The spelling of the phrase "wast quiet" can be confusing because of the silent letter "w" at the beginning of "wast". In IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription, "wast" would be spelled /wɑst/, with the "w" indicating a slight glottal closure before the "a" sound. "Quiet" is spelled as it sounds, with the "qu" creating a "kw" sound: /ˈkwaɪ.ət/. Together, the phrase would be pronounced as /wɑst ˈkwaɪ.ət/. It's important to be mindful of silent letters in English spelling to accurately pronounce words.
The phrase "wast quiet" does not have a distinct etymology, as it appears to be a combination of two separate words.
The word "wast" is the second person singular past tense of the verb "to be" in Early Modern English. It derives from the Old English word "wǣre" or "was", which meant the same thing. The word underwent various phonetic changes and eventually settled on "wast" in Middle English.
The word "quiet" comes from the Latin word "quietus", which means "calm" or "at rest". It entered the English language through Old French as "coiet" or "quiete", and eventually evolved into the modern word "quiet".
When combined, "wast quiet" would simply mean "you were quiet" in archaic or poetic English. However, it is important to note that this phrase is not commonly used in modern English conversation.