The word "were contiguous" consists of three syllables and is pronounced /wɜr kənˈtɪɡjuəs/. The first syllable is stressed, with the "w" sound followed by the short "er" sound. The second syllable contains a schwa sound and ends with the "n" sound. The final syllable starts with the "t" sound, followed by the long "ee" sound, and ends with the "shus" sound. This word means "were touching or sharing a common border" and is commonly used in geography and urban planning.
"Were contiguous" refers to a state in which two or more things or entities are touching, sharing a common boundary, or physically adjacent to each other. The term "were" indicates that this state of being contiguous existed in the past.
Contiguity is the quality or condition of being in close proximity or touching with one another. It implies a direct connection or immediate adjacency. When multiple objects, regions, or elements are described as "were contiguous," it means that they were adjoining or neighboring each other without any significant gaps or spaces between them.
To illustrate this concept, imagine a map showing different countries. If two countries are labeled as "were contiguous," it means that in the past, they shared a border, had a common boundary, or were physically touching each other. In a similar vein, when discussing a series of buildings, if it is stated that they "were contiguous," it suggests that they were in direct contact or directly connected without any empty spaces or interruptions between them.
Overall, the phrase "were contiguous" denotes the close physical proximity or adjacency that existed between different objects or entities in the past, indicating they were touching or directly connected without any gaps or discontinuity.
The phrase "were contiguous" does not have a specific etymology as it consists of two separate words. However, we can look into the etymology of each word individually:
1. Were: The word "were" is the past tense form of the verb "to be" in the subjunctive mood. It originated from the Old English word "wǣron", which is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "werun". This, in turn, can be traced back to the Proto-Indo-European root "h₂wes-", meaning "to dwell" or "to stay".
2. Contiguous: The word "contiguous" comes from the Latin word "contiguus", which means "touching, near, neighboring". It is derived from the verb "contingere", meaning "to touch" or "to contact".