Pronunciation: [wɜː ni͡əbˈa͡ɪ] (IPA) 
The phrase "were nearby" is made up of two words - "were" and "nearby". "Were" is pronounced as /wər/ and is the past tense of the verb "to be". "Nearby" is pronounced as /nɪəbaɪ/ and means "close at hand". It is spelled with the letters "n", "e", "a", "r", "b", and "y". The correct spelling of "were nearby" is important as it can greatly affect the meaning of a sentence.
"Were nearby" refers to the state or condition of being in close proximity to a particular location, object, or person in the past. This phrase implies that something or someone was located near or within a short distance from a specific reference point.
The term "were" is the past tense of the verb "to be," used here to indicate the existence or presence of something or someone. "Nearby" is an adverb that describes the relative closeness or short distance between two objects, places, or individuals.
When we say that something or someone "were nearby," it suggests that they were not far away and could be easily accessed or reached. This expression often indicates a temporal or spatial relationship, conveying the idea that the mentioned entities were relatively close or in the immediate vicinity at some point in the past.
For instance, if someone says, "The keys were nearby," it means that the keys were present in a nearby location in the past, implying that they were easily accessible or within arm's reach. Similarly, if one mentions, "We were nearby the park," it indicates that the speaker and others were in close proximity or within a short distance from the park at a previous time. The phrase "were nearby" serves to highlight the proximity of something or someone and their relevance to a specific context or event in the past.
The phrase "were nearby" is not a single word but rather a combination of words. "Were" is the past tense of the verb "to be", and "nearby" is an adverb derived from the adjective "near".
The word "near" can be traced back to the Old English word "neah", which has Germanic origins. The word evolved in Middle English to "ner(e)" or "nere", and eventually became "near" in modern English.
The specific combination "were nearby" does not have a unique etymology as it is simply the past tense of the verb "to be" combined with the adverb "nearby" to indicate that something or someone existed or happened in close proximity in the past.
