The phrase "wast often in" is spelled using Old English grammar rules. "Wast" is the second-person singular past tense form of "to be," and "often" is an adverb meaning "frequently." "In" is a preposition indicating location. In IPA phonetic transcription, "wast" is pronounced /wɑːst/, "often" is pronounced /ˈɒfən/, and "in" is pronounced /ɪn/. Although the phrase may appear archaic to modern English speakers, it was commonly used in Old English literature and can still be found in historical documents.