paired with the verb "to have" in its subordinate form. This phrase can be further divided into two parts for a clearer understanding.
First, "hadst" is the contraction of "had" and "thou," which means "you had" in modern English. During the Early Modern English era, "thou" was used as the informal singular pronoun for the second person. The word "had" in this context refers to the act of possessing or owning something in the past.
Second, "authority" refers to the power or right to control, command, or make decisions. It signifies having the jurisdiction or being in a position of influence or dominance over others.
When combined, "hadst authority" represents the expression "you had authority" in contemporary English. It signifies that at a particular point in the past, the person being referred to possessed power, control, or influence over a given situation, individual, or group. This phrase typically implies that someone held a position of authority and exercised their power in the past, emphasizing a sense of past ownership or assertiveness.
The phrase hadst authority is a combination of two words: hadst and authority.
Hadst is the archaic second person singular form of the verb to have in the past tense, used with thou or you as the subject. In Old English, had was spelled as haefde in the past tense, and over time, the f sound was dropped, resulting in had.
Authority originates from the Latin word auctoritas, which means influence or power. It was derived from the Latin verb augere, which means to increase or to augment. In English, authority refers to the power or right to make decisions, enforce rules, or give orders.
Therefore, when combined, hadst authority means you had authority or you possessed power or influence.