The phrase "wast in the habit of" is a historical spelling of "was in the habit of," which means regularly doing something. The spelling reflects the pronunciation of the word "was" in Middle English, which was pronounced as /wæst/ according to IPA phonetic transcription. Over time, the pronunciation shifted towards the modern pronunciation of /wɒz/, but the spelling remained unchanged. While it may seem unusual to modern readers, it is a reminder of the evolution of the English language over time.
The phrase "wast in the habit of" is an archaic construction that dates back to Early Modern English. "Wast" is the second person singular past tense of the verb "to be" in the indicative mood, which means it is used to describe an action that occurred in the past. "In the habit of" is a phrase used to convey a customary or regular action or behavior.
When combined, "wast in the habit of" suggests that someone had the habit of consistently engaging in a particular behavior or action in the past. This construction is often used to describe patterns of behavior or activities that were habitual or customary for someone during a specific time frame. It indicates that the person regularly engaged in the mentioned activity as a usual practice.
For instance, if someone were to say "Thou wast in the habit of rising early," it would mean that the person addressed had the regular practice or behavior of waking up early in the past. The phrase emphasizes the regularity or repetition of the action.
Usage of this construction has significantly diminished in contemporary English, as it belongs to older forms of the language.