The spelling of the word "wast highlighted" can be a bit confusing at first glance. The reason for this is because "wast" is an archaic form of the second person singular past tense of "be". In the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), "wast" is transcribed as /wɑːst/. Therefore, the correct pronunciation of this phrase is "wost highlighted", with the emphasis on the second syllable of "highlighted". It's important to be aware of these archaic forms of language to fully understand older texts and literature.
The phrase "wast highlighted" appears to be an archaic or older form of the phrase "was highlighted".
The word "wast" is the archaic second-person singular past tense of the verb "be" in Middle English. It comes from the Old English word "wǣre" meaning "were".
The word "highlighted" is derived from the verb "highlight". Its etymology can be traced back to the Old English word "hleohtan", meaning "to shine brightly" or "to be radiant". It is formed from the elements "hlēoht", meaning light or brightness, and the verb suffix "-ian".
Therefore, "wast highlighted" would mean "were highlighted" in modern English.