The spelling of the word "were arrears" can be a bit confusing due to the homophony in its pronunciation. The word is often mistaken for "where" due to the identical sounding initial phonemes "/wɛr/". However, the proper spelling and meaning of the word is "were arrears", with "were" being the past tense of "are" and "arrears" referring to outstanding debts. The correct way to pronounce this phrase should be "/wər əˈrɪrz/", indicating the distinct sounds of the two words.
The phrase "were arrears" is not a commonly used or recognized phrase in the English language. It appears to be a combination of two distinct words - "were" and "arrears".
1. "Were" is the past tense of the verb "be". It indicates the past condition, state, or identity of something or someone. It can also be used as a subjunctive form in conditional statements.
2. "Arrears" refers to the unpaid debts or obligations that are overdue. It is often used in financial or legal contexts to describe the outstanding payments or bills that are not yet settled.
The combination of these two words, "were arrears", does not have a specific etymology. It seems to be a construction that is not commonly used in the English language and might be a result of a typographical or grammatical error.