The correct spelling of the phrase is "was willing". The pronunciation of this phrase, in IPA phonetic transcription, is /wɒz ˈwɪlɪŋ/. The "was" is pronounced as /wɒz/ with a short "o" sound, while "willing" is pronounced as /ˈwɪlɪŋ/ with a short "i" sound. The incorrect spelling "wast willing" is likely the result of confusion between the archaic verb conjugation "wast" and the more modern "was". It is important to use correct spelling and pronunciation to ensure clear communication.
The phrase "wast willing" is a combination of two Old English words: "wast" and "willing". Here is the breakdown of the etymology of each word:
1. Wast: The word "wast" is the second person singular past form of the Old English verb "beon" meaning "to be". In Old English, "wast" was used in combination with the pronoun "thou" (as in "thou wast") to refer to the second person singular form of the verb. Over time, the word "wast" gradually fell out of use as the English language evolved.
2. Willing: The word "willing" has its roots in the Old English word "willan", which means "to want" or "to desire".