The spelling of the word "hadst guests" may seem unusual to modern English speakers, but it was a common form of the past tense verb in older versions of the language. The "-st" suffix indicates that the verb is in the second person singular, and the word "guests" is its direct object. When pronounced, it would sound like /hædst/ /ɡɛsts/. While this spelling may not be widely used today, it offers a glimpse into the evolution of the English language over time.
There is no dictionary definition for the phrase "hadst guests" as it is an archaic construction that combines old English verb forms. However, one can infer the meaning by breaking down the phrase and understanding its individual components.
"Hadst" is the second person singular past tense of the verb "have." It is derived from Middle English and was commonly used in Shakespearean English. "Hadst" means "you had" or "you possessed" and is specifically addressing one person.
"Guests" is the plural form of the noun "guest." A guest refers to a person who is invited to stay or attend an event hosted by someone else. Guests often imply individuals who visit or reside in another person's private home or gathering, with the purpose of receiving hospitality from the host.
Combining these words, "hadst guests" can be understood as an archaic way of saying "you had guests" or "you possessed guests." Thus, the phrase is used to indicate that the addressed person had people staying or visiting their place, implying that the person was playing a host or accommodating others.
Overall, "hadst guests" is an old-fashioned way of referring to someone hosting or entertaining visitors in their home or at an event.
The phrase "hadst guests" is not a standalone word with a specific etymology. It is a conjugation of the verb "to have" in the second person singular past tense, combined with the noun "guests".
The word "hadst" is the archaic second person singular past tense of "to have" in Middle English. It combines the verb stem "had" with the second person singular ending "-st", which was commonly used in the Middle English period (approximately 11th to 15th centuries) to indicate the second person singular subject.
The noun "guests", on the other hand, is derived from the Old Norse word "gestr", meaning "guest" or "stranger". This term was then borrowed into Old English as "gæst" before eventually evolving into the modern English word "guest".