The phrase "wast an element of" is spelled with the IPA phonetic transcription of /wɑst ən ˈɛl ə mənt əv/. "Wast" is the past tense of "be" in Middle English, which makes the phrase antiquated in modern English. "Element" is pronounced as /ˈɛl ə mənt/, with a schwa sound in the second syllable. "Of" is pronounced as /əv/, which is the reduced form of "have" or "of" in unstressed positions. Despite its outdated spelling, "wast an element of" was commonly used in literature from the Middle Ages to the 17th century.